The U.S. State Department has said it was "shocked" over the death of a U.S. citizen serving as an international monitor in the conflict zone in Ukraine and called on Russia to use its influence to allow a full investigation.

The comments came on April 23 after the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said a member of its monitoring staff was killed and two more were injured after their vehicle hit a mine in eastern Ukraine in an area controlled by Russia-backed separatists.

The OSCE said the two injured members were sent to the hospital for treatment.

A Ukrainian Foreign Ministry official confirmed the fatality to RFE/RL and said the person killed in the blast was an American paramedic.

In its statement released late on April 23, the State Department said it was "shocked and deeply saddened" by the death of the American citizen "when his vehicle struck an explosive in separatist-controlled territory."

"This death underscores the increasingly dangerous conditions under which these courageous monitors work, including access restrictions, threats, and harassment," the statement said. "The United States urges Russia to use its influence with the separatists to allow the OSCE to conduct a full, transparent, and timely investigation."

It did not identify the U.S. citizen.

It was the first reported death among OSCE staff members, who were first deployed to the region in 2014 to monitor the cease-fires between the Russia-backed separatists and Ukrainian government forces in a conflict that has killed at least 9,940 people.

EU foreign-affairs chief Federica Mogherini said the incident was a "reminder of the urgent need for progress on a peaceful resolution of the conflict."



A spokesman for Austria's Foreign Ministry said one of the injured was a German woman. The other injured person is a Czech citizen, the OSCE said in a press conference held hours after the incident.

An OSCE official told RFE/RL that the names of those involved would be released after their families had been notified.

The OSCE members were on patrol in the separatist-held village of Pryshyb in the Luhansk region when the vehicle is believed to have struck a mine and exploded, the official told RFE/RL.

The Ukrainian military said the incident took place at 10:17 a.m. local time (0717 UTC/GMT).

Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz, who holds the rotating chairmanship of the OSCE, called for an investigation into the incident and, in a tweet, said he had spoken to the mission's ambassador, Ertugrul Apakan.

"Need thorough investigation; those responsible will be held accountable," he said on Twitter.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel made a similar call.

"The federal government expects that the parties to the conflict immediately do everything possible to ascertain how we reached this tragic point and who holds responsibility for it," she said.

She also noted it was time for all sides to start honoring a long-promised cease-fire, but noted that the Russia-backed rebels bore the greater responsibility to make sure that happened.

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel expressed concern about the killing. "Someone who just wanted to help create peace and put an end to the fighting has lost his life today," he said.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko instructed Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin to keep the OSCE informed of Kyiv's investigation into the blast.

"This crime must be investigated and those responsible must be punished," Poroshenko wrote on Facebook.

"Ukraine condemns all forms of constant resistance by the rebels to the OSCE SMM's work," he added.

A statement issued by the Russia-backed separatists in Luhansk on their website claimed that the OSCE team had veered off the main road and was traveling along an unsafe route.

"We know that this patrol team deviated from the main route and was moving along secondary roads, which is prohibited by the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission mandate," the separatist statement said.

Eduard Basurin, a senior separatist figure, said the OSCE vehicle "deviated from its main route and moved onto back roads" when it struck what he said was an antitank mine.

The separatists' claim could not be confirmed.

The unarmed, civilian OSCE mission, with more than 700 international observers, seeks to reduce tensions and report on the situation on the ground in Ukraine.

In March, the 57 member states of the OSCE, which include Ukraine, Russia, and the United States, decided by consensus to extend the mandate of the mission for another year, its third extension since it was first deployed in Ukraine in 2014.

Western countries have imposed sanctions on Moscow for its illegal annexation of Ukraine's Crimea Peninsula and its support for the separatists in eastern Ukraine.

With reporting by Christopher Miller, AFP, and Reuters</s>The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said on April 23 that a member of one of its patrols was killed and two more were injured after a special-monitoring-mission vehicle hit a mine in eastern Ukraine.

The OSCE tweeted that the two injured members have been taken to hospital for further examination.

A Ukrainian Foreign Ministry official has confirmed the fatality to RFE/RL and said that the person killed in the blast was an American paramedic.

 

 A spokesman for Austria's Foreign Ministry said that one of the injured was a German woman.

An OSCE official also told RFE/RL that the names of those involved would be released after their families had been notified.

The OSCE members were on patrol in the separatist-held village of Pryshyb in the Luhansk region when the vehicle is believed to have struck a mine and exploded, the official told RFE/RL.

The Ukrainian military said the incident took place at 10:17 a.m. local time (0717 GMT).

Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz, who holds the rotating chairmanship of the OSCE in Europe, called for an investigation into he incident and, in a tweet, said he had spoken to the mission's ambassador, Ertugrul Apakan.

"Need thorough investigation; those responsible will be held accountable," he said on Twitter.

A statement issued by the Russia-backed separatists in Luhansk on their website claimed that the OSCE team had veered off the main road and was travelling along an unsafe route.

“We know that this patrol team deviated from the main route and was moving along secondary roads, which is prohibited by the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission mandate,” the separatist statement said.

Eduard Basurin, a senior separatist figure, said the OSCE vehicle "deviated from its main route and moved onto backroads" when it struck what he said was an antitank mine.

The separatists' claim could not be confirmed.

The incident marked the first loss for the security body’s Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine since the conflict began more than three years ago.

The unarmed, civilian OSCE mission, with more than 700 international observers, seeks to reduce tensions and report on the situation on the ground in Ukraine.

In March, the 57 member states of the OSCE, which include Ukraine, Russia, and the United States, decided by consensus to extend the mandate of the mission for another year, its third extension since it was first deployed in Ukraine in 2014.

At least 9,940 people have been killed in the conflict between government forces and Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine since it erupted mid-April 2014.

With reporting by RFE/RL correspondent Christopher Miller, AFP, and Reuters</s>OSCE chairman calls for 'thorough investigation' after monitors' patrol hits roadside bomb in rebel-held Luhansk.

One international observer with the European security watchdog OSCE has been killed and two other monitors wounded after their vehicle struck a land mine while on patrol in eastern Ukraine.

The six-member patrol consisting of two armoured vehicles from the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe was travelling on Sunday in an area of the Luhansk region, which is not under control of Ukrainian authorities.

The nationalities of the victims were not immediately released.

The Ukrainian military said the incident took place at 10:17am local time (07:17 GMT) near the small village of Pryshyb, which is controlled by Russia-backed separatists.

Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz, who also serves as the OSCE's chairman, wrote on Twitter: "Death of colleague is a shock to whole OSCE."

He also called for a "thorough investigation" into who was responsible for the blast.

"Someone who just wanted to help create peace and put an end to the fighting has lost his life today," Gabrial said.

The de facto authorities in Luhansk told a local news agency, Luhanskinformcentre, that the incident happened because OSCE convoy made a diversion from its route, Russia's TASS news agency reported.

"It is known that the aforementioned crew deviated from the main route and was moving along secondary roads, which is prohibited by the mandate of the OSCE SMM. We repeatedly drew the attention of the OSCE SMM on the observance of the necessary security measures during monitoring travel routes," said the unidentified representative of the rebels.

OSCE deployed a special monitoring mission to Ukraine in 2014, after conflict erupted between the Ukrainian government and Russian-backed rebels.

The 57-member states of the organisation - which include Ukraine, Russia, and the United States - extended the monitoring misssion in Ukraine by a year in March.

The OSCE has 600 employees in the country. 

 

Three years after Moscow annexed the Crimean region, tensions between Ukraine and separatists in the Russian-held eastern part of the country remain high and a 2015 ceasefire agreement is violated regularly.</s>One member of European security watchdog OSCE’s monitoring mission in eastern Ukraine was killed and another injured after their vehicle drove over a mine near Luhansk. An American man was killed and a German woman was injured on Sunday morning, a spokesman for Austria’s foreign ministry said. Austria holds the rotating presidency of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

Three years after Moscow annexed the Crimean region, tensions between Ukraine and separatists in the Russian-held eastern part of the country remain high and a 2015 ceasefire agreement is violated regularly. The Ukrainian military said the incident took place at 10:17 local time (0717 GMT) near the small village of Pryshyb, which is controlled by pro-Russian separatists.

The unarmed, civilian OSCE mission with more than 700 international observers was deployed in 2014. The role of the monitors includes verifying the withdrawal of heavy weapons as agreed under the 2015 ceasefire agreement. Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz called for an investigation of the incident and, in a tweet, said he had spoken to the mission’s ambassador, Ertugrul Apakan.

“Need thorough investigation; those responsible will be held accountable,” he said on Twitter. A spokesman for the OSCE said further information would be released as it became available.

The 57 member states of the OSCE, which include Ukraine, Russia and the United States, in March extended its monitoring in Ukraine by a year.

For all the latest World News, download Indian Express App now</s>One member of European security watchdog OSCE's monitoring mission in eastern Ukraine was killed and another injured after their vehicle drove over a mine near Luhansk. An American man was killed and a German woman was injured on Sunday morning, a spokesman for Austria's foreign ministry said.

Start the conversation, or Read more at Reuters.</s>One member of European security watchdog OSCE’s monitoring mission in eastern Ukraine was killed and two others were injured after their vehicle drove over a mine near Luhansk.

An American man was killed and a German woman was injured on Sunday morning, a spokesman for Austria’s foreign ministry said. Austria holds the rotating presidency of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

Germany’s foreign ministry said two were injured, but gave no immediate details. The OSCE confirmed on Twitter that a patrol with six members and two armored vehicles had been in a “serious incident” but gave no further information.

Three years after Moscow annexed the Crimean region, tensions between Ukraine and separatists in the Russian-held eastern part of the country remain high and a 2015 ceasefire agreement is violated regularly.

The Ukrainian military said the incident took place at 10:17 local time (3.17 a.m. ET) near the small village of Pryshyb, which is controlled by pro-Russian separatists.

The unarmed, civilian OSCE mission with more than 700 international observers was deployed in 2014. The role of the monitors includes verifying the withdrawal of heavy weapons as agreed under the 2015 ceasefire agreement.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was appalled by the news and her government expected the parties to the conflict to investigate carefully and determine who was responsible.

“The conflict parties must also finally implement the long-agreed ceasefire,” Merkel said in a statement. “And there, the Russia-supported separatists, who are illegally and violently occupying parts of Ukrainian territory bear a particular responsibility.”

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel, in a separate statement, said it was in everyone’s interest to allow the OSCE observers to “carry out their important, indispensable, and at once difficult and dangerous work.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz on Twitter both called for an investigation of the incident. Kurz said he had spoken to the mission’s ambassador, Ertugrul Apakan.

“Need thorough investigation; those responsible will be held accountable,” Kurz said on Twitter.

A spokesman for the OSCE said further information would be released as it became available.

The 57 member states of the OSCE, which include Ukraine, Russia and the United States, in March extended its monitoring in Ukraine by a year.

Gabriel said the OSCE patrols had clearly prevented a more serious military escalation in recent years.

© 2017, The Premium Herald. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Premium Herald with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.</s>VIENNA (Reuters) - One member of European security watchdog OSCE’s monitoring mission in eastern Ukraine was killed and two others were injured after their vehicle drove over a mine near Luhansk.

An American man was killed and a German woman was injured on Sunday morning, a spokesman for Austria’s foreign ministry said. Austria holds the rotating presidency of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

Germany’s foreign ministry said two were injured, but gave no immediate details. The OSCE confirmed that a patrol with six members and two armoured vehicles had been in a “serious incident” but gave no further information.

Three years after Moscow annexed the Crimean region, tensions between Ukraine and separatists in the Russian-held eastern part of the country remain high and a 2015 ceasefire agreement is violated regularly.

The Ukrainian military said the incident took place at 10:17 a.m. local time (03:17 a.m. ET) near the small village of Pryshyb, which is controlled by pro-Russian separatists.

The unarmed, civilian OSCE mission with more than 700 international observers was deployed in 2014. The role of the monitors includes verifying the withdrawal of heavy weapons as agreed under the 2015 ceasefire agreement.

“It is a terrible tragedy,” German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said in a statement, calling for “an immediate end to the violence and unjustified accusations, especially on the part of separatists in eastern Ukraine.”

“It is in the interest of everyone involved, especially the conflict parties on the line of engagement, that OSCE observers are able to carry out their important, indispensable, and at once difficult and dangerous work,” Gabriel said.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz both called for an investigation of the incident. Kurz said he had spoken to the mission’s ambassador, Ertugrul Apakan.

“Need thorough investigation; those responsible will be held accountable,” Kurz said on social media.

A spokesman for the OSCE said further information would be released as it became available.

The 57 member states of the OSCE, which include Ukraine, Russia and the United States, in March extended its monitoring in Ukraine by a year.

Gabriel said the OSCE patrols had clearly prevented a more serious military escalation in recent years.</s>The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has identified an American paramedic who was killed by a land mine explosion in eastern Ukraine on April 23 while working as an OSCE monitor.

An OSCE statement on April 24 said U.S. citizen Joseph Stone was killed when an OSCE vehicle he was riding in hit a land mine in the separatist-controlled village of Pryshyb in the Luhansk region.

The statement said two other OSCE monitors injured by the blast -- a German woman and a man from the Czech Republic -- were released from a Luhansk hospital on April 24 and transferred to Kyiv.

It said the two were listed in stable condition.

Meanwhile, the armored Toyota B6 Land Cruiser that struck the land mine has been transported to Kramatorsk -- the Ukrainian government's provisional administrative center in the Donetsk region -- for what the OSCE described as an "ongoing assessment."

Ukraine's government in Kyiv and Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine have blamed each other for the land mine explosion.

Self-proclaimed separatist leaders in the breakaway Luhansk region on April 24 claimed that Ukrainian "saboteurs" infiltrated territory under separatist control and planted the land mine in order to "discredit" the Russia-backed militants.

But Ukraine's Defense Ministry rejected that claim, noting that the site of the land mine has been under separatist control since the summer of 2014.

"There can be no Ukrainian sabotage groups, and are none" in this area, Ukraine's Defense Ministry spokesman Oleksandr Motuzyanyk said.

The U.S. State Department has said it was "shocked" about Stone's death while he serving as an international monitor in separatist-controlled territory of eastern Ukraine.

It called on Russia to use its influence with the separatists to allow the OSCE to conduct a "full, transparent, and timely investigation."

"This death underscores the increasingly dangerous conditions under which these courageous monitors work, including access restrictions, threats, and harassment," a State Department statement late on April 23 said.

Stone's death was the first among OSCE monitors, who were initially deployed to the region in 2014 to monitor cease-fires in a conflict that has killed at least 9,940 people.

EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini said the incident was a "reminder of the urgent need for progress on a peaceful resolution of the conflict."

 

 Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz, who holds the rotating chairmanship of the OSCE in Europe, said there was a need for a "thorough investigation' and that "those responsible will be held accountable."

"The federal government expects that the parties to the conflict immediately do everything possible to ascertain how we reached this tragic point and who holds responsibility for it," she said.

Merkel also said it was time for all sides to start honoring a long-promised cease-fire, adding that the Russian-backed separatists bear the greater responsibility to make sure that happens.

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel lamented that "someone who just wanted to help create peace and put an end to the fighting has lost his life."

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko instructed Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin to keep the OSCE informed of Kyiv's investigation into the blast.

"This crime must be investigated and those responsible must be punished," Poroshenko wrote on Facebook.

"Ukraine condemns all forms of constant resistance by the rebels to the OSCE SMM's work," he added, using an acronym for the OSCE's special monitoring mission in eastern Ukraine.

A statement issued by the Russia-backed separatists in Luhansk on their website claimed that the OSCE team had veered off the main road and was traveling along an unsafe route.

"We know that this patrol team deviated from the main route and was moving along secondary roads, which is prohibited by the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission mandate," the separatist statement said.

Eduard Basurin, a senior separatist figure, said the OSCE vehicle "deviated from its main route and moved onto backroads" when it struck what he said was an antitank mine.

The separatists' claim could not be confirmed.

The unarmed, civilian OSCE mission, with more than 700 international observers, seeks to reduce tensions and report on the situation on the ground in Ukraine.

In March, the 57 member states of the OSCE, which include Ukraine, Russia, and the United States, decided by consensus to extend the mandate of the mission for another year, its third extension since it was first deployed in Ukraine in 2014.

Western nations have imposed sanctions on Moscow for its illegal annexation of Ukraine's Crimea Peninsula and its support for the separatists in eastern Ukraine.

With reporting by RFE/RL correspondent Christopher Miller, AFP, Reuters and DPA</s>The incident took place on the territory controlled by the self-proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic (LPR).

"We can confirm that an #OSCE patrol has been involve in a serious security incident in the Luhansk [Lugansk] region," the mission said on Facebook.

The OSCE mission in Ukraine car exploded on a mine in Donbass, the OSCE chairman, Sebastian Kurz, said.

"Tragic news from #Ukraine: SMM patrol drove on mine. One #OSCE patrol member killed, one injured 1/3." Kurz wrote on Twitter.

Kurz also called for a "thorough investigation into the incident." Those responsible will be held accoutable, he said. The OSCE chairman also expressed "heartfelt condolences" to the family of the killed OSCE staff member and the special monitoring mission in Ukraine team.

The press service of the LPR told Sputnik that the OSCE car deviated from the route it was supposed to follow.

"We know that the mentioned crew deviated from the main route and moved along side roads, which is prohibited by the mandate of the OSCE SMM," the LPR press service specified.

The OSCE SMM to Ukraine was deployed in March 2014 to observe and report on the situation in the country.

This March, the SMM spokesperson told Sputnik that the observers of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) on Ukraine had been shelled at least seven times since the beginning of the year.</s>A land mine blew up a vehicle carrying an OSCE monitoring team in the separatist Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine on Sunday, killing an American observer and wounding two European members of the mission, officials reported. The mission's deputy head, Alexander Hug, said the member killed was from the United States and the two wounded are from Germany and the Czech Republic.

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A U.S. member of the OSCE monitoring mission is killed and two others injured after their vehicle drives over a land mine near Luhansk.