The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) has reported the deterioration of the situation around monitor access to checkpoints on the Ukrainian-Russian border that are uncontrolled by the Ukrainian authorities.

OSCE SMM Deputy Chief Monitor Alexander Hug told a briefing on Thursday, responding to a question as to what access the OSCE SMM has on the Ukrainian-Russian border and whether it has regular monitoring points in Shyrokyne and the Donetsk airport, that the OSCE SMM until recently had access, even though not regular, to some checkpoints, but the situation changed in the past ten days, especially on the border in Luhansk region, where the mission's access is restricted.

As to Donetsk region, Hug said that access to the border is still possible, specifically, to the Novoazovsk pass.