OSCE limits in Ukraine

Kiev, December 5, 2013, there was just one year. Events on Maidan were still peaceful, Viktor Yanukovich was still in power and the Crimea was still part of Ukraine. It was also at that Kiev gathered for their annual meeting, the ministers of the 57 countries of the OSCE, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Twelve months after Viktor Yanukovych was ousted, Russia annexed the Crimea and 4,500 people were killed in Ukraine. Many events that the OSCE could not prevent.

Born as a forum for dialogue during the Cold War, it is the only regional security organization whose members both the United States, European Union, Russia and Ukraine. Decisions are made by consensus, each member has a veto. In March, Russia had also approved the mission in Ukraine, but Moscow has never let the inspectors come in Crimea, where the OSCE denounced violations of human rights against the opponents and the Tatar minority.

This mission in Ukraine has only 320 observers; they should soon be 500. They have few resources and little funding. Some are posted here in Gukovo, near the border with Russia. Others are in Donetsk, the second and only check border point. In total, only 22 observers on two crossing points. But the border is 2300 km and is, in places, porous and difficult to monitor. Heavy military equipment held by the rebels, could be detected, but that observers can not determine the origin of the material. In addition, inspectors drones are regularly the target of physical and electronic attacks.

On July 17, the crash of flight MH17 in eastern Ukraine had shown the limits of the mission. The observers of the OSCE were prevented from visiting the site, as shown in these images, more than ten days after the accident. They had to wait 31 July to finally enter the crash zone, who made 298 dead.