OSCE SMM Chief Monitor Çevik pays tribute to Joseph Stone, calls for more action against mines

KYIV, 23 April 2021 – Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine Y. Halit Çevik today paid tribute to SMM medic Joseph Stone, who was tragically killed in 2017 when an SMM armoured vehicle was struck by an explosion, most likely caused by an anti-tank mine in a non-government controlled area near Pryshyb in Luhansk region.

“We mourn the loss of a colleague and friend, but we also pay tribute to a life committed to the cause of peace in eastern Ukraine,” Çevik said.

Mines, unexploded ordnance and other explosive objects have claimed the lives of 82 civilians and have injured an additional 241 since then, he said. “Clearing or at a minimum marking off these deadly objects is both a key step on the road to peace and a lasting legacy to a brave medic who made the ultimate sacrifice,” he added.