Overall SMM states that violence in de-escalates along the contact line over the past week, except for the Debaltseve-Svitlodarsk area.
The security situation along the contact line in Eastern Ukraine remains volatile. The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission recorded four thousand explosions there only over November 7-9. Over November 4-6, the SMM camera in Shyrokyne recorded multiple-launch rocket system fire, and in Luhansk region the monitors heard impacts of the same weapon. In total, the SMM observed some 140 rockets fired by multiple-launch rocket systems in areas north-east of Mariupol last week. This was stated by Alexander Hug, First Deputy Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, at a briefing held at Ukraine Crisis Media Center. “This is a significant increase in shelling compared to previous weeks,” he noted.
According to him, the situation has deteriorated along the route Debaltseve-Svitlodarsk. On November 3, the SMM recorded 250 explosions in 30 minutes. On November 8, they recorded 340 explosions near Debaltseve, 193 mortar round explosions near Svitlodarsk, 30 seconds of continuous Grad salvos, 83 explosions near Yasynuvata and 70 rocket-assisted projectiles near Shyrokyne. “But this is just the tip of the iceberg, in total the SMM recorded well over 1.400 explosions on that day,” added Mr. Hug.
Over November 9-10, the SMM recorded 177 explosions near Debaltseve and Svitlodarsk, 90 explosions and more than 30 rocket-assisted projectiles at Avdiivka and more than 450 artillery round explosions near Kadiivka. “In total, on Wednesday we recorded over two thousand explosions,” summed up the first deputy chief monitor.
