MOSCOW, June 5 (RIA Novosti) – Release of OSCE monitors detained in eastern Ukraine last month was one of the issues Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister, Grigory Karasin, and Switzerland's State Secretary in the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Yves Rossier, discussed on the phone.

“Issues related to the situation in southeastern Ukraine and the ongoing military operation launched by Kiev against residents of Luhansk and Donetsk region were discussed. Special attention was paid to the problem of releasing of OSCE Special Monitoring Mission members," said the statement published on Russia’s Foreign Ministry website.

The People’s Republics of Luhansk and Donetsk declared independence following the May 11 referendum.

Kiev has refused to recognize the referendum as legitimate and continued the military operation against independence supporters in the regions.

On Sunday, OSCE spokesman Michael Bociurkiw told reporters in Kiev that the organization stayed out of touch with a four-member international team seized by self-defense forces in Donetsk region on May 26 as well as four European monitors and a local translator who went missing in the neighboring Luhansk region on May 29.

The OSCE is temporarily reducing the number of its monitors in eastern Ukraine due to security reasons, OSCE chief Lamberto Zannier said on Tuesday.