First Deputy Head of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) Alexander Hug notes a decrease in the number of shelling and casualties among civilians after regular agreements on a ceasefire regime in Donbas, but stresses the short duration of such an effect.

Yesterday in Minsk we once again confirmed its devotion to the ceasefire regime, which is the fourth such confirmation this year, while the commitment to observe the ceasefire agreement, about which the parties agreed as early as 2014, has already been confirmed 13 times, Hug said at a briefing in Kyiv on Thursday.

He noted that immediately after the next ceasefire agreement there has been a significant reduction in the number of violations of the ceasefire regime, and, accordingly, a decrease in the number of civilian casualties. However, in fact, this effect is very short, the situation remains unpredictable, Hug added.

The first deputy head of the OSCE SMM stressed that soon after the ceasefire agreement the level of violations returned to previous indicators.

And when new obligations lose their force, we are left with even more ruined houses and lost lives, added Hug.