A group of military observers who were seized last week by pro-Russian separatists in the eastern Ukrainian city of Slovyansk has been released, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) confirmed on Saturday.<br /><br />“We can now confirm the release of the military observers,” said a spokeswoman for the OSCE, under whose auspices the military verification officers led by German defence ministry staff were in Ukraine, at Ukraine’s request.<br /><br />Reports say five Ukrainians with them have also been released.<br /><br />The town’s self-declared mayor, Vyacheslav Ponomaryov, said there were no conditions attached, adding that the group from the OSCE had been his “guests”.<br /><br />Russia’s envoy in the area Vladimir Lukin said all those on his list had been freed. <br /><br />A Swedish monitor suffering from health problems was let go earlier.<br /><br />The observers, including four Germans, represent individual OSCE states but are not part of its main mission agreed after international negotiations.<br /><br />German Chancellor Angela Merkel had said that their release would ease tensions in the region.<br /><br />The news comes as the Ukrainian government resumes its attacks against separatists in the east – and the day after deadly violence in the southern city of Odessa.
