OSCE reps held hostage in occupied Donbas, says SMM chief Grawe

Read also: Escape from hell: Women of Mariupol tell their stories of living under occupation and escaping the siege

"I strongly condemn the baseless claims and fabricated accusations against our local members of the Mission, and I demand the immediate release of our staff detained in non-government-controlled areas of Donetsk and Luhansk," Grawe stated.

She noted that the OSCE tried to "engage every opportunity" to ensure that the privileges and immunities of current and former OSCE officials are respected.

The Special Monitoring Mission of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe ceased its operations in Ukraine at the beginning of March after shelling in Mariupol.

It had previously tracked ceasefire violations and heavy weapons movements in the Donbas, prior to the full-scale invasion.

Read also: Russian invaders held captive for a month Azerbaijani student who tried to flee Mariupol

At the end of June, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called for the suspension of Russia's mandate in the OSCE amid ongoing territorial grabs and attacks on Ukrainian cities.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine