PRESS RELEASE

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Vehicle Bomb in Eastern Ukraine Kills OSCE Observer

April 24, 2017 (EIRNS)—A road mine yesterday targeted a vehicle on a mission in eastern Ukraine on behalf of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, in the self-proclaimed Lugansk People’s Republic (L.P.R.). The mission said that one monitor had been killed and two more had been wounded. According to the L.P.R.’s militia, the patrol car deviated from its route. The L.P.R. Ministry of State Security said a Ukrainian subversive group was behind the incident.

The L.P.R. Ministry issued a statement that it "does not rule out" the Kiev government’s role in the blast, "considering that it is the Ukrainian side that benefits the most from protracting the process of solving security issues."

Russia’s Foreign Ministry described the incident as a provocation.

"The circumstances of the incident indicate a high probability of a provocation geared at breaking down the settlement process in Donbass. Obviously, such incidents and the general escalation of tensions are in the interest of those who are reluctant to implement political, economic and humanitarian provisions of the Minsk Package of Measures,"

the ministry said in a statement yesterday, reported TASS.

"Once again, we call for more active direct talks between the parties to the conflict, i.e., Kiev, Donetsk and Lugansk, within the Contact Group to ensure complete implementation of the Package of Measures [on the implementation of the Minsk agreements], which is the only basis for the Donbass settlement,"

he Russian Foreign Ministry said.

"We are resentful at this cynical action that claimed a human life and that was aimed against the international monitors working there for the sake of peace. We call for a thorough and objective investigation and demand those responsible be called to justice,"

the ministry said.