The attempts of the Russian Federation to obstruct the activities of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine are unacceptable.

The blocking of and pressure on monitors of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission in Donetsk are part of Russia's ongoing efforts to undermine the Minsk agreements and escalate the armed conflict.

It is important to recall that in September Russia effectively terminated the mandate of the OSCE Border Observer Mission at the Russian checkpoints Gukovo and Donetsk in order to prevent monitoring and hide from the international community the illegal transfer of weapons, ammunition and mercenaries from Russia to Ukraine.

The respective OSCE Permanent Council Decision specifies that the SMM shall have safe and secure access throughout Ukraine to monitor the situation in the area of the Russian-Ukrainian armed conflict.

We call on Russia to strictly fulfill its obligations and, in particular, stop provocations against international monitors of the OSCE Mission, unblock their movement, ensure unimpeded access to the temporarily occupied territories in Donetsk and Luhansk regions and guarantee security.

Ukraine is in close contact with international partners in order to secure full resumption of the activities of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission.