OSCE monitoring mission under fire in Ukraine

International observers from the Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine came under gunfire today near Lugansk, while trying to cross from separatist-controlled territory to Kiev-controlled territory. 

The crossing had been coordinated with both sides in advance, but after reaching a border checkpoint in the town of Shchastia at about 12:40 PM on July 26, observers came under sustained fire from mortars and automatic grenade launchers. Observers took cover for about 90 minutes. When the shelling stopped (at about 2:30 PM), Special Monitoring Mission members left the checkpoint and returned to their base in separatist-controlled Lugansk.

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) reports that no one from the Special Monitoring Mission was injured.

The Special Monitoring Mission observed at least one mortar round strike within 40 meters [43 yards] of a bus carrying civilians from Obozne [a separatist-controlled town, 18 kilometers, or 11 miles, north of Luhansk] towards Luhansk city.

The OSCE's Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine was deployed in March 2014, following a request by the Ukrainian government. This is an unarmed civilian mission tasked with observing and reporting on the situation in Ukraine. The Mission will be working until March 2016, with a possible extension. A ceasefire has been in place in eastern Ukraine since mid-February 2015, in accordance with the Minsk peace agreement, signed by Ukraine, Russia, Germany, and France. Since then, both the separatists and the Ukrainian government’s armed forces have regularly accused each other of violating the terms of the agreement.

On the weekend of July 25-26, Kiev-controlled border guards in the Lugansk region opened fire on three Russian tourists who were taking selfies in front of the Ukrainian border-crossing checkpoint “Krasnaya Talovka.” According to RIA Novosti, one of the tourists was wounded and is currently in the hospital.