Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in Ukraine and in the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG), Ambassador Heidi Grau says over 40% of ceasefire violations have been recorded near the Donetsk Filtering Station (DFS) since the truce was announced in late July.
"According to the assessments of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission, the ceasefire continues to be generally respected. On the other hand, its repeated violations are alarming, especially in the area around the Donetsk Filtering Station being the hot spot with the highest level of kinetic activity in the conflict zone. It accounts for about 44% of all ceasefire violations recorded by the SMM OSCE since July 27," she said, according to a press statement posted on the OSCE's website following a regular meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group on November 11, 2020.
Read alsoTrilateral Contact Group on Donbas starts discussing "plan of joint steps" – KravchukAccording to Grau, this poses a serious threat to the civilian population and calls into question the operation of the station that provides water supplies to about 380,000 residents on both sides of the contact line.
The OSCE representative added that these issues had been raised by the Security Working Group. Different aspects of the coordination mechanism for ceasefire violations response were also discussed.
Donbas ceasefire: Background
Parties to the Trilateral Contact Group (Ukraine, Russia, and the OSCE) on the peace settlement in Donbas on July 22 agreed on a full and comprehensive ceasefire along the contact line from 00:01 on Monday, July 27.
On the very first day of the newly-agreed truce, Russia's hybrid military forces mounted three attacks on Ukrainian positions in Donbas, eastern Ukraine. Ukraine has reported more such violations over the latest period.
