Last week, OSCE SMM recorded yet another escalation of the situation in eastern Ukraine. “Last week was in many ways the worst we have seen so far this year. In total, we recorded almost 7,700 ceasefire violations,” reported Alexander Hug, Principal Deputy Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, at a press-briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center.
On Wednesday night and early Thursday morning, the SMM monitors recorded almost 500 explosions and about 860 shots and bursts of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire in Svitlodarsk. “Of particular concern was the situation in Horlivka. On Thursday night and early Friday morning our monitoring officers at the SMM forward patrol base in Horlivka heard about 140 explosions, mostly artillery and tank fire, plus bursts and shots of an anti-aircraft gun, heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire. Also worrying was the use of multiple launch rocket systems. On Wednesday evening, May 16, an SMM static camera at the Donetsk Filtration Station recorded over 20 Grad rockets impacting west of the facility, in a government-controlled area,” elaborated Alexander Hug.
OSCE SMM confirmed that last week two civilians, including a 13-year-old boy in Troitske in Luhansk region, were killed; and another three were injured. “We have many additional cases pending – including alleged cases involving the deaths of four civilians and the injury of six. Our monitoring officers are following up to establish the facts,” noted Alexander Hug.
