Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe monitors said in a report on Wednesday that they had seen fighting continue on Tuesday "in areas around the Donetsk airport and Shyrokyne in the Donetsk region, and in areas to the north and north-west of Luhansk city."

The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine said in its report that it had "heard what it assessed to be 15 mortar rounds impacting in Shyrokyne." The monitors were forced to leave the area, the report said.

"The SMM during the reporting period … observed the continued presence of heavy weapons in both the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. In government-controlled areas around Shyrokyne, the SMM observed three tanks and three anti-tank guns. Close to 'DPR'-controlled Novoazovsk (43km east of Mariupol), the SMM observed a tank moving east. Around government-controlled Popasna (69km west of Luhansk), the SMM saw five tanks and a self-propelled howitzer. Near government-controlled Orikhove (56km south-west of Luhansk), the SMM saw an additional two tanks, and Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers digging trenches," the SMM said.