The pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine lifted a blockade of international OSCE observers after a little over a week.

In front of the mission's hotel in Donetsk, the tents were dismantled by demonstrators, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) announced on Sunday night.

The authorities in the breakaway region had called for the protest about the corona pandemic to be relocated to the Internet.

According to media reports, the medical situation in the separatist areas is catastrophic.

Many people died of being infected with Covid-19.

The blockade was triggered by the arrest of a Luhansk rebel in a demilitarized section of the front near the town of Solote a week and a half ago.

The Ukrainian secret service SBU justified the arrest by saying that the man had spied on abandoned positions of the government troops.

Preparations for the planned opening of a road crossing between the government and rebel areas had been agreed in the area.

Parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions along the Russian border have been controlled by Russian-backed separatists since 2014.

According to UN estimates, over 13,000 people were killed as a result of the fighting.

A peace plan is on hold.