As previously reported, a sabotage and reconnaissance group of the 24th brigade launched an armed attack with small arms and captured one of the monitors of the LPR Mission to the JCCC. DPR Foreign Minister Natalia Nikonorova has commented on this fact.
«Since this incident occurred on the day of the Contact Group meeting, the LPR Plenipotentiary at the Minsk site immediately, at the very beginning of the meeting, informed all the participants in the negotiations about what had happened and called for the release of Andrey Kosiak immediately. But this call was ignored not only by Ukraine, but also the OSCE.
We consider not only this event itself, which contradicts both the Framework Decision of 21.09.2016, and paragraphs «a», «b», «d» of the Measures to strengthen the ceasefire, and in general the very essence of peace negotiations, but also lack of proper, adequate and absolutely necessary response measures of the mediators represented by the OSCE categorically unacceptable. Moreover, after publications of photographs and videos, according to which it can be concluded that Mr. Kosiak was subjected to torture, interrogation and other illegal actions,» the Minister stated.
Natalia Nikonorova also pointed out that this provocation concerns the Donetsk People’s Republic directly.
«We absolutely do not accept such lawlessness on the part of the armed formations of Ukraine,» she said.
Thus. yesterday, on behalf of the DPR Plenipotentiary at the Minsk site, a note was sent to the OSCE Special Representative in Ukraine and to the Contact Group, as well as to the Head of the OSCE SMM, in which we expressed our categorical protest against Kiev’s unacceptable actions.
«We have drawn the attention of intermediaries to the risk of creating a dangerous precedent. If this international organization does not show an active, tough and unequivocally condemning position regarding the openly provocative and inhuman acts of the Ukrainian side, then there are no guarantees that a similar situation will not happen again,» Nikonorova emphasized.
According to her, without renewed confidence in the security guarantees given by the Ukrainian side and confirmed by the OSCE, the threat of a collapse in the water supply of Donbass and, in general, an acute escalation on the contact line is more than likely.
«In this regard, and also based on the functions and commitments to ensure peace and stability outlined in the OSCE SMM’s mandate, we expect that the Mission’s staff will promptly take all possible steps to exert the necessary influence on Ukraine in order to immediately release Mr. Kosiak and prevent similar situations in the future.,» the DPR Foreign Minister concluded.
