View of the building of the foreign Ministry of the Russian Federation
© Stanislav Krasilnikov/TASS
MOSCOW, April 23. /TASS/. The Ministry of foreign Affairs of Russia considers as a provocation undermining the car of the Special observers monitoring mission (SMM) of the OSCE in the Donbass.
“The circumstances of the incident indicate a high probability of provocations aimed at undermining the process of conflict settlement in the Donbass. It is obvious that such incidents and a General escalation of tension is beneficial to those who are not interested in political, economic and humanitarian provisions of the Minsk package of measures,” – said in a statement.
The Russian foreign Ministry called on the parties to the conflict to start direct negotiations which should lead to the implementation of the Minsk agreements. “Once again encourage the intensification of direct talks between the conflicting parties ‑ Kiev, Donetsk and Lugansk – in the framework of the Contact group with the purpose of full implementation of Complex of measures (the implementation of the Minsk agreements), which is the sole basis for settlement in the Donbass”, – reads the statement.
The Russian foreign Ministry also expressed condolences to the family of the deceased U.S. citizen, employee medical companies collaborating under contract with the OSCE. Wishing speedy recovery to the injured, the Russian foreign Ministry called for a thorough and objective investigation. “Deeply outraged by this cynical campaign that resulted in the death of a human and directed against international observers who work in the name of peace. Call for a thorough and objective investigation and bring the perpetrators to justice”, – stated in the document.
The Russian foreign Ministry stressed that the incident “confirms the urgency of proper security of the OSCE observers, as recorded in the mandate of the mission and repeatedly noted by the leaders of the Normandy format, including during their last telephone conversation on 17 April.”
On 23 April a patrol of the Special monitoring mission (SMM) of the OSCE struck a mine near the village of Prishib in the self-proclaimed Luhansk people’s Republic. The mission reported that one person was killed and two were injured. The people’s militia LNR reported that the car of the mission deviated from the main route, and the MGB said about his involvement in the incident Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance groups.