OSCE calls for ceasefire amid escalating violence in E. Ukraine

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) on Friday has called on the government troops and independence-seeking insurgents in eastern Ukraine to adhere to the agreed ceasefire to put an end to the ongoing violence.

"We call on all sides to stop fighting immediately, to ensure the protection of civilians and vital infrastructure, and to stabilize the situation," Ertugrul Apakan, a chief monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, was quoted as saying by the OSCE press service.

The escalation of tensions, which are particularly tense in the government-controlled Avdeevka town and the rebel-held Donetsk city and Yasynuvata town, constitute a threat to the civilian population, Apakan emphasized.

The indiscriminate use of force, especially heavy weapons, in densely populated areas, is particularly dangerous, he added.

The situation in eastern Ukraine has worsened during the weekend, with international monitors reporting a significant increase in cease-fire violations and widespread use of multiple-launch-rocket systems, which are prohibited under the Minsk peace agreement.

The warring sides blamed each other for the escalation of fighting in a conflict that has claimed some 10,000 lives since April 2014. Enditem