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OSCE's SMM records marked spike in number of ceasefire violations in Donbass

Earlier on Tuesday the sides in the Donbass conflict reported escalation of the situation on the contact line

© Valentin Sprinchak/TASS

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Escalation in Donbass undermines Minsk Agreements — NATO spokesperson

VIENNA, February 19. /TASS/. The Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has registered a spike of ceasefire violations near the contact line in the Lugansk region.

"In the morning of 18 February, from approximately 05:30 to 11:30 hrs, while on patrol in the area of Zolote (government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk) and at its forward patrol bases in Kadiivka (formerly Stakhanov, non-government-controlled, 50km west of Luhansk) and Popasna (government-controlled, 69km west of Luhansk) - and with its cameras - the SMM recorded a marked spike in the number of ceasefire violations in the area, including over 2,300 explosions," the SMM said in a report released on Tuesday.

"At about 12:00, the SMM diverted a long-range unmanned aerial vehicle over the area. Its footage is currently being analysed," the report added.

Earlier on Tuesday the sides in the Donbass conflict reported escalation of the situation on the contact line.

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