Militants deny OSCE observers full access at four checkpoints in Donbas

The OSCE SMM said this in a report issued on February 6, based on information from the monitoring teams received as of 19:30 on February 5, 2020.

“At a checkpoint north-west of Yasynuvata (non-government-controlled, 16km north-east of Donetsk), two armed members of the armed formations denied the SMM passage towards the pumping station near Vasylivka. While waiting at the checkpoint for about 90 minutes, the SMM observed other vehicles passing through. After returning to the checkpoint about 40 minutes later, the SMM was allowed passage,” reads the report.

At a checkpoint west of Verkhnoshyrokivske (formerly Oktiabr, non-government-controlled, 85km south of Donetsk), two members of the armed formations again denied the SMM passage, including towards border areas, citing “ongoing demining activities and bad weather conditions”. While present at the checkpoint, the SMM observed other vehicles passing through.

At a checkpoint south-east of Nova Marivka (non-government-controlled, 64km south of Donetsk), an armed member of the armed formations denied the SMM passage, citing “an ongoing anti-terrorist operation in the area.”

At a border crossing point in Voznesenivka (formerly Chervonopartyzansk, non-government-controlled, 65km south-east of Luhansk), a member of the armed formations told the SMM to leave the area.

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