OSCE raps E Ukraine truce breaches, urges political solution

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has condemned the violation of the Minsk ceasefire in eastern Ukraine.

On Sunday, the OSCE issued a statement on behalf of the organization’s chairperson-in-office and Serbian foreign minister, Ivica Dacic, denouncing “violations of the ceasefire along the line of contact in eastern Ukraine during the last few days."

Dacic “expressed in particular serious concern over the use of proscribed heavy weapons as well as the increased fighting in and around Donetsk and Shyrokyne," the statement quoted the official as saying

The statement also called on both sides of the conflict to fully implement the Minsk truce, saying only a “political process” can put an end to hostilities in the violence-wracked region.

"He once again reiterated the call … to all sides to fully and unconditionally respect the ceasefire, end all hostilities and implement all provisions from the Minsk agreements, including the withdrawal of heavy weapons," the statement read.

The statement came shortly after the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) accused Kiev of repeatedly breaching the fragile ceasefire in the region.

"Over the past several days, Ukrainian forces have actively resumed military action on the territory of the DPR. On May 2, Donetsk came under a massive artillery attack from the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The city had not experienced such intensive attacks since February,” read DPR’s military statement.

“We see what is happening as a flagrant provocation aiming to undermine the conflict settlement efforts," it added.

This is while Kiev dismissed the DPR’s allegation as "a pack of lies," saying the pro-Russia forces should be held accountable for the ongoing clashes there.

Such accusations by pro-Russians aim to “ruin the international image of Ukraine as a nation that completely fulfills military and political commitments made in Minsk," said the Ukrainian Defense Ministry in a statement.

Minsk truce deals

During peace talks in the Belarusian capital city of Minsk on February 11-12, the leaders of Germany, France, Russia and Ukrainereached a deal, dubbed Minsk II, on the withdrawal of heavy weapons from Ukraine’s front lines and a ceasefire, which officially went into effect on February 14. The two sides, however, have continued to engage in sporadic clashes.

Back in September 2014, the representatives of Ukraine, Russia, and the self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Lugansk had signed another ceasefire deal in Minsk. However, the truce was violated on an almost daily basis by both the Ukrainian military and the pro-Russia forces.

Donetsk and Lugansk are two mainly Russian-speaking regions in eastern Ukraine, which have been hit by deadly clashes between pro-Russia forces and the Ukrainian army since Kiev launched military operations in April last year to crush pro-Russia protests there.

In May 2014, the situation in the two flashpoint regions started to worsen as residents overwhelmingly voted for independence from Ukraine and joining the Russian Federation in a referendum.

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