Ukraine sends official request to OSCE to register rough violation of ceasefire by militants in Donbas

Ukraine made an official request to OSCE envoy in Trilateral Contact Group in Minsk and OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) demanding to register a rough violation of ceasefire by illegal armed formations in Donbas on Wednesday, said Ukraine's negotiator in the humanitarian subgroup of the Trilateral Contact Group Iryna Heraschenko.

"Ukraine officially addressed to the OSCE, namely to the representative of this organization in Trilateral Contact Group in Minsk, to OSCE SMM demanding to register a rough violation of the ceasefire by the militants today, after their promises to strictly adhere by the ceasefire on holidays since midnight of December 23," Heraschenko wrote on Facebook on Wednesday.

She said that the ceasefire is neglected "with the complete connivance and assistance of Russians, who yesterday also were engaged in the work of the group on security issues and Trilateral Contact Group."

"This is evaluation of their words and promises. Still the same – lie, irresponsibility, non-keeping of the word, another items of the Minsk Agreements are also deviated, in particular regarding the release of the hostages," she said.

She said that the security situation, breach of the ceasefire by the illegal armed formations and absence of the progress in the release of hostages should "be a topic of a special attention of the whole world."

Heraschenko said militants' claims that they identified destinies of 63 persons from the list of people missed would be thoroughly verified under such circumstances.