VIENNA, February 13. /TASS/. Several member states of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) have decided to recall their nationals seconded to the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine from that country within several days, but the mission will continue to fulfil its mandate, with its monitors working in ten Ukrainian cities, the OSCE SMM said on Sunday.

According to earlier media reports, several countries have decided to relocate their OSCE monitors. Meanwhile, OSCE Secretary General Helga Schmid has said that the mission will continue to work in Ukraine without interruption.

"The majority of international mission members are seconded by OSCE participating States. The secondment system allows participating States to make decisions inter alia on the relocation of their secondees in or out of the country. Recently, certain participating States have decided that their respective secondees in the SMM should leave Ukraine within the next days," the OSCE SMM said in press statement.

"The SMM will continue to implement its OSCE approved mandate with its monitors deployed in ten cities throughout Ukraine," it said. "The SMM places the highest priority on the safety and security of all its staff and will continue to assess the security situation continuously.".