UKRAINE-CRISIS/OSCE Heavy shelling and violence on the rise in eastern Ukraine - OSCE

Record ID: 144108

  • Title: UKRAINE-CRISIS/OSCE Heavy shelling and violence on the rise in eastern Ukraine - OSCE
  • Date: 13th August 2015
  • Summary: KIEV, UKRAINE (AUGUST 13, 2015) (REUTERS) ORGANISATION FOR SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE (OSCE) DEPUTY CHIEF MONITOR IN UKRAINE, ALEXANDER HUG, WALKING TO PODIUM OSCE BANNER (SOUNDBITE) (English) OSCE DEPUTY CHIEF MONITOR IN UKRAINE, ALEXANDER HUG, SAYING: "In the last week across Luhansk and Donetsk Oblast OSCE monitors have witnessed yet more violence resulting in the injury and deaths of civilians and combatants as well as the destruction of housing and other infrastructure. Moreover, there is reported use by all sides by the use of heavy weapons including 122 and 152 calibre." AUDIENCE UKRAINIAN MILITARY SPOKESMAN, OLEKSANDR MOTUZYANYK, WALKING TO PODIUM CAMERAMAN (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) UKRAINIAN MILITARY SPOKESMAN, OLEKSANDR MOTUZYANYK, SAYING: "The number of shellings by illegal armed groups within the past 24 hours amounts to more than 150. This is a record number of shellings within 24 hours after the Minsk agreements entered into force." REPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) UKRAINIAN MILITARY SPOKESMAN, OLEKSANDR MOTUZYANYK, SAYING: "In the area of Donetsk occupants moved to open and systematic use of Grad multiple missile launcher systems on the main sites of confrontation, namely in the triangle Opytne-Vodyane-Pisky. Military actions with the use of artillery, tanks do not stop even during the day time and enemy's artillery shelling lasts constantly at night. " MOTUZYANYK ENDING NEWS CONFERENCE AND WALKING AWAY
  • Embargoed: 28th August 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Ukraine
  • Country: Ukraine
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVAA7B5PWXSBNLLNJR8EBFGM5R6I
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on Thursday (August 13) reported a significant increase of ceasefire violations in Luhansk and Donetsk regions of Ukraine.
    "In the last week across Luhansk and Donetsk Oblast OSCE monitors have witnessed yet more violence resulting in the injury and deaths of civilians and combatants as well as the destruction of housing and other infrastructure. Moreover, there is reported use by all sides by the use of heavy weapons including 122 and 152 calibre," the OSCE deputy chief monitor in Ukraine Alexander Hug told a news conference in Kiev.
    On Wednesday (August 12) Ukraine and pro-Russian separatists accused each other of attempting to break a six-month-old peace agreement, with a rebel official warning of the threat of "a big war" if the ceasefire crumbles.
    Kiev's military this week reported the heaviest rebel artillery attacks in six months and fresh fighting near the strategic port city of Mariupol and Ukraine's allies expressed particular concern.
    On Thursday Ukrainian military spokesman Olexander Motuzyanyk the number fo shellings was record high.
    "The number of shellings by illegal armed groups within the past 24 hours amounts to more than 150. This is a record number of shellings within 24 hours after the Minsk agreements entered into force."
    Motuzyanyk also added that the shellings around the rebel-held city of Donetsk had become systematic.
    "In the area of Donetsk occupants moved to open and systematic use of Grad multiple missile launcher systems on the main sites of confrontation, namely in the triangle Opytne-Vodyane-Pisky. Military actions with the use of artillery, tanks do not stop even during the day time and enemy's artillery shelling lasts constantly at night," he said.
    At least one person was killed and another one seriously injured in Donetsk Kuibushevsky district on Wednesday when shells hit a residential area.
    Rebels in their turn accuse government troops of increased shelling in defiance of the peace deal, brokered in the Belarus capital Minsk in mid-February to end a conflict in which over 6,500 have been killed.
    Government troops are boosting their defences in the conflict zone with new weapons and equipment, said Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council Secretary Olexander Turchynov, adding the move was in line with the peace deal.
    The conflict broke out in April last year, when separatists rebelled in mainly Russian-speaking eastern Ukraine against the rule of Kiev's new Western-looking government.
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