The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has been accused of secretly providing classified intelligence on Russian military positions to Ukrainian forces.
The allegation comes from former Greek Ambassador to Ukraine, Vassilios Bornovas, as reported by Russian news agency Tass.
Mr. Bornovas, who served as part of the OSCE mission, claims that international observers transmitted sensitive information on Russian troop locations in Donbas and Luhansk to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
He alleges that these coordinates were then used by Ukraine for targeted shelling.
“The issue that caught my attention was the use of classified information relayed by OSCE observers regarding the locations of weapons on the Russian side of the contact line in eastern Ukraine.
Since these positions were promptly bombed by the Ukrainian side, it was obvious that the observers' reports were first passed on to Ukrainian intelligence services,” Mr. Bornovas said.
He also highlighted tensions between Ukrainian military personnel from western Ukraine and local Russian-speaking Greeks, alleging discrimination against the minority.
He pointed to mandatory Ukrainian language education and restrictions on Russian-language instruction in predominantly Russian-speaking regions.
Furthermore, Mr. Bornovas stated that Russia’s biggest security concern had long been the possibility of Ukraine joining NATO.
“By 2021, it became more than evident that this was the direction things were heading, despite repeated warnings from Russia,” he said.
The remarks drew a swift response from Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova.
In a Telegram post, Ms. Zakharova cited Mr. Bornovas’ claims, arguing they necessitate more than just political statements.
“The OSCE must respond effectively to these accusations. Complaints about how this happened under previous leadership are irrelevant. A serious investigation is needed,” Ms. Zakharova wrote.
The OSCE has not yet issued a response to the allegations.