KYIV, 9 May 2014 - The Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, Ambassador Ertugrul Apakan, said he was saddened to hear of the deadly fighting today in Mariupol, Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine.

“I strongly condemn the violence, and call upon all parties to exercise maximum restraint and to take immediate steps to de-escalate a situation which has caused the loss of many lives, and created a climate of fear and anxiety.”

The Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine was deployed following a decision by the Permanent Council of the OSCE on 21 March 2014. Its aim is to contribute to reducing tensions and fostering peace, stability and security. As of today, the total number of staff is more than 220 people drawn from 40 participating States, including 154 monitors and ten team leaders on the ground, 14 international staff working in the Head office in Kyiv, and 36 local support staff.  The mission members are deployed to Kherson, Odessa, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Dnepropetrovsk, Chernivtsi, Luhansk and Kyiv.