the United States have also called the American staff of the OSCE Observer Mission in Ukraine, the country in the face of a possible threat of Russian invasion to leave. The corresponding travel advice for US citizens from last week also applies to the US employees of the Special Monitoring Mission of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), said a spokesman for the US State Department on Saturday (local time). The OSCE did not initially answer the question of whether the mission in the crisis area in Donbass would continue.
Hundreds of international observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe have been stationed in Ukraine since March 2014. They are supposed to monitor the ceasefire agreed between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian soldiers, especially in eastern Ukraine. It is the largest security mission in the history of the OSCE. Most recently, around 680 observers from 43 OSCE member countries were in Ukraine, including 515 in the east of the country, according to information from the end of January. According to the information, 32 Germans were also among the observers. In total, the mission has around 1,300 employees, including many local people.
The US State Department said the OSCE observers were spread across the country, including in Russian-controlled eastern Ukraine. They are highly endangered. “While we strongly support the important work of the Special Monitoring Mission, the safety of U.S. citizens is our top priority.”, it said. Russia is continuing its military build-up on the border with Ukraine, indicating that significant military action against Ukraine could occur. The US government will not be able to evacuate US citizens in the event of Russian military action. “Military action can begin at any time and without warning.”