An American paramedic working with an international monitoring group in eastern Ukraine was killed Sunday when their vehicle drove over a mine in separatist-controlled territory, the State Department said Sunday.
"This death underscores the increasingly dangerous conditions under which these courageous monitors work, including access restrictions, threats, and harassment," the State Department said in a statement. "The United States urges Russia to use its influence with the separatists to allow the (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe monitoring group) to conduct a full, transparent, and timely investigation."
Chief Monitor Ertugrul Apakan for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said two other people injured were German and from the Czech Republic. Both were hospitalized, Apakan said. The OSCE's Special Monitoring Mission in war-torn Ukraine is an unarmed, civilian team charged with reporting on the status of the struggle and promoting dialogue among parties to the crisis.
"Tragic news from #Ukraine: SMM patrol drove on mine. One #OSCE patrol member killed, one injured," Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz tweeted, calling for a thorough investigation and promising that "those responsible will be held accountable."
The U.S. "again calls upon Russia to use its influence with the separatists to take the first step toward peace to eastern Ukraine and ensure a visible, verifiable, and irreversible improvement in the security situation," the State Department statement said.
The self-proclaimed, separatist Luhansk People's Republic blamed the blast on a "Ukraine subversive group," the Russian news agency Tass reported.
Almost 10,000 people have died in the three-year war between the Ukraine government and Russian-backed separatists. The OSCE mission has been promoting mine awareness in the region — Last month, a 12-year-old boy on his way home from school in eastern Ukraine was killed when a shiny object he picked up turned out to be a mine and exploded in his hands.
Mission members distribute pamphlets warning about the dangers of landmines and helping residents recognize the various types that have been deployed in the region in the past three years, the OSCE said this month.
"Heartfelt condolences to family of victim+SMM team," Kurz tweeted. "Death of colleague is a shock to whole #OSCE. Hope injured monitor will recover soon."
"This death underscores the increasingly dangerous conditions under which these courageous monitors work, including access restrictions, threats, and harassment," the State Department said in a statement. "The United States urges Russia to use its influence with the separatists to allow the (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe monitoring group) to conduct a full, transparent, and timely investigation."
Chief Monitor Ertugrul Apakan for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said two other people injured were German and from the Czech Republic. Both were hospitalized, Apakan said. The OSCE's Special Monitoring Mission in war-torn Ukraine is an unarmed, civilian team charged with reporting on the status of the struggle and promoting dialogue among parties to the crisis.
"Tragic news from #Ukraine: SMM patrol drove on mine. One #OSCE patrol member killed, one injured," Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz tweeted, calling for a thorough investigation and promising that "those responsible will be held accountable."
The U.S. "again calls upon Russia to use its influence with the separatists to take the first step toward peace to eastern Ukraine and ensure a visible, verifiable, and irreversible improvement in the security situation," the State Department statement said.
The self-proclaimed, separatist Luhansk People's Republic blamed the blast on a "Ukraine subversive group," the Russian news agency Tass reported.
Almost 10,000 people have died in the three-year war between the Ukraine government and Russian-backed separatists. The OSCE mission has been promoting mine awareness in the region — Last month, a 12-year-old boy on his way home from school in eastern Ukraine was killed when a shiny object he picked up turned out to be a mine and exploded in his hands.
Mission members distribute pamphlets warning about the dangers of landmines and helping residents recognize the various types that have been deployed in the region in the past three years, the OSCE said this month.
"Heartfelt condolences to family of victim+SMM team," Kurz tweeted. "Death of colleague is a shock to whole #OSCE. Hope injured monitor will recover soon."
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