Poroshenko Requests Increased International Observation of Crimea Administrative Border

President Poroshenko has invited the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to increase the number of OSCE monitors on the administrative border with Crimea and to request Russia to let the monitors make inspections in Crimea, the Presidential website informs.

Poroshenko also placed all military forces on alert, especially the border guards along the administrative border with Crimea and the contact line in Donbas. He instructed to strengthen the border guard regime on the checkpoints and tighten security of strategic infrastructure objects to prevent possible terrorist attacks.

Top security officials and the Foreign Minister were told to meet ambassadors to Ukraine to update them on the developments on the administrative border with Crimea and the contact line in Donbas.

The Foreign Ministry was ordered to arrange phone talks with leaders of France and Germany through the Normandy format, request talks with the U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and the European Council President Donald Tusk and initiate a phone conversation with Russian President Putin.

Ukraine’s mission to the UN is expected to conduct consultations of the UN Security Council and update its members on the developments in Ukraine.

Poroshenko also requested to secure the possibility for international human rights organizations and the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights to visit Ukrainian citizens detained in the occupied Crimea to protect their interests.

He also ‘personally asked’ Ukrainian citizens to hold back from visiting Crimea due to numerous provocations taking place there.

Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin said that Ukraine was advocating its position through its embassies. A number of phone talks have already taken place. "We will focus on working with international organizations. As we started consultations in the Security Council, we will also engage the OSCE, Council of Europe and the EU," he claimed.

Top security officials reported on the latest developments on the administrative border with Crimea. Allegedly, Russian military servicemen entered into an armed skirmish with the border guard service of the Russian FSB. Four Russian drones were documented on the Ukrainian side of the administrative border.

The SBU is already placed on alert. The SBU coordinates measures to protect critical infrastructure and prevent possible subversive or terrorist attacks.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine deployed near the administrative border are also placed on alert and beefed up, the General Staff Chief Viktor Muzhenko reported. He also rejected allegations about shelling of the occupied Crimea from the Ukrainian side. "Any serviceman or local resident can prove that no shelling took place at all. After all, artillery shelling is loud and you can’t hide it," he stressed.

Source: Ukrayinska Pravda