OSCE mission sees improvements in east Ukraine
KYIV. July 9 (Interfax) - The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Special Monitoring Mission (OSCE SMM) has said while the situation in the eastern parts of Ukraine has improved, there are still disruptions of vital services to the public in those areas.
The SMM representatives said the situation in east Ukraine has improved slightly, OSCE SMM spokesman Michael Bociurkiw said at a briefing on Wednesday.
Around 300 mission representatives are working in Ukraine, one group visited Slovyansk on July 8, he said.
People in Slovyansk experienced problems with electricity and water supplies, many shops are closed, there have been problems with getting payouts, Bociurkiw said. There is a feeling of abandonment, eery silence and emptiness, the OSCE official said.
At the same time he said that despite the improvements, there are still quite many problems, including a large number of people who need to be disarmed. He said international monitors during their daily patrols still run into roadblocks in the eastern regions of Ukraine.
He recalled that the SMM will soon be increased to 500 members with a subsequent six-month extension.
Bociurkiw said that the SMM chief will present another report by OSCE monitors about the situation in Ukraine in Vienna on Thursday.
