Ukraine Unrest: Abducted OSCE Observers Freed

Pro-Russian separatists in east Ukraine say they had freed seven international military observers taken captive in the town of Sloviansk a week ago.

The observers are linked to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

The news came as Ukraine’s government said it had resumed military action to tackle the separatists in the east.

Russia says it “no longer has any influence” over Russian speakers in Ukraine.

Western countries and Kiev have accused Moscow of being behind the unrest.

‘Inexcusable’

Five Ukrainian officers captured with the observers were also freed on Saturday.

Vyacheslav Ponomaryov, a leader of the insurgency in the east, confirmed the releases.

“As I promised them, we celebrated my birthday yesterday and they left. As I said, they were my guests,” Mr Ponomaryov said.

The BBC’s Sarah Rainsford in Donetsk says there is no detail yet on how or why they were freed – a spokeswoman for the pro-Russian groups told the BBC she had no comment on that.

Russia’s RIA news agency quoted Vladimir Lukin, the envoy sent by President Vladimir Putin, as saying 12 people had been freed.

But Mr Putin’s spokesman in Moscow, Dmitry Peskov, said Russia can “no longer influence the people of south-east Ukraine, who feel their lives are threatened”.

Western leaders had condemned the abductions.

On Friday, US President Barack Obama again called for the observers to be released, saying their abduction was “inexcusable” and “disgraceful”.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel had said earlier that the release of the seven – four Germans, a Dane, a Pole and a Czech – would be “an important step” in easing tensions in the region.

The observers are not part of the main OSCE monitoring mission, which was agreed after long negotiations by Russia, Ukraine and the US.