In 2020, the number of ceasefire violations recorded along the line of contact in eastern Ukraine's Donbas decreased by 55%, compared with 2019, the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission wrote in its Trends and Observations report.
Most of the armed violence recorded in 2020 was concentrated in four hotspots, which accounted for about 76% of all recorder ceasefire violations, including Popasna-Zolote-Pervomaisk area, Avdiyivka-Yasynuvata-Donetsk airport area, areas east and north-east of the strategic port city of Mariupol, and areas south-west, south, and south-east of Svitlodarsk, says the report.
"Ceasefire violations recorded outside the security zone were largely assessed as related to live-fire exercises," the report reads.
The SMM notes that after the latest ceasefire agreement was reached at the Trilateral Contact Group from July 27, 2020, the mission recorded the lowest levels of armed violence since the onset of hostilities.
The daily average of ceasefire violations plunged from 623 to 33 after that date.
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In 2020, the SMM observed over 1,800 weapons deployed in violations of withdrawal lines. About 87% of these weapons were observed in non-government-controlled areas.
Also, the report stresses incidents related to freedom of movement restrictions the OSCE monitors have faced, 96% of which took place in non-government-controlled areas.