SPOT REPORT
Spot Report 4/2020: Armed formations continued to deny SMM passage at one checkpoint in Donetsk region and a second checkpoint in Luhansk regionOn 25 March, members of the armed formations again denied an attempt of the SMM to cross into non-government-controlled areas of Donetsk region, while a further attempt to cross into non-government-controlled areas of Luhansk region, both along official crossing routes, was also denied.
At about 9:50 at a checkpoint near Olenivka (non-government-controlled, 23km south-west of Donetsk), three members of the armed formations denied an SMM patrol – comprising two vehicles and five members travelling from Mariupol (government-controlled, 102km south of Donetsk) – passage into non-government-controlled areas, citing “the closure of the checkpoint due to quarantine”.
At around the same time, at the checkpoint of the armed formations south of Stanytsia Luhanska bridge (15km north-east of Luhansk), a member of the armed formations denied an SMM foot patrol – comprising three members walking from government-controlled areas – passage into non-government-controlled areas, citing “orders from superiors”.
The Mission began facing repeated denials when attempting to cross into non-government-controlled areas at checkpoints of the armed formations in Donetsk region on 21 March and Luhansk region on 23 March (see SMM Spot Reports 2/2020 and 3/2020 and Daily Report 71/2020). These restrictions to the SMM’s freedom of movement across the contact line are an impediment to the implementation of its mandate throughout the country.
For PDF attachments or links to sources of further information, please visit: https://www.osce.org/special-monitoring-mission-to-ukraine/449161
Contacts: Dragana Nikolic-Solomon 26 Turhenievska Street 01054 Kyiv Ukraine Office: +380 44 392 08 55 Mobile: +380 95 291 99 18 [email protected]
Iryna Korobko 26 Turhenievska Street 01054 Kyiv Ukraine Office: +380 44 392 09 84 Mobile: +380 67 235 38 16 [email protected]
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