Russia-Ukraine crisis: OSCE reports over 1,500 ceasefire violations in last 24 hours

Amid escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine, European observers reported over 1,500 ceasefire violations in eastern Ukraine in the past 24 hours, reported Times Of Israel on Saturday. According to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the world's largest security-oriented intergovernmental organization with observer status at the United Nations said that eastern Ukraine had seen the most ceasefire violations so far in a single day during the current crisis. It said the Russian military has been using artillery and mortar fire to attack the eastern Ukraine region.

While elaborating the situation, the OSCE said they recorded 591 breaches in Donetsk and 975 violations in neighbouring Lugansk. Notably, these two regions are partly held by Russian-backed separatists. The European observers noted that the residents living near the border areas have fled from their houses after the ceasefire from both sides increased tremendously in recent days. As of February 19, Saturday, the OSCE noted two Ukrainian soldiers were killed on the front line-- marking the first casualties in the conflict over a month.

Zelenskyy called for Russian President Putin to meet him 

Amid a war-like situation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged western countries to step in to avert the war.
While speaking at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, Zelenskyy called for Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet him and seek a resolution to the crisis. "I don’t know what the president of the Russian Federation wants, so I am proposing a meeting,” Zelenskyy said at the Conference, where he also met with US Vice President Kamala Harris. The Ukrainian President also offered his Russian counterpart to pick the location for the talks. "Ukraine will continue to follow only the diplomatic path for the sake of a peaceful settlement," he added.

It is pertinent to mention here that the battle between Ukraine's government and the breakaway Donetsk and, Lugansk Republics is not new. It has been going on since 2014. In a bid to control the violence in the Donbas region, an accord called the Minsk agreement was signed in February 2015. The deal came after tough negotiations among leaders of France, Germany, Russia, and Ukraine — the Normandy group. However, the agreement did not exhibit the desired result, and, it is visible only in the papers, resulting in frequent sporadic clashes.

Image: AP