The Ukrainian side said that the monitors of the Special Monitoring Mission of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE SMM) did not react to the intensification of shellings of the Zaitseve locality (a northern suburb of Horlivka in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) situated on the dividing line) by militants.
“The OSCE SMM monitors do not react at all to the intensification of shellings by members of illegal pro-Russian armed units on the positions of the ATO forces in Zaitseve and other localities. Consequently, by their lack of activity the OSCE SMM monitors share to a certain extent responsibility for the shellings of Zaitseve by militants, the shutdown of the Zaitseve crossing point and the escalation of the conflict in Donbas,” the press center of the headquarters of the anti-terrorist operation in eastern Ukraine said in a statement on Facebook on Feb. 2.
Along with grenade launchers, large-caliber machineguns and small arms militants also fired 82mm and 120mm mortars, which are banned under the Minsk agreements, on Ukrainian army positions, the statement reads.
Due to this, the command of the headquarters of the anti-terrorist operation forces in Donetsk and Luhansk regions had to take a decision on shutting down the Zaitseve crossing point; OSCE SMM monitors were also notified of this on Feb. 2.
