Fighting obstructs international experts' work at the scene of the Malaysian Boeing's crash, Volodymyr Antiufeyev, acting prime minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, said at a press briefing on July 28.
“I informed Alexander Hug, chief of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s special monitoring mission, that the Ukrainian armed forces had accomplished a breakthrough to the Boeing crash territory, where they are deploying armored vehicles and are digging trenches. Fighting has been on in part of the area where the plane’s wreckage fell,” he said.
Members of the OSCE mission, led by Alexander Hug, made the decision on July 28 morning to travel to the crash scene, but they were compelled to return to Donetsk, Antiufeyev said.
“The OSCE representatives could see combat operations ongoing near Shakhtarsk, as well as Ukrainian warplanes flying in an attacking mode. The OSCE experts’ safety cannot be guaranteed in such a setting. As far as I know, they are returning to Donetsk now,” he said.
The Dutch policemen who have arrived in the self-proclaimed “Donetsk People’s Republic” to guard the crash scene remain at a Donetsk hotel, as well.
“We have reached an agreement that the Dutch policemen will be on a permanent mission to guard the scene of the air disaster with the only reservation that they must not carry fire arms. But given the continuing fighting, they have to stay in Donetsk, he said.
The prime minister of the “Donetsk People’s Republic”, Alexander Borodai, is now in Moscow.
