Zakharchenko refuses to discuss facts of militants‘ threats to the mission staff – OSCE

Representatives of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission in Donbass made unsuccessful attempts to meet with leader of the "DPR" Alexander Zakharchenko to discuss measures regarding threats of Donetsk militants to use weapons against the police mission. It is stated by the relevant OSCE report.

"The SMM continued to insist on accountability and responsibility for violations related to impediments to SMM monitoring and verification. Mr. Zakharchenko continued to refuse to meet the SMM in order to indicate effective steps taken in response to the incident on July 29 when SMM monitors were threatened at gunpoint by aggressive armed “DPR” members near Lukove (72km south of Donetsk),"- said the statement.

As previously reported, nine armed "DPR" members surrounded the SMM patrol car shouting obscenities and threatening with gestures at the checkpoint in Primorsk. One of the armed members of the "DPR" said twice that the SMM monitors needed to be shot. Another armed member of the "DPR" twice hit on the left front wing of the first SMM patrol car with a rifle butt, making two dents.