"The SMM observed a sharp increase in the number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region on both on January 30 and 31," the OSCE SMM said on February 1 in an update based on information received as of 19:30 local time on January 31, 2016.
"In particular, positioned at a "Donetsk People's Republic" ("DPR")-controlled area 6km north-west of Donetsk city center between 8:55 and 14:35hrs on January 30, it heard, among other ceasefire violations, 91 undetermined explosions, 101 bursts of small arms (60) and heavy-machine-gun (41) fire and in total 544 single shots from both small arms and heavy-machine-guns from locations approximately 2.5-6km north, north-east, west, and north-west of its position," the update said.
The following day at the same location, between 9:00 and 15:00hrs, the SMM heard 47 undetermined explosions, as well as five bursts of small arms and eight bursts of heavy-machine-guns 5-8km to the south-west and north-west.
The SMM also recorded several ceasefire violations in the wider Horlivka area. Positioned in "DPR"-controlled Horlivka (39km north-east of Donetsk) on January 30, the SMM in the space of 30 minutes heard 46 explosions and approximately 160 rounds of heavy-machine-gun fire from the direction of Zaitseve (50km north-east of Donetsk). A resident of the village had called the SMM just prior to this observation, saying the village was under heavy shelling.
In areas north-east of Mariupol in Donetsk region, the SMM also recorded ceasefire violations. "Whilst in Kominternove (23km north-east of Mariupol) on January 30, the SMM heard several explosions and small-arms and heavy-machine-gun fire," the update said.
A complete breakdown of the ceasefire violations over the period under review is available here.
