Moscow Decries Ukrainian Security Forces' Attack On Russian TV Crew In Donbas

The Ukrainian security forces have violated humanitarian law by attacking a Russian TV crew near Donetsk, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Monday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd April, 2019) The Ukrainian security forces have violated humanitarian law by attacking a Russian tv crew near Donetsk, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Monday.

On Saturday, the press service of the Donetsk militia said that the crew of the All-Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (VGTRK) had been targeted by sniper fire next to the Spartak village in the Donetsk region.

"The Ukrainian security forces committed another deliberate armed attack on the media in gross violation of humanitarian law. Such crimes should not go unpunished," the ministry said.

The ministry also noted that there had been no reaction to the incident on behalf of international institutions, including the Office of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Representative on Freedom of the Media.

Russia's Permanent Mission to the OSCE also urged OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Desir to provide a proper reaction to the situation.

"We strongly condemn shooting by Ukrainian forces at VGTRK journalists in Donetsk. This is a serious violation of International Humanitarian Law as well as recent OSCE Ministerial decision on safety of journalists. We expert a proper reaction of @OSCE_RFoM," the mission said on Twitter.

The conflict in Donbas started in 2014 when Kiev launched a military operation against the self-proclaimed people's republics of Donetsk and Luhansk (DPR and LPR) after they refused to recognize the new government in Kiev that came to power after what they considered to be a coup. In February 2015, the warring parties signed the Minsk peace accords to end the hostilities in the region, but the situation has remained tense, with both parties accusing each other of ceasefire violations.