The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) is not considering terminating its work in Donbas, however it is forced to reconsider approaches to its work in some districts of eastern Ukraine where battle actions take place amid a number of incidents related to employees' safety.
As of now, the OSCE SMM does not plan to withdraw the mission, however if it still comes under fire, this will make fulfilment of its obligations impossible, OSCE SMM Deputy Head Alexander Hug said during a news conference in Kyiv on July 28.
Mission patrol came under fire in Shyrokyne near Mariupol on July 27, as a result of which one employee was injured, Hug said. Yesterday the patrol came under fire from grenade launchers and small arms in Shyrokyne; an explosion occurred just five meters from a patrol leader, who was thrown by the blast and injured with concrete parts – his helmet cracked, he said. The patrol leader is currently being transferred to Kyiv, Hug said.
There was another incident with an SMM patrol coming under fire near Schastia in Luhansk Oblast, which occurred earlier.
The Mission came under fire numerous times, despite the fact that both parties knew that monitors would be at observation points – the mission carried out its share of obligations related to ceasefire in Schastia and Shyrokyne, now it is time the parties implement fully, not partially, their share of agreements, Hug said.
The OSCE SMM will reconsider its activities in a number of areas in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, he said.
The mission fulfilled its share of obligations laid on it by the Ukrainian government and other parties in the process of monitoring agreement implementation, however fire is not ceased, arms are not withdrawn and as a result of these incidents the SMM will reconsider its work in certain conflict districts, Hug said.
Should incidents involving shooting at SMM employees continue, this will make execution of these obligations impossible, he said.
