MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The situation near the industrial town of Avdiivka and neighboring Yasynuvata has been tense for several days, with civilians being deprived of running water, central heating and electricity. The Ukrainian forces and Donbass militia have accused each other of being responsible for the escalation of fighting.
"On 31 Jan SMM recorded over 11,000 ceasefire violations — Truly unprecedented," Alexander Hug, Principal Deputy Chief Monitor of the OSCE SMM, said in a statement posted on the mission's Twitter page.
#OSCE’s Hug: On 31 Jan SMM recorded over 11,000 ceasefire violations — Truly unprecedented pic.twitter.com/5bg0iVD18G
— OSCE SMM Ukraine (@OSCE_SMM) 3 февраля 2017 г.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that Moscow had reliable data that the Ukrainian independent armed groups, supported by the Ukrainian Armed Forces' artillery, were behind the attack on Avdiivka.