OSCE to Hold Emergency Meeting Over Deepening Ukrainian Crisis

The OSCE Permanent Council will gather for talks over the aggravating situation in eastern Ukraine. The military conflict between independence supporters and the Ukrainian Armed Forces is flaring despite the ceasefire agreement.

MOSCOW, January 20 (Sputnik) — The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) will hold an emergency meeting Tuesday afternoon about the deterioration of the situation in Eastern Ukraine, US ambassador for the OSCE Daniel Baer posted on Twitter on Tuesday.

 

Breaking: Emergency @OSCE Permanent Council mtg at 430p-- Ambs Apakan & Tagliavini report by video on deterioration, next steps in E Ukraine

— Daniel Baer (@danbbaer) 20 января 2015

A conflict in Ukraine has been ongoing since April, when Kiev-led forces launched a military operation against independence supporters in the east of the country, as they refused to recognize the legitimacy of the government that came to power in February through a coup.

Last September, independence supporters and Kiev managed to reach a ceasefire agreement in Minsk with the mediation of Russia and the OSCE. Specific steps for its implementation were outlined later the same month.

However, over the weekend, Kiev shelled residential areas in eastern Ukraine, local independence supporters said. On Monday, a senior commander of the armed militia in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) said that more than 30 civilians, including children, were killed on Sunday in the city of Horlivka in the Donbas region in a series of airstrikes carried out by Ukrainian combat jets.

Moscow has condemned Kiev's actions, urging them to adhere to the agreements reached in Minsk.