Blowing up of the OSCE SMM car in the Luhansk region was not an accident – Hug

Blowing up of the car with the OSCE SMM observers in the occupied territory of the Luhansk oblast on April 23 is not an accident. This was stated by the first Deputy Head of the OSCE SMM Alexander Hug at a briefing in Kyiv today, - the correspondent of OstroV reports.

He recalled that a team of two armored vehicles and six observers had been returning along the route that it had passed the day before on April 23 at 11.20, one of the cars hit an explosive device on the road that had passed two hours earlier.

"We do not have full information about what caused the explosion, but probably it was a mine. The explosion was so powerful that a car that weighs 4.5 tons was thrown by 7 meters. The car began to burn and was completely destroyed by the explosion. Two observers from the Czech Republic and Germany survived, Joseph – did not", - he said. According to him, the victims will be provided with the necessary medical care.

"What happened on Sunday is not an accident, this is the result of the use of weapons which should not have been there at all. Weapons that were intentionally installed there to injure, cripple or kill someone who uses this road", – Hug stressed, adding that those who "have promised not to plant explosives there" are guilty of what happened.

He noted that participants of the Minsk process have promised earlier to withdraw mines and not to put new ones. The OSCE representatives also repeatedly called for the withdrawal of mines and ammunition.

"Investigation of the incident continues. There is a number of organizations that study the circumstances of the incident, the SMM conducts an internal assessment", – Hug said.

As previously reported, a car of the OSCE SMM was blown up by a land mine in the occupied part of the Luhansk oblast on April 23. The incident occurred near Pryshyb settlement. One of the members of the mission was killed, two were taken to the hospital. The healthcare worker from the United States was killed, the citizens of Germany and the Czech Republic suffered wounds.