Apakan: OSCE sees intense escalation in Donbas, expands presence on both sides

OSCE`s Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) Chief Monitor in Ukraine Apakan says that the OSCE SMM to Ukraine has observed intense escalation in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, in recent weeks and it has further expanded its presence on both sides of the contact line.
”Fighting takes place in hotspots. The fighting there varies in intensity over time. Days of relative calm are followed by days, or even weeks of intense escalation. Just recently, in the week from April 11 to 17, the Mission has observed particularly intensive violence between Avdiivka and Yasynuvata, to the north of Donetsk. This was the highest level of violence observed since August 2015,” Apakan said at a UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine on Thursday evening.
”Armed violence has continued also around the city of Zaitseve, around Horlivka and around Svitlodarsk and Debaltseve. An upsurge in ceasefire violations has also taken place in the south of Donetsk region and in Luhansk region,” he said.
According to him, a growing number of weapons is missing from permanent storage sites and from known weapons holding areas. ”Many of these facilities are completely abandoned. Our observations suggest that many of these weapons are back in use at the contact line,” he said.
He also said that the SMM had further expanded its presence on both sides of the contact line – both in numbers and geographically.
”Forward patrol bases are now operational in eight locations, bringing the total of SMM locations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions to 13, eight in government-controlled areas and five in non-government-controlled areas,” he said.
In his words, more forward patrol bases are needed, including in non-government-controlled areas, but for that the SMM needs safety and security reassurances from those in effective control in the respective locations.

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