During OSCE leadership meeting, Sybiha calls for release of three Ukrainian SMM employees illegally detained by Russia

During a meeting in Kyiv with the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, and OSCE Secretary General Feridun H. Sinirlioglu, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha briefed the OSCE on Russia's war crimes and systematic attacks on critical infrastructure, and reaffirmed Ukraine's readiness to further develop cooperation with the OSCE.

“We discussed the dynamic of peace efforts, the outcomes and expectations of the meetings in Abu Dhabi, and the battlefield situation. I informed OSCE leadership about Russia’s war crimes, strikes against civilians, and attacks on energy infrastructure leaving people without power, heating, and water amid freezing temperatures,” Sybiha said on X.

He confirmed Ukraine's readiness to further develop cooperation with the OSCE and promote shared priorities during the Swiss chairmanship of the organization, and emphasized the importance of the humanitarian track and the issue of responsibility.

“I also reminded about three OSCE employees: Vadym Holda, Maksym Petrov and Dmytro Shabanov – who remain detained in Russia and our call for them to be released,” the foreign minister noted.

The meeting also discussed the OSCE's role in the post-war period, in particular in promoting lasting peace in Ukraine and ensuring stability throughout the OSCE region, as well as shared responsibility for upholding and protecting the fundamental principles of the Helsinki Final Act.

Three OSCE SMM staff members – Vadym Holda, Maksym Petrov, and Dmytro Shabanov – were detained in April 2022 in Russian-occupied Donetsk and Luhansk, where they were carrying out their official duties under the mandate of all 57 OSCE participating States.

In September 2022, Maksym Petrov and Dmitry Shabanov were "found guilty" and sentenced to 13 years in prison by Russian occupation courts.