News and press releases

MINSK, 16 March 2017 – The Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in Ukraine and in the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG), Ambassador Martin Sajdik, made the following statement to the press after the meeting of the TCG and its working groups in Minsk on 15 March 2017:...

The SMM recorded a similar overall number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions as in the previous reporting period, but twice as many explosions in Luhansk region than in the previous period, most in areas west of Kadiivka. The Mission followed up on civilian casualties in Avdiivka, Bakhmut and Horlivka, and observed damage to civilian property in Lobacheve, Stanytsia Luhanska bridge and Pavlopil. The Mission monitored the disengagement areas in Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske, but its access remained restricted.* The SMM camera recorded ceasefire violations inside the Stanytsia Luhanska area. The Mission observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines and missing from storage sites. It visited two border areas currently not under government control. The Mission continued to monitor the blockade of routes crossing the contact line and monitored demonstrations in support of the blockade. It monitored continuation of a protest outside a bank office in Kyiv and followed up on a similar protest in Dnipro.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission observed damage to civilian property, possibly due to shelling, in Donetsk city and near Vuhlehirsk. The Mission monitored the disengagement areas in Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske, but its access remained restricted. SMM cameras recorded ceasefire violations inside the Stanytsia Luhanska and Zolote areas. The Mission observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. In two locations, armed “DPR” members threatened SMM monitors, with “arrest” in one case and with shooting in another. The SMM facilitated mine clearance of a railway track between Popasna and Zolote-5. It visited one border area currently not under government control. It monitored the continuing blockade of a railway near Hirske, observed that activists were no longer present at a blockade site near Shcherbynivka and monitored demonstrations in several cities in support of the blockade. It monitored continuation of a protest outside a bank office in Kyiv...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous 24-hour period. The Mission observed impact sites in Dokuchaievsk. The Mission monitored the disengagement areas in Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske but its access remained restricted. In violation of the Framework Decision the SMM observed hardware and forces inside the Zolote disengagement area. The SMM continued to monitor the situation of civilians at entry-exit checkpoints. It continued to observe the blockade of routes across the contact line at four locations in government-controlled areas. The Mission visited one border area currently not under government control in Voznesenivka. The SMM followed up on reports of vandalism against branches of a bank in Kharkiv and Kyiv...

In Donetsk region the SMM recorded a similar number of ceasefire violations between the evenings of 10 and 11 March compared with the previous reporting period, and fewer on 12 March. In Luhansk region the Mission recorded fewer such violations between the evenings of 10 and 11 March compared with the previous period, and fewer on 12 March. The Mission observed damage from shelling on both sides of the contact line, including new impact sites at a building in Avdiivka housing an SMM camera. The Mission monitored the disengagement areas in Stanytsia Luhanska, Petrivske and Zolote but its access remained restricted.* The SMM camera in Stanytsia Luhanska recorded ceasefire violations inside the disengagement area on 9 and 10 March. The Mission saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. The SMM continued to monitor the situation of civilians at entry-exit checkpoints. It observed no changes with regards to the blockade of routes that lead across the contact line at three locations in government-controlled areas. The Mission visited one border area currently not under government control in Verkhnoharasymivka.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. In Pikuzy two 82mm mortar rounds impacted near the SMM. It observed damage from shelling in Sartana, Luhanske and Borivske. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas in Stanytsia Luhanska, Petrivske and Zolote but its access remained restricted.

On 10 March, the SMM was positioned with six monitors and two cars on road T0519 at the western edge of “DPR”-controlled Pikuzy (formerly Kominternove, 23 km north-east of Mariupol) to monitor adherence to the ceasefire for repairs to gas pipelines, which had been damaged by shelling-related fire on 8 March.