News and press releases

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations both in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, compared with the previous 24 hours. Small arms were fired towards an SMM unmanned aerial vehicle in a non-government-controlled area of Donetsk region. The Mission observed fresh damage caused by weapons, including to civilian property, in Pidlisne and Trokhizbenka. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske and observed calm situations. Its access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere, including again at the Chervona Mohyla railway station near Voznesenivka and at a border crossing point at the border with the Russian Federation in an area not under government control in Luhansk region, where the SMM has been restricted constantly since 15 February.* The Mission observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines in a non-government-controlled area. The SMM facilitated and monitored repairs to a water pumping station near Artema and to a water pipeline between Zolote and Popasna. The SMM monitored a religious procession in Zaporizhzhia and a gathering in Kyiv, which marked the fourth anniversary of the events in Crimea...

OTTAWA, 27 February 2018- OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today expressed concern about a recent court decision in Cyprus prohibiting the daily Politis from publishing documents regarding the state attorney and the questioning by the police of several journalists of the daily newspapers Politis and Phileleftheros...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more ceasefire violations in Luhansk region between the evenings of 23 and 24 February, compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions between the evenings of 24 and 25 February, compared with the previous 24 hours. The SMM heard explosions from its forward patrol base in Popasna. The Mission followed up on reports of damage caused by weapons in Yasynuvata, Pidlisne and Molodizhne. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it observed ceasefire violations inside Zolote disengagement area.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission followed up on reports of fresh damage caused by weapons to civilian properties in Dovhe and Holmivskyi. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations near the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere, including, once again, near Kreminets.* The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. The Mission facilitated the clearance of unexploded ordnance in Molodizhne. The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to a water pumping station in Artema and to a water pipe system in Novotoshkivske, and it heard that the latter was completed. The Mission visited a border area outside government control. The SMM monitored gatherings in Odessa and Dnipro.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region but fewer in Luhansk region, compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM followed up on reports of fresh damage caused by weapons to civilian properties in Dovhe and Molodizhne. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske, and while present in Stanytsia Luhanska and Zolote, it observed a calm situation. Its access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere, including, as in previous days, at the Chervona Mohyla railway station near Voznesenivka and at three other crossing points at the border with the Russian Federation in areas outside government control (out of six visited by the SMM).* The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Kostiantynivka and Klynove. The SMM observed convoys of trucks labelled “Humanitarian Aid from the Russian Federation” in non-government-controlled areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The Mission continued to facilitate and monitor repairs and maintenance of essential infrastructure near Pavlopil and Novotoshkivske. In non-government-controlled areas of Luhansk region, the mission noted disruptions in some mobile communications networks. The SMM monitored gatherings in Kherson on the occasion of the fourth anniversary of the events at Maidan and in Kharkiv on the third anniversary of the bombing of a pro-Maidan march.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. Small arms were again fired near an SMM patrol and towards an SMM unmanned aerial vehicle near Kostiantynivka. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations near the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere, including at the Chervona Mohyla railway station near Voznesenivka and, as has been the case in previous days, at three crossing points at the border with the Russian Federation in areas outside government control out of five visited by the SMM.* The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Zoria. The Mission continued to facilitate and monitor repairs and maintenance of essential infrastructure near Berezove, Orlivske, Artema, Novotoshkivske and Yashchykove. The SMM monitored gatherings in Odessa and Ivano-Frankivsk on the occasion of the fourth anniversary of events at Maidan...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission followed up on reports of a casualty from Spartak. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations near the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere, including at three border crossing points in Luhansk region at the border with the Russian Federation.* The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Shymshynivka. The Mission continued to facilitate and monitor repair works at a water pumping station in Artema, to a water pipeline between Berezove and Dokuchaievsk, as well as to powerlines between Orlivske and Pavlopil. The SMM visited six border areas outside government control. The Mission monitored gatherings in Chernivtsi, Kharkiv and Lviv on the occasion of the fourth anniversary of events at Maidan...