OSCE monitors' cars blocked at checkpoint in Russian-occupied Horlivka

On Monday, October 9, armed members of the so-called "Donetsk People's Republic" ("DPR") stopped observers of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine and prevented them from proceeding through the checkpoint in the occupied town of Horlivka in Ukraine's east.

"On October 9, at a 'DPR' checkpoint on the north-western edge of Horlivka on road T0513, armed persons stopped the SMM and asked to check the trunks of the SMM vehicles, as well as the content of toolboxes. The SMM opened the trunks but did not show the content of the toolboxes. The armed men prevented the SMM from proceeding through the checkpoint," the OSCE SMM said in an update on October 10 based on information received as of 19:30 local time on October 9, 2017.

Read alsoOSCE monitors report 26 tanks in Russian-occupied areas outside DonetskThe SMM informed the Joint Center for Control and Coordination. About one hour later, they allowed the SMM to proceed without opening the toolboxes.

In addition, the SMM was unable to get to the village of Vesela Hora in Luhansk region, which is temporarily under control of the self-proclaimed "Luhansk People's Republic" ("LPR").

"On October 9, the SMM saw again a mine hazard sign (white board with 'Stop, Mines' written in Russian) on an asphalt road on the northern edge of 'LPR'-controlled Vesela Hora (16km north of Luhansk); however, the SMM noted that it had been moved 100-150m south of its previous position, thus preventing the SMM from proceeding towards Vesela Hora. The SMM saw a man wearing military-style clothing driving a car which hit the sign and drove over it," reads the report.