"From its position at ‘Donetsk People’s Republic’ (‘DPR’) — controlled Donetsk railway station (6km [about 4 miles] north-west of Donetsk) observation point, the SMM recorded a significant number of ceasefire violations, including 206 undetermined explosions and over 76 bursts of outgoing small-arms fire," the SMM said in its November 18 report, released on Thursday.
According to the report, weapons that are restricted in close proximity of the contact line between Ukraine’s conflicting sides (southeastern militia and Kiev forces) were used in the course of the latest SMM observation period.
"Near government-controlled Avdiivka (15km [about 9 miles] north of Donetsk), the SMM heard several bursts of outgoing small arms and light weapons (SALW), and in the government-controlled side of Zaitseve (49km [30 miles] north of Donetsk) it heard two explosions consistent with incoming 82mm mortar fire," the SMM said.
Ukraine’s southeastern Donetsk and Lugansk regions were targeted by Kiev’s special military operation in April 2014, after local residents refused to recognize the new Ukrainian authorities, which came to power as a result of a coup.
In February 2015, a ceasefire agreement was signed between the two sides in the Belarusian capital, Minsk.
The OSCE has been tasked with monitoring the implementation of all provisions of the Minsk peace deal, which include a full ceasefire, a weapons withdrawal from the line of contact in eastern Ukraine, an all-for-all prisoner exchange and constitutional reforms.
