OSCE SMM confirms withdrawal of some personnel, hardware near Petrivske

18:01, 07.10.2016 1 min read

Patrols of the Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) of the OSCE have observed the withdrawal of some personnel and hardware on both sides of the contact line in the area of Bohdanivka and Petrivske (the Mariupol sector), but they don't have access to all the areas due to restrictions of their freedom of movements and the absence of security guarantees.

"With patrols in the Petrivske-Bohdanivka area – on both sides of the contact line – the #OSCE SMM observed the withdrawal of some personnel and hardware from the disengagement area. The SMM did not, however, have access to all areas of the disengagement area because of freedom-of-movement restrictions and lack of security guarantees," the OSCE SMM said on its Facebook page on Friday evening.

It is the obligation of the sides to ensure access, and the safety and security of SMM monitors, and the responsibility of the Joint centre for Control and Coordination to facilitate in ensuring this, the mission said.