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Level of Violence in Ukraine’s Southeast Dropping: OSCE

© Photo : OSCE/Mikhail EvstafievOSCE monitors have been working in Ukraine since March, following a request submitted to the organization by the Ukrainian government and the signing of a relevant consensus agreement by all 57 OSCE participating states.
OSCE monitors have been working in Ukraine since March, following a request submitted to the organization by the Ukrainian government and the signing of a relevant consensus agreement by all 57 OSCE participating states. - Sputnik International
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The level of violence in Ukraine's southeastern regions, particularly in the city of Donetsk, is decreasing, the Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) said in a report released Friday.

MOSCOW, October 10 (RIA Novosti) – The level of violence in Ukraine's southeastern regions, particularly in the city of Donetsk, is decreasing, the Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) said in a report released Friday.

"The SMM noted a decrease in violence in a number of areas in Donbas [Ukraine's southeastern regions]," the report, which was based on information received as of October 9, 6:00 pm Kiev time (15:00 GMT), said.

"Ukrainian military personnel at nine different checkpoints (CP) to the east and north of Mariupol city (113km [or 70 miles] south of Donetsk city) told the SMM that, with the exception of some small arms fire at a number of CPs, there had been no serious security incidents in the previous 24 hours. The SMM noted no incidents whilst at the CPs," the report added.

According to the report, the SMM also "noted a decrease in the level of violence in Donetsk city". However, shelling did take place in Donetsk the previous day, wounding nine people and damaging a large shop.

"The SMM observed damage to the roof of the shop, a crater in the shop and five other craters in the vicinity of the shop. The SMM also observed the remnants of what appeared to be a GRAD rocket lodged in the ground less than 300 metres [980 feet] from the shop," the SMM report noted.

OSCE monitors have been working in Ukraine since March, following a request submitted to the organization by the Ukrainian government and the signing of a relevant consensus agreement by all 57 OSCE participating states. The monitors' mission is to contribute to the reduction of tensions and fostering peace, stability and security in Ukraine's conflict-torn regions.

The conflict in southeastern Ukraine started in mid-April, when Kiev launched a military operation against local independence supporters. The two sides agreed on a ceasefire on September 5, at a meeting of the Contact Group on Ukraine in the Belarusian capital, Minsk.

According to the latest UN data, almost 3,700 people have been killed and over 8,800 have been wounded since the start of the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine.

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