Tensions are escalating in the Donbass frontline zone, and the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission has observed an increase in shooting incidents, OSCE SMM Principal Deputy Chief Monitor Alexander Hug said at a press briefing in Kyiv on Friday.
At the same time, Hug said that during this time there was no day completely free of violence, and from December 28 the OSCE SMM has been recording on average 500 ceasefire violations every day.
He said that the number of ceasefire violations was increasing and such an increase had already been observed during other truce regimes.
"What we are seeing is a well-established pattern of violence that involves a sudden sharp decrease in the number of ceasefire violations, followed by a slow but steady rise in the hundreds, ultimately leading to escalation. Already there are indications that the escalation phase has begun, with almost 2,000 ceasefire violations recorded between 17:00 on Tuesday and 17:00 on Wednesday this week, and over a thousand in the following 24 hours. Such a cycle of violence we have already observed repeatedly", - Hug said.