DONETSK – The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) patrols will travel only on concrete roads due to the blast of a mission’s vehicle on April 23, OSCE SMM Principal Deputy Chief Monitor Alexander Hug told reporters.
First and foremost, the April 23 incident is not an accident, Hug said at a press conference. He said that the mission patrol vehicle had triggered a piece of munitions, most apparently a mine, which is an indiscriminate-action weapon. The OSCE is currently conducting its own inquiry, he also said, elaborating that the OSCE Secretariat, rather than the SMM is carrying it out.
OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Sebastian Kurz tasked the secretary with undertaking an external examination, he said.
This experiment continues, the mission will continue fulfilling its mandate, but with certain limitations, Hug said. These limitations will most likely be in effect, unless the OSCE sees that the sides have undertaken certain actions, he said. The patrolling is currently being conducted only on concrete, surfaced roads, the OSCE SMM deputy chief monitor said. He said that extra measures had also been contemplated and they would be put into practice, if necessary.
An OSCE SMM vehicle blew up presumably on a mine that killed an employee of the mission and injured two others in the vicinity of the Pryshyb populated locality in the Luhansk region outside Kyiv’s control in the morning on April 23.
