Translated by Ollie Richardson

16:44:09
13/04/2018

smi.pp.ua

The Ukrainian side doesn’t fulfil its undertaken obligations of demining the territories in Donbass, thereby endangering local residents.

This was stated at a briefing by the first deputy head of the OSCE SMM in Ukraine Alexander Hug.

“SMM hasn’t noted any progress on demining. In fact, we saw the opposite. We saw and recently laid mines near residential areas and entry/exit checkpoints. We saw, for example, for the first time an anti-tank mine in a field on the southern edge of the government-controlled Lomakino. In addition, a SMM UAV spotted for the first time  eight anti-tank mines laid across the road near government-controlled Starognatovka, about 300 mines near non-government controlled Zaitsevo, and about 320 anti-tank mines in areas southwest of government-controlled Avdeevka,” he said.

Whilst presenting photographic materials Alexander Hug noted that the Ukrainian army also doesn’t carry out mine clearing on the line of demarcation.

“An OSCE SMM unmanned aerial vehicle also spotted at least 50 anti-tank mines in a field southeast from the government-controlled Popasnaya – right on the contact line”, he said.

All of this, according to Alexander Hug, is a violation of the agreed obligations and subjects the civilian population to danger.

Copyright © 2022. All Rights Reserved.