Representatives of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM), which has long been dubbed «blind observers» in Donbass, chose to evacuate away from the hot spot in the area of ​​Debaltsevo.

From 24 to 26 December, a patrol mission evacuated its base from Svetlodarsk to a more peaceful place. This is stated in the report of the monitoring mission, published on December 27.

‘The SMM evacuated the advanced patrol base in Svetlodarsk on December 24, due to the proximity of artillery strikes, one of which smashed windows on the upper floors of the building at a 70 m distance. The SMM returned to the forefront patrol base in Svetlodarsk in the morning of December 26,’ says the CMM report for December 22-26.

The SMM said that the incident occurred during ‘many hour artillery duel’, with the AFU dealing blows with MLRS, outgoing shots from tanks, and 122mm and 152mm artillery shells.

In addition, on December 27, the first deputy chairman of the OSCE SMM, Alexander Hug expressed serious concern that in recent days the «gray zone» had been seized on the contact line, which, according to the Minsk Agreements, must remain neutral.

‘The soldiers are approaching at a distance of small arms reach. This, of course, leads to a direct struggle, in which an increasing number of people is killed,’ said Hug.

On December 23, the AFU boasted ‘a daring operation to liberate the town of Novoluganskoe’, a village which for almost two years had been in the «gray zone» to the west of Svetlodarsk.

According to: Русская Весна