Chairperson-in-Office calls for all sides to ensure security and freedom of movement of SMM monitors following shooting incidents in Ukraine

BERN, 27 November 2014 – OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Swiss Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter has expressed his deep concern about yesterday's shooting incident in the area of Donetsk in Ukraine.

On 26 November, monitors of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission, which is staffed by civilians from over 40 OSCE participating States, were fired at with a rocket-propelled grenade and multiple anti-aircraft rounds when travelling between two Ukrainian military checkpoints around 50 km northeast of Donetsk. Luckily there were no injuries or damage sustained in the attack and the monitors returned safely to their base.

At two previous occasions earlier this month, gunshots had been fired in the direction of OSCE SMM vehicles. [SMM Report, 18 November and SMM Spot report, 19 November 2014]

Burkhalter called on all sides to investigate the incidents and to do their utmost to prevent a repetition. “Security and freedom of movement for the monitors must be guaranteed. Without it, it is impossible for them to carry out their mandate to observe and report objectively or to facilitate dialogue among all the parties to the crisis”.

Burkhalter stressed the importance of full respect of the ceasefire regime and the Minsk arrangements. “The situation in Ukraine has already claimed far too many lives. It is time for everyone to commit to finding a road away from violence and towards a peaceful political solution”, he said.