Turchynov blamed Russia for OSCE observer's death
The Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council (NSDC) of Ukraine, Oleksandr Turchynov, said that the military and political leadership of the Russian Federation are responsible for the death of an OSCE Special Monitoring Mission member (U.S. citizen) and the wounding of two representatives of the mission (citizens of Germany and the Czech Republic).
"This explosion was a planned act of terror directed against the OSCE Mission to the Donbas. The military-political leadership of the Russian Federation, which controls the occupied territory of the Donbas, bears full responsibility for this terrorist act. No actions of the hybrid forces are taken without being coordinated by the Russian General Staff," Turchynov said as quoted on the NSDC website.
He also noted that one of the OSCE SMM patrol cars was blasted by a mine planted by supporters of the Russian separatists.
"The attack on the OSCE SMM vehicle resulted in the suspension of patrols in the occupied territory, allowing for a large-scale and uncontrolled movement of Russian weapons and military equipment with the aim of preparing further, large-scale military provocations," Turchynov said.
According to him, the Russian military representatives to the Joint Center for Monitoring and Coordination, along with the illegal military formations controlled by them, provided appropriate security guarantees to the OSCE representatives and were notified of the OSCE representatives' route. The OSCE SMM patrol did not deviate from the planned route, Turchynov added.
In his opinion, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s statement about "the need to immediately search for the perpetrators" is blasphemous and cynical, "because all those guilty of this terrorist attack are in the Kremlin and are fully responsible for the blood of both the OSCE representatives and the Ukrainian military and civilians, who are perishing in the Donbas for the third consecutive year because of the Russian Federation’s aggression."
An OSCE observer vehicle was bombed on Sunday near Pryshyb (territory controlled by the LPR separatists). As a result of the explosion, one mission employee, a U.S. citizen was killed, and two more people – a citizen of the Czech Republic and a German citizen were injured.
President Petro Poroshenko urged the need for a thorough investigation of the incident and punishment of the perpetrators. The President stressed that observers should have unimpeded access to monitor the ATO zone. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry considered the explosion of the OSCE car as Russia’s attempt to intimidate the observers.
The U.S. State Department called on Russia to influence the separatists of ORDLO (separate districts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions) which it supports, so that they can take the first step towards restoring peace.
The OSCE decided to continue working in the Donbas, despite the incident.