Press Statement of Special Representative of OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Sajdik on recent civilian deaths in eastern Ukraine

KYIV, 27 January 2017 – The Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in Ukraine and in the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) Martin Sajdik today made the following statement to the press following recent civilian deaths in eastern Ukraine:

“With great concern I follow the recent increase in civilian victims of the conflict in eastern Ukraine. Reports by the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine have confirmed at least six civilian deaths, on both sides of the line of contact, in the past two weeks. At least three of those victims have been killed by shelling, another most probably by a mine. A number of civilians have been injured, among them a three-year old boy.”

“I call on all sides to do their utmost to stop this worrying trend – through full respect of the ceasefire, progress on disengagement and demining and by implementing their commitments to withdraw weapons from the line of contact. Bringing the number of casualties among the civilian population down to zero must be at the heart of everybody’s efforts in the Minsk process.”