MOSCOW, June 19 (RIA Novosti) – The OSCE mission to Ukraine lacks impartiality in its reports on situation in the crisis-hit country, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said Thursday.
“In essence, the observers omit facts of the Ukrainian side’s use of military aviation, heavy weaponry and banned munitions against the civilian population,” the spokesman said.
“The recent report of June 4-16 fails to mention the flow of thousands of refugees who are fleeing to Russia,” he added.
The official said the OSCE should pay "special attention" to the humanitarian situation in crisis-hit areas and the plight of refugees.
“We expect the monitoring mission to give an in-depth analysis and unbiased reports of the current situation concerning refugees, as well as decisive actions in order to assist the opening of humanitarian corridors, which, despite the Kiev government’s statements, are not functioning yet,” Lukashevich said.
Ensuring the safety of the monitors of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, who are working in southeastern Ukraine, is impossible because of the ongoing military action, Lukashevich said.
“The objective difficulties in OSCE monitors work in Ukraine are clear. The Leadership [in Ukraine] took the course focused on the repression of the protesters in Southeastern regions of the country. Amid Kiev’s continuing punitive operation in Southeastern Ukraine, it is hardly possible to guarantee the security for the members of the international mission, we are quite aware of this,” Lukashevich said.
Since mid-April, Kiev's authorities have been conducting a special military operation to suppress the pro-independence movement. Hundreds of people, including civilians, have died in the self-proclaimed Luhansk and Donetsk people’s republics in the east of Ukraine over the past months. Moscow, which describes the ongoing military actions as a punitive operation, has repeatedly called for an immediate end to the bloodshed.
