Russia-led forces do not let OSCE SMM into territories near border – Ukrainian JCCC

13:20, 04.01.2020 1 min read

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Special Monitoring Mission (OSCE SMM) is again restricted from observing the territories in the border districts not controlled by the government of Ukraine, the Ukrainian side of the Joint Center for Control and Coordination (JCCC) dealing with ceasefire issues and stabilizing the sides in Donbas reported.

"In its daily report as of January 3, 2020, the OSCE SMM informed about the cases of banning the mission's patrol from staying at the checkpoints on the border with Russia. The mission's patrol was asked by Russia-led armed groups to leave the checkpoint near Dolzhanske on December 31 and the checkpoints near Izvaryne and Severny on January 2," the Joint Forces Operation headquarters said in a statement on its official page in Facebook.

The Ukrainian side of the JCCC underlined that such actions could be aimed at concealing supplies of armament, military equipment and fuel, transportation of military personnel or movement of forces from Russia to the territory uncontrolled by the Ukrainian government.