KYIV, 10 July 2020 – With more than 1,300 ceasefire violations involving the use of weapons that should have been withdrawn in accordance with the Minsk agreements recorded between 4 April and 20 June, the Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitorinig Mission to Ukraine (SMM), Yaşar Halit Çevik, noted that it is the time for the sides to take the appropriate measures to turn their political commitments into deeds.

Addressing yesterday’s meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council remotely from Kyiv, Çevik stated: “The Mission observed a five-fold increase of military hardware located close to the contact line, including in and near residential areas. Periods of heightened tensions were accompanied by spikes of violence, leading to a rise in civilian casualties. In the reporting period, the Mission corroborated 26 civilian casualties, 21 of them as a result of shelling.” In the same period, 40 public and private properties, such as essential civilian infrastructure objects, schools, churches, houses were also confirmed damaged as a result of kinetic activities, the Chief Monitor said. He called on the sides to remove weapons and positions located in and near residential areas on both sides of the contact line.

In addition to the hardship while living in a conflict area, civilians in eastern Ukraine are facing other challenges in recent months, adding to their difficult situation.

“The situation of civilians is additionally complicated because entry-exit checkpoints are closed, due to measures taken in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic. As a result, people are not able to collect their pensions or receive medical treatment,” said Çevik.

The Chief Monitor also noted that the Mission’s freedom of movement in non-government-controlled areas had been increasingly restricted in the past few months, preventing the Mission Members from being able to enter them. He underlined the importance for the SMM to operate with the same procedures throughout the country.

Çevik finally expressed his concerns related to the targeting of the Mission staff and assets. “I deplore that the Mission members and assets continued to face serious incidents. In June, three SMM camera systems were destroyed and our unmanned aerial vehicles continue to be targeted daily by small-arm fire and electronic interferences.” Çevik emphasized that “ensuring the safety and security of the Mission members has been and remains my first priority.”