Deputy Head of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine Alexander Hug called the situation in Donbass a “swamp” in which hundreds of thousands of innocent people are stuck.
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He stated this at a briefing in Kyiv.
“No matter how hard we try, we cannot find clearly visible trends. All we see is a predicament that I would describe as a swamp in which hundreds of thousands of innocent people are stuck. The situation is neither improving nor worsening. It doesn’t change, it remains and will remain that way as long as the people who hold power prefer things to remain that way,” he said.
He noted that every time the OSCE hears that the parties have renewed their ceasefire commitments, but this only lasts for a certain period of time.
“This conflict is already in its third year, and a whole cohort of people - repair teams, representatives of humanitarian organizations, sappers, OSCE observers and many politicians - are working to improve the situation. They roll a heavy stone up the mountain, which, having almost reached the top, rolls down every time... Humanitarian organizations are ready and able to provide assistance, but they are kicked out. Repair teams have the technical means and courage, but this is disrupted due to targeted attacks. OSCE SMM observers have the necessary skills and abilities, have the technical means and the will, but face constant restrictions... Events are controlled by real people, shelling of vital infrastructure continues, because real people give orders and real people carry them out...”, he added.
Let us remind you that today marks exactly three years since the day on April 14, 2014, when the acting President of Ukraine after the coup, Alexander Turchynov, signed a decree on conducting the so-called “anti-terrorist operation” in Donbass.