Moscow is taking steps to free the international military observers working for OSCE which were allegedly detained by the pro-federalization protesters near the Ukraine’s eastern city of Slavyansk, said a statement of the Russian Foreign Ministry published Saturday. The Russian side to the extent possible is taking measures to resolve the situation, which has arisen after international military observers were detained near Slavyansk, the statement said.
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On Friday, the press service of the OSCE reported that the military verification team, coordinated by Germany, included four German military experts and one representative from these countries: Denmark, Poland, the Czech Republic and Sweden.
The detained team is "not OSCE monitors" but international military mission sent by OSCE member states in accordance with the 2011 Vienna Document on military transparency, the organization explained on Twitter.
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The Russian Ambassador to the OSCE Andrei Kelin told reporters that Russia favours a speedy release of the OSCE military experts who are reported to have been detained in Slavyansk.
Kelin added that his personnel were unaware of the circumstances under which the experts were detained, or the whereabouts of the group. Kelin said Russia was concerned about the situation, just as all other OSCE member-states.