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OSCE records unprecedented number of ceasefire violations in eastern Ukraine

The situation near the contact line in Donbass sharply deteriorated over the past days

© AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka

KIEV, February 3. /TASS/. Security situation in Donbass has significantly deteriorated over the past days and the ceasefire was violated by both sides more than 11,000 times on Tuesday, Deputy Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine Alexander Hug said.

"On 31 Jan SMM recorded over 11,000 ceasefire violations - Truly unprecedented," Hug said in a statement posted on the mission’s Twitter page. He expressed particular concerns over the use of multiple launch rocket systems in Avdeyevka, Yasinovataya and the area of the Donetsk airport.

Hug warned about potential humanitarian and ecological disaster as there is "no electricity, heating, water" in Avdeyevka and also "threats to filtration plant" in Yasinovataya.

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He called on the sides to stop firing, moving positions forward and blocking OSCE monitors, to withdraw weapons and give safe access to repair crews.

The situation near the contact line in Donbass sharply deteriorated over the past days and there are casualties among servicemen and civilians. Three civilians died and another 13 were wounded in the overnight shelling of Donetsk by the Kiev forces, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The deaths have been also reported in Avdeyevka.

The United Nations Security Council expressed grave concern earlier this week over the "dangerous deterioration" of the situation in eastern Ukraine and its severe impact on the local civilian population and called for an immediate return to ceasefire. The UNSC members condemned the use of weapons banned under the February 2015 Minsk peace deal.

The Contact Group for settlement in eastern Ukraine at the meeting in Minsk on Wednesday called to ensure ceasefire in Donbass and pull back all weapons and military hardware along the contact line to the storage facilities by February 5.

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Ukraine crisis OSCE

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