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OSCE drones deployed to Ukraine's Donetsk region

"The first two UAVs have been sent to Donetsk region. They are to perform the first flights in the next few days," Ukrainian Foreign Minsitry spokesman announced Tuesday.

By JC Finley
The OSCE has deployed two drones to Ukraine's Donetsk region to monitor a cease-fire agreement signed in Minsk, Belarus, on Sept. 5, 2014. (File/UPI/Ismael Mohamad)
The OSCE has deployed two drones to Ukraine's Donetsk region to monitor a cease-fire agreement signed in Minsk, Belarus, on Sept. 5, 2014. (File/UPI/Ismael Mohamad) | License Photo

KIEV, Ukraine, Oct. 22 (UPI) -- The OSCE has deployed two drones to eastern Ukraine to help monitor the embattled eastern region.

"The first two UAVs have been sent to Donetsk region. They are to perform the first flights in the next few days," Ukrainian Foreign Minsitry spokesman Yevhen Perebyinis said Tuesday at a press conference.

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According to the OSCE, the drones will monitor the Ukraine-Russia border area to ensure all parties to the conflict comply with the cease-fire agreement signed in Minsk on Sept. 5.

Earlier this month, Ukrainian parliamentary speaker Oleksandr Turchynov asked the OSCE to deploy the drones and to send more OSCE representatives to monitor Ukraine's border with Russia.

"Such monitoring will favor stopping supplies of arms, military equipment and the crossing of militants from Russian Federation into Ukrainian territory, and terrorist gangs from Russia [getting into Ukraine] via the border," Turchynov told 36 OSCE representatives at the meeting.

The newly deployed drones will complement the OSCE's 128-member Special Monitoring Mission team. Perebyinis noted Tuesday that more OSCE monitors will be deployed to the area, with 150 expected in total by the end of the month.

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The OSCE is scheduled to meet Wednesday to discuss the use of drones provided by Russia and European Union member states to the OSCE's SMM in Ukraine.

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