The freedom of movement of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) in eastern Ukraine continues to be restricted, including at four checkpoints of the armed formations in southern Donetsk region, according to an OSCE SMM report.
“At a checkpoint of the armed formations in Kozatske (non-government-controlled, 86km south of Donetsk), two members of the armed formations, one of whom visibly armed, denied the SMM passage north-east towards Porokhnia (non-government-controlled, 85km south of Donetsk) on a paved road, directing them onto a secondary route, which is unpaved,” the report reads.
At a checkpoint of the armed formations near Zaichenko (non-government-controlled, 93km south of Donetsk), an armed member of the armed formations denied the SMM passage west towards Pikuzy (formerly Kominternove, non-government-controlled, 92km south of Donetsk) and south towards Sakhanka (non-government-controlled, 97km south of Donetsk), citing “ongoing engineering works in the area”. While at the checkpoint, the Mission observed civilian traffic passing through.
Also, at a checkpoint of the armed formations near of Khreshchatytske (formerly Krasnoarmiiske, non-government-controlled, 86km south of Donetsk), two armed members of the armed formations denied the SMM passage west towards Verkhnoshyrokivske (formerly Oktiabr, non-government-controlled, 85km south of Donetsk), citing “the SMM’s safety”. While at the checkpoint, the Mission observed civilian traffic passing through.
At the same time, at a checkpoint of the armed formations near Olenivka (non-government-controlled, 23km south-west of Donetsk), an armed member of the armed formations allowed the SMM to proceed south towards government-controlled areas only after about 45 minutes of waiting, citing “technical issues with a database”. While at the checkpoint, the Mission observed civilian traffic passing through.
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