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OSCE SMM reports missing weapons at Ukraine’s holding areas

The Ukrainian side claims the weapons were on maintenance, used for training or had been moved to another location

VIENNA, May 25. /TASS/. Monitors of the Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) have reported lack of recorded weapons at Ukraine’s holding areas, where weapons withdrawn from the line of contact are to be stored.

"The SMM revisited five heavy weapons holding areas of the Ukrainian Armed Forces but found all recorded weapons in situ in only one of the locations," the SMM said in a daily update published on Monday. "In one holding area, four multiple launch rocket systems were missing. The commander stated that they were on maintenance and used for training. At another site the commander informed the SMM that nine anti-tank guns (MT-12) had been moved to another location. At yet another site, the SMM observed that four anti-tank guns (MT-12) were missing. In another holding area the SMM noted that the self-propelled artillery numbers on two howitzers did not match those previously registered."