The number of shooting incidents has recently decreased in Donbas, the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) said.

Monitors saw a 15% decline in ceasefire breaches last week, OSCE SMM Principal Deputy Chief Monitor Alexander Hug said at a press briefing in Lviv on Tuesday, adding that a 55% rise in ceasefire breaches was observed the week before.

Monitors continue recording use of heavy weapons, which are supposed to have been pulled out, such as mortars, artillery systems and tanks, Hug said.

The withdrawal was due a long time ago, but the mission has recorded over 3,000 weapons placed outside designated storage areas since the start of the year, Hug said calling this a direct breach of the Minsk Agreements.

Hindrances to monitors' travel around Donbas remain a pressing problem, Hug said.

Some say the mission is blind, but this is not because the mission's eyes are shut but because it is denied an opportunity to see, Hug said.

The monitors are quite often not allowed to do their job, and monitoring hardware is either attacked or destroyed, he said.

Whenever monitors are barred from a particular area, there is something that is being hidden, Hug said.

Hug reiterated the monitors' commitment to the mandate approved by 57 OSCE member countries, which expires on March 31, 2018.