The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) monitors registered towards Ukraine from Russian territory for the first time gunfire near the Donetsk checkpoint, the OSCE monitoring mission has said.

"In the past weeks, artillery detonations and shootings had been heard only from western and northern directions; but throughout the week for the first time observer teams reported light and heavy caliber shootings from the east and south-east areas which are also bordering Ukraine," the monitoring mission said in a report for August 27-September 3.

Furthermore, OSCE monitors noted especially intense artillery detonations during the weekend in the direction north of Krasnodon.

"Throughout the night of August 30 to 31, dozens of very loud artillery detonations were heard and felt by an observer team. The detonations were close by in a westerly/ north-westerly direction," the document said.