KIEV, Sept. 18 – The constant hostilities and violations of the Minsk ceasefire agreements has resulted in repeated damage to the water pipe system in eastern Ukraine, putting tens of thousands of civilians living on both sides of the contact line without access to piped water, says a report released by the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) today.

The current shortages in water in the conflict-affected areas of Donetsk and Luhansk Regions could leave civilians bitterly cold throughout the coming winter as central heating systems break down and have lasting consequences on food production.