OSCE Monitors Attacked in Eastern Ukraine

The miltants of the so-called "DPR" attacked OSCE Monitoring Mission to Ukraine members on June 20. Nobody was hurt, states OSCE report.

According to the OSCE report, on 20 June, two SMM patrols, each comprising of two armoured vehicles and six members, were stationed at an observation post at DPR-controlled Yasynuvata railway station (not far from Donetsk). The first patrol saw two men in military-style attire, one armed with an assault rifle. Later both patrols heard one burst of small-arms fire, assessed as coming from the area of the two men.

"The two men, both with their faces covered - one with a balaclava, the other with a scarf - moved towards SMM patrol (2) and began to aggressively shout at the SMM," the report states.

According to OSCE, when SMM patrols attempted to leave the area, the militant "ran to the second vehicle, tried to open the door on the driver’s side and attempted to break the driver’s side window with his gunstock."

After he failed, he left, but turned again and pointed his assault rifle at the driver and front-seat passenger of the second vehicle from the SMM patrol. When the armed man moved to the side of the vehicle to try and open the front passenger-side door, the driver accelerated.

"The SMM then saw him fire a burst of small-arms fire into the air, followed by three shots that the SMM assessed were fired at the patrol vehicle. The patrol vehicle was not hit. As all SMM patrol vehicles were leaving the arean the SMM observed the armed man pointing his assault rifle at the SMM," the report emphasizes.

The SMM returned safely to base in Donetsk city.

The SMM informed the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination and asked them to follow up on the incident.

This is not the first case of attacks on OSCE SMM to Ukraine.

In April, the deadly explosion in Luhansk region killed OSCE observer Joseph Stone.