Ukrainian JCCC envoys urge SMM to register severe violations of Minsk accords by militants

This is evidence that the announced withdrawal of heavy weaponry didn't take place, and thus additional monitoring by OSCE is needed. "Illegal armed formations on the territories of Luhansk and Donetsk regions continue to brazenly violate the Minsk agreements and the ceasefire regime. It led to the destruction of civil and industrial infrastructure, which creates basis for a humanitarian catastrophe. We address OSCE SMM [Special Monitoring Mission] with the request to continue a detailed monitoring of the above-mentioned crimes by pro-Russian militants and urgently inform all OSCE member states of them," the press service of the Ukrainian part of the JCCC quoted Kremenetsky as saying on Thursday. He noted that the intensity of shelling and massive use of artillery systems over 100mm in caliber by illegal armed formations of certain territories in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, as well as multiple use of rocket launchers were evidence that the withdrawal of heavy weaponry announced by the militants hadn't occurred. Additional OSCE monitoring is thus needed."Therefore, within past 24 hours, JCCC observers registered 60 (!) cases of militants' shelling Ukrainian Armed Forces' positions with artillery systems over100mm in caliber. The number of times BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launchers was used increase by 1.6 times and amounted to 15 (!) cases. The militants used multiple rocket launchers to shell Butivka mine, localities of Pisky, Vodiane, Opytne, Novotroyitske, Talakivka, Starohnativka and Bohdanivka. Artillery systems with caliber of 152 mm and 122 mm were used 21 times, as registered. Mortars with caliber of 120mm were used 24 times on Ukrainian Armed Force' positions by illegal armed formations of certain territories in Luhansk and Donetsk regions," Ukrainian part of the JCCC informed. According to the statement, the infrastructure and residential area of localities in Donetsk region are still being destroyed. Particularly, at 22:59 on August 12, micro-districts of Stara Avdiyivka and Khimik in the town of Avdiyivka were left without power, due to the shelling with artillery systems of 122mm in caliber. Nearly 1,000 people were left without electricity. The work to restore power supply goes on.