You're reading: Russian-backed separatists fire on OSCE monitors

Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe monitors have come under fire by Kremlin-backed separatist forces in Donetsk Oblast's Shyrokyne, casting moer doubt about the durability of a cease-fire reached in February.

A statement issued by the organization’s Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine on April 8, said the incident occurred at an improvised roadblock about 20 kilometers east of Mariupol on April 7.

When an OSCE monitor approached the checkpoint to seek passage, he was met with “warning shots of heavy machine gun fire to his right, and semi-automatic rifle fire to his left,” the statement said.

The OSCE patrol cars were allowed through the checkpoint only separatists searched their vehicles.

Michael Bociurkiw, an OSCE spokesman, told the Kyiv Post that the shooting was “not a common occurrence, that’s for sure.”

He said the situation was “still being assessed,” but would be taken into account in determining whether patrol routes need to be changed.

The OSCE has repeatedly warned that its movements in the war-torn east are restricted due to safety precautions, and that separatists don’t always provide security guarantees.

“We always reassess the security situation and the conditions on the ground on a daily, sometimes even hourly basis, so we will take this into account,” he said, noting that he was not aware of any immediate changes to patrol routes.

According to the statement on the April 7 incident, Russian-backed fighters explained their actions by telling the international monitors that Ukrainian forces had been targeting the stretch of road where they were located.

Monitors observed several vehicles as they passed through that appeared to have been destroyed by anti-missile tank fire and machine gun fire, the statement said.

A report issued by the organization on April 6 noted that monitors had heard dozens of explosions near Donetsk on April 5 and April 6, and numerous sounds of machine gun fire and shelling in government-controlled territory bordering Donetsk between April 4 and April 6.

Kyiv Post staff writer Allison Quinn can be reached at [email protected].