Little has changed over four years of war in Donbas - Hug

He said this at a press briefing in Kyiv on Wednesday, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"For about four years now, I have stood here almost every week, providing a security briefing outlining various levels of violence and insecurity and the negative impact on the civilian population. Believe me, it gives me no pleasure to say this - little has changed over that time. Four years after agreeing to ceasefire, as last week's events show, the sides are still in breach of the same ceasefire agreement. They have not withdrawn weapons, they have not disengaged, and they have not demined," Hug said.

He also said that he leaves his post "with mixed feelings."

"I leave with a sense of unease and regret. But I also leave with a sense of hope. I have not lost sight of the light at the end of the tunnel. This conflict is not endemic, it is not protracted, it is not frozen. It can be ended by the decision to do so," Hug added.

Hug's term of office as OSCE SMM principal deputy chief monitor expired on October 31. Mark Etherington will be the new principal deputy chief monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine.

op