Monitors fear rising violence in eastern Ukraine

Monitors fear rising violence in eastern Ukraine

KIEV - International observers issued a stark warning over escalating violence in eastern Ukraine as Dutch investigators hoping to recover debris from a doomed airliner left the MH17 crash site with little progress.

Ukrainian servicemen pet a dog at their position near the village of Peski, next to Donetsk on November 11, 2014

The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said there was a "rising" risk that unrest in the war-torn region would worsen, and the Ukrainian envoy to the United Nations said Moscow was planning an all-out offensive.

"I think the UN should be informed ASAP that Russia is planning a full-scale invasion into Ukraine. The latest facts prove it and leave no doubts," said Yuriy Sergeyev.

A fragile ceasefire has been in place in the east of the former Soviet republic since September but has been regularly shaken by localised outbreaks of fighting.

"The level of violence in eastern Ukraine and the risk of further escalation remain high and are rising," Michael Bociurkiw of the OSCE's Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine told a news conference in Kiev.

Earlier Tuesday, OSCE observers reported seeing a convoy of 43 unmarked military trucks -- five towing Howitzer heavy artillery pieces and another five multi-launch rocket systems -- travelling into the rebel stronghold of Donetsk.

- Unmarked trucks -

It was the latest in a string of recent reports of unmarked trucks and heavy weapons in rebel-controlled areas. Ukraine and Western countries believe they are Russian military materiel.

In a further indication of escalating violence, Ukraine's military reported that five of its soldiers had been killed and nine injured, taking the overall number of government troops who have died in the seven-month conflict to 1,052.

The fighting in Ukraine -- which has claimed more than 4,000 lives in total since April, according to UN figures -- has plunged relations between Russia and the West to their lowest since the Cold War.

While Western powers have repeatedly voiced concern at Ukrainian claims that Russia is supporting them, Moscow denies any involvement.

Russia on Tuesday refused to endorse a UN resolution on Bosnia that Moscow said would push the Balkan country towards NATO and the European Union -- a scenario that led to the conflict in Ukraine.

"We are against having an international presence in the field of security that could be viewed as an instrument to accelerate the integration for the country into the European Union and NATO," Russian Ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin said in New York.

French diplomat Philippe Bertoux accused Russia of importing "the bad Ukraine atmospherics in an unrelated issue. Dangerous game."

- MH17 wreckage recovery uphill-

Meanwhile, Dutch investigators hoping to start removing the wreckage of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, which crashed in July killing 298 people, are trying to negotiate access to the site with rebels.

A team of experts went to the crash zone Tuesday and recovered some human remains and two sets of identity papers, which will be returned to the Netherlands.

But due to the fragile security situation, it is impossible to know when any more work can be carried out, the Dutch security and justice ministry said in a statement.

Rebels quoted on Russian news agencies said the team had abandoned efforts to collect debris as negotiations stumbled over a protocol for the project.

Ukraine, supported by Western nations, accuses Russia of supplying the pro-Kremlin separatists with the missile that shot down the plane, while Moscow and the rebels have pointed the finger of blame at Kiev's forces.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is facing renewed Western diplomatic pressure over the issue during a week of high-level international talks.

Putin discussed Ukraine with US President Barack Obama and Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott at a trade summit in Beijing.

Earlier Tuesday, US deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes told reporters: "We continue to be deeply troubled by Russian activities. If they continue... it's a recipe for isolation."

Australia will host this week's G20 summit in Brisbane which Putin is also to attend.

The United States and European Union have shown their anger towards Russia over Ukraine with a string of sanctions designed to weaken its economy. The ruble has lost some 25 percent of its value this year.

EU foreign ministers are set to hold a meeting on Ukraine next Monday and will discuss the option of more sanctions, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said in Berlin.

But German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that, while EU member states were considering adding pro-Russian separatists to existing sanction lists imposed on Moscow, no more economic sanctions were planned "at the moment".

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