MOSCOW. June 25 (Interfax) - The militiamen in Severodonetsk, the Luhansk region, may release a group of four OSCE monitors in the near future, Andrei Purgin, the first deputy prime minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, told Interfax.
"Four OSCE observers are so far in Severodonetsk. Very good conditions have been provided to them, this is not a prison at all, and they are living in comfort. Simultaneously, they serve as guarantors against attacks on the city, where a very hazardous chemical facility is located, the destruction of which could cause a horrible environmental disaster," Purgin said.
The OSCE monitors should be released within days, Purgin said. "Negotiations are currently under way, and the observers will be released soon. This won't be an exchange of hostages but an act of goodwill. They will be able to return home without any preconditions," he said.