Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine strongly condemns continual provocations, carried out by pro-Russian militants against OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) monitors on the temporarily occupied territories of certain areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, in particular mortar shelling of the SMM patrol on 22 June in Vodiane in the Donetsk region.

The fire was carried out with 82mm caliber mortars, which had to be withdrawn according to the Addendum to the Complex of Measures on the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements of 12 February 2015. As a result of the shelling, a house of local residents was burnt.

We consider this incident as another attempt by Moscow and its proxies to intimidate OSCE monitors, bring to nought the SMM’s efforts aimed at the stabilization of the situation along the contact line, and hinder impartial and objective informing of international community about continuous violations by Russia and its proxies of the ceasefire and weapon withdrawal regime.

We urge Russia to comply with its obligations under the Minsk Agreements, stop without delay provocations against OSCE monitors, ensure full, safe and unimpeded access of the SMM to the whole occupied territory of certain areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, including to the section of the Ukrainian-Russian border, which is temporarily non-controlled by Ukraine.