Six Convoys of OSCE Monitors Apply to Visit Donetsk Republic

Six convoys of OSCE international monitoring missions applied to visit the territory of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), according to the statement of the chairman of the DPR People’s Council.

DONETSK (Sputnik) – A total of six convoys of the OSCE monitoring mission in Ukraine have applied to visit the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), the chairman of the DPR People's Council told RIA Novosti Wednesday.

"Six convoys of OSCE international monitoring missions have applied to visit the territory of DPR. They went where they wanted to," he said.

After the ceasefire between the warring sides became effective on February 15, OSCE observers complained they had not been granted access to the area around the city of Debaltseve, where several thousand Ukrainian soldiers remained encircled.

Militias denied receiving a request from the organization and presumed the monitors were denied access to the area due to security concerns, as clashes continued in Debaltseve, despite the truce deal.

Earlier on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said the operation to withdraw Kiev troops from the encirclement in Debaltsevo had been completed.

Later in the day, the leaders of Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine — the participants of the so-called Normandy Quartet that worked out the truce deal last week are expected to discuss the current situation in Donbas by phone.

OSCE monitors have been working in southeastern Ukraine since March 2014 after an escalation of tensions between Kiev forces and independence supporters. They are closely watching the situation in the conflict zone and publish daily reports.