OSCE reports escalation of violence in eastern Ukraine

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which monitors the situation in eastern Ukraine, said Thursday that violence in the restive areas has escalated in the past days.

"OSCE monitors witnessed yet more violence resulting in the injuries and deaths of civilians and combatants, as well as destruction of housing and other infrastructure," Alexander Hug, the deputy chief monitor of the OSCE special monitoring mission to Ukraine, told reporters in Kiev.

Noting that the number of combat clashes between government troops and pro-independence rebels rose sharply in the recent days, Hug said that both sides had reportedly used heavy weapons in their attacks, in violation of the Minsk cease-fire agreement.

He added that humanitarian situation in the area remains difficult, with people on both sides of the contact line suffering interruptions to essential services such as water, electricity and gas.

Over the past day, government troops had come under 150 attacks, in which two servicemen were killed and 10 others wounded, said Ukrainian military spokesman Olexandr Motuzyanyk.

Besides, local police said that one civilian was killed and at least five others wounded in the last 24 hours in the combat area.

Insurgents did not comment on their casualties in the past day.

As tensions in eastern Ukraine have flared up since last week, the rival forces accused each other of preparing a new offensive in the conflict that has killed over 6,800 people since April 2014. Endi