REUTERS

Lavrov said that the area near the "completely destroyed Donetsk airport … continues to be shelled by Ukrainian forces," while adding that clashes are also happening at other points of contact.

Lavrov said Russian President Vladimir Putin had supported a proposal made by President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko to the OSCE’s special monitoring mission in Ukraine to pay particular attention to those areas where "armed activity still occurs periodically."

"We have not only supported these suggestions but also initiated a significant expansion, by two times, of the OSCE mission in Ukraine, from 500 to 1000," Lavrov said.

Видео дня

According to Lavrov, the Russian Federation supports equipping mission with modern equipment, drones, armored cars, and has already "handed over pictures from Russian satellites to the mission."

"We insist that … the OSCE mission operates around the clock at about ten hot spots along the frontline, together with the Joint Center of Coordination and Control, in which Russian and Ukrainian officers are involved," he said.

Lavrov said there was a need to strengthen the supervisory functions of the international community over the implementation of the Minsk agreement. He said the parts of the agreements related to an amnesty, economic blockades, a special status for the militant-occupied areas of Ukraine and the beginning of a political process had yet to be fulfilled.