Russian-led troops deny SMM full access to disengagement areas in Donbas – OSCE

The OSCE SMM informed this in a report, based on information received as of 19:30, August 4, 2019.

“On August 3, on two occasions, an armed member of the armed formations and a person in civilian clothes who introduced himself as a member of the armed formations denied the SMM entry in Sosnivske (non-government-controlled, 35km north-east of Mariupol) citing “orders from superiors”," the report says.

On August 4, two armed members of the armed formations denied the SMM passage through a checkpoint near Novoazovsk (non-government-controlled, 40km east of Mariupol) citing “an ongoing operation” in the area.

On the same day, an armed member of the armed formations again denied the SMM passage through a checkpoint west of Verkhnoshyrokivske (formerly Oktiabr, non-government-controlled, 29km north-east of Mariupol) citing “demining activities” and “orders from superiors”. While at the checkpoint, the SMM saw civilian cars passing through the checkpoint.

At a checkpoint about 800m north of Zaichenko (non-government-controlled, 26km north-east of Mariupol), two armed members of the armed formations again denied the SMM passage southwards to Sakhanka (non-government-controlled, 24km north-east of Mariupol) and westwards to Pikuzy (formerly Kominternove, non-government-controlled, 23km north-east of Mariupol) citing “an ongoing operation in the area”.

In addition, on August 3, at a checkpoint west of Verkhnoshyrokivske, a member of the armed formations again delayed the SMM passage with no specific reason provided and allowed it to proceed only after about 17 minutes of waiting at the checkpoint.

ish