OSCE says cease-fire in E. Ukraine not fully observed

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which monitors the situation in eastern Ukraine, said Wednesday that the newly declared cease-fire in the restive areas was not fully observed.

"The relative lull after the trilateral meeting of the Contact Group in Minsk last week showed the ability of the parties to observe the cease-fire agreement at the start of the new school year. However, we can not confirm that the truce is comprehensive," Alexander Hug, deputy chief monitor of the OSCE mission to Ukraine, told reporters in Kiev.

In the past day, there were about 30 cases of gunfire and explosions around Donetsk airport, Hug said, without specifying which side was responsible for the truce violations.

Meanwhile, Hug said both sides had blocked access for OSCE monitors to the areas where they should pull back their heavy weapons.

"Restricting access to the monitors is a violation of the mandate of the mission and it affects the work of the mission."

The relative calm at the front line in eastern Ukraine came after representatives of Kiev and pro-independence insurgents agreed last week in Minsk to start a complete cease-fire in the restive areas starting Tuesday, when the new school year begins in Ukraine.

The warring parties agreed to a cease-fire in mid-February, but the truce was grossly violated by both sides.

Since April 2014, the conflict in eastern Ukraine has killed more than 6,800 people and wounded almost 17,000 others. Endi