Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) observers yesterday said that they have witnessed the most intense shelling in the eastern Ukrainian village of Shyrokyne since fighting began there in mid-February.
The announcement came as Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko prepared to press Europe for peacekeepers and more financial support over two days of high-level talks set to start yesterday.
Poroshenko was to meet with leaders, including European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, at a summit yesterday, and with other international officials today at a conference showcasing his nation’s economic reforms.
Photo: EPA
OSCE is helping to monitor a ceasefire in Ukraine.
“On 26 April, the SMM [special monitoring mission] observed what it assessed to be the most intense shelling in Shyrokyne... since fighting began in the area in mid-February 2015,” it said overnight.
“For the [past] 12 hours and ongoing at the time of this report, the SMM has observed sporadic to continuous exchanges of fire involving small arms, machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades and automatic grenade launchers,” the security body based in Vienna said.
Shyrokyne, near the city of Mariupol, Ukraine, has been the scene of frequent apparent violations of an internationally brokered February ceasefire between Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russia separatists.
Throughout Sunday, from posts east and west of Shyrokyne, the OSCE observed 69 outgoing tank shells, 191 outgoing 82mm mortar rounds and 153 outgoing 120mm mortar rounds, it said.
On Sunday morning, two “loud” explosions, most likely artillery, went off about 300m from an OSCE post in a Ukrainian government-held village 1.5km west of Shyrokyne, forcing the observers to move to another post, it said.
In the afternoon, the shelling was heard in Mariupol, held by the Ukrainian government 20km away.
An OSCE drone on Sunday observed 11 tanks and four armored personnel carriers (APCs), with infantry mounted, moving through rebel-held Kulykove, 15km north of Shyrokyne, the OSCE said.
Additionally, over the prior three days, the drone spotted 17 tanks, three self-propelled howitzers and 60 APCs in rebel territory 50km north of Shyrokyne, the OSCE said.
Under the ceasefire, heavy weapons were to have been withdrawn from the front lines.
At the summit, Ukraine was expected to request EU peacekeepers, a move the EU is reluctant to make.
“The parties have agreed to continue coordination in the international arena regarding the opportunity of deploying a mission under the auspices of the EU in order to facilitate a peaceful settlement,” Poroshenko’s office said in a statement.
The EU-Ukraine summit is the first since their “association agreement” came into force last year after the ouster of former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych.
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