OSCE chief monitor to Ukraine urges parties in Donbas to stop firing weapons

17:13, 15.04.2016 1 min read

Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Chief Monitor to Ukraine Ertugrul Apakan has expressed his dismay at a large number of ceasefire violations recorded lately in eastern Ukraine and called on the conflicting parties to observe the Minsk Agreements.

"The fighting needs to stop now - the sides have to stand by the agreement they reached: introduce a full and sustainable ceasefire, withdraw weapons, clear the land of mines and create a safe and secure environment for civilians," the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine quoted Apakan as saying.

He also pointed out that the number of ceasefire violations recorded by the SMM on April 14 exceeded 4,000. "The most acute deterioration was seen in the Avdiyivka-Yasynuvata area in the Donetsk region, with high numbers of explosions caused by proscribed weapons," the SMM press service said.