OSCE Identifies American Monitor Killed In the Donbass Region (Eastern Ukraine)

Representatives of LPR have handed over the body of the OSCE SMM member to SMM representatives on Kiev-controlled territory, said LPR envoy to Minsk negotiations Vladislav Deinego. “The body of the observer has been handed over to Ukrainian side,” he said. The explosion killed the mission’s paramedic, a US citizen.

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 OSCE SMM suspended patrols in LPR following the explosion of its vehicle killing one member of the mission and wounded two others, a source in the OSCE told Lugansk Media Center.

SMM suspends patrols in LPR ~ “Patrols are not going anywhere today, a spokesperson said. “It is unclear if they shall work tomorrow.”

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. 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.”

OSCE SMM members injured yesterday in car blast in the vicinity of Priship village have been discharged from Lugansk Republican hospital, said acting minister of health Igor Solyanik.

“High-class medical aid has been provided to the injured. The woman was diagnosed with brain concussion, moderately severe traumatic brain injury. The man has moderately severe injuries, multiple bruises caused by mine blast wave, and he was contused.”

In the morning additional test were done, their condition improved.

“The patients have been discharged under the request from the OSCE.”

Solyanik said the admitted SMM members had positive impressions of the hospital, “it is not in a poor condition as Ukrainians say”.

On April 23 one of the two SMM patrol vehicles en route from Slavyanoserbsk to Sokolniki drove on mine in the vicinity of Prishib township, the explosion killed the mission’s paramedic, a US citizen, and wounded two other monitors, man and woman, citizens of Czech Republic and Germany. LPR Ministry of State Security (MGB) said the blast might have been masterminded by Ukrainian saboteur squad.

The meeting of security working group of the Contact Group, previously planned for this week, has been indefinitely postponed following the deadly blast of the OSCE SMM vehicle in Donbass, said earlier LPR envoy to Minsk negotiations Vladislav Deinego.