Ukraine will insist that the OSCE SMM start meaningful reporting on the results of Russia's aggression in the Azov-Black Sea region, First Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Emine Dzhaparova said.

"Since the OSCE SMM in its activities adheres to the principle of 'we report what we see,' the theme of the occupation of Crimea and its consequences is not adequately reflected in the mission's reports. The SMM also does not have the proper technical equipment to carry out monitoring activities at sea and the corresponding fixation of specific restrictions freedom of navigation in the Azov-Black Sea region," Dzhaparova told Interfax-Ukraine.

According to her, at the same time, amid the mentioned restrictions, the mission's mandate and its monitoring capabilities should be aimed at fixing the social and economic consequences of such illegal restrictive measures on the part of Russia by communicating with representatives of the affected Ukrainian enterprises, seaport administrations, ship crews and the like.

Dzhaparova said this also applies to monitoring the situation in the occupied Crimea as a whole, which can be carried out remotely through contacts with people who cross the administrative border line with the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, because among them are victims and witnesses of illegal persecution by Russian security forces, public activists, representatives of independent media, and others.

"These important areas of monitoring are on the agenda of our contacts both with the leadership of the SMM here in Ukraine, and with the leadership of the OSCE Secretariat in Vienna and the current chairmanship in the organization, and we will continue to insist that the OSCE SMM take into account our position and start meaningful reporting on the results of the Russian aggression in the Azov-Black Sea region. In addition, a good example for study and imitation in this context can serve as the reports of the UN Secretary General on the human rights situation in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, containing separate sections on the methodology for collecting data in the context of blocked access to the peninsula from Russia," she said.

Dzhaparova also said that for the seventh year in a row Russia has been blocking access to the OSCE SMM both to Crimea and to a significant part of the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, especially in the areas adjacent to the part of the state border with Russia, temporarily not controlled by the government of Ukraine.