Russia blocking expansion of OSCE mission in Donbas conflict zone - Lysenko

15:04, 23.10.2014 1 min read

Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) has accused Russia of blocking the expansion of the OSCE mission in the area of the anti-terrorist operation in Donbas.

"The Russian side is obstructing the expansion of the OSCE mission in the ATO area. In particular, Russia blocked the decision on implementing the clause of the Minsk agreements on OSCE observers monitoring the entire section of the Ukrainian border," NSDC information and analytical center spokesman Andriy Lysenko said at a press briefing on Thursday.

He said that because of Russia's veto, the OSCE Permanent Council on October 22 was only able to extend for a month the work of the observation mission on the Ukrainian-Russian border. Lysenko said that it was composed of 16 observers who work at two checkpoints.

"These checkpoints together make up just 1 km of over a hundred kilometers of the border between Ukraine and Russia, which is now controlled by terrorists," he said.