News and press releases

TBILISI, 30 June 2016 – Held under the theme “25 Years of Parliamentary Co-operation: Building Trust Through Dialogue,” the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s 2016 Annual Session will begin Friday in Tbilisi, Georgia, with keynote speeches by Georgian Speaker of Parliament David Usupashvili, Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili, Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili, OSCE PA President Ilkka Kanerva (MP, Finland), and OSCE Chairman-in-Office and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier...

In Donetsk region the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations compared to the previous reporting period, with most of the fighting recorded in Avdiivka and Svitlodarsk. In Luhansk region the SMM continued to note a calm situation with two single shots of small-arms fire recorded. It monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable recovery of the bodies of “DPR” members in Sakhanka. The SMM conducted crater analysis in Donetsk, Dokuchaievsk and Rumiantseve. It continued to observe the withdrawal of weapons. The SMM continued to monitor the situation of civilians at entry-exit checkpoints along the contact line. It facilitated repairs to essential infrastructure in Trokhizbenka, near Gagarin mine, Krasnyi Lyman, and in Pryshyb. It observed the presence of explosive remnants of war. The SMM did not encounter any specific restrictions to its freedom of movement...

Kamensk-Shakhtinskiy, Russian Federation. The Observer Mission (OM) continues to operate 24/7 at both Border Crossing Points (BCPs). The overall cross-border traffic decreased at both BCPs. The fifty-second Russian Convoy of 45 vehicles crossed into Ukraine and returned through the Donetsk Border Crossing Point...

VIENNA, 28 June 2016 – High-level representatives of OSCE participating States, Partners for Co-operation and partnering organizations are exploring how to revive co-operative security against the backdrop of current challenges to European security, during the three-day 2016 Annual Security Review Conference (ASRC), which started today in Vienna...

The SMM observed more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region compared to 25 and 26 June respectively, particularly in the southern Donetsk region. In Luhansk region the SMM recorded no ceasefire violations. It conducted crater analysis in Horlivka, Troitske and Popasna. The Mission noted weapons in violation of withdrawal lines. The SMM observed significantly shorter queues at entry-exit checkpoints along the contact line at Marinka, Olenivka and Stanytsia Luhanska bridge, and facilitated repairs to essential infrastructure between Trokhizbenka and Pryshyb. The SMM’s freedom of movement was restricted on three occasions in non-government-controlled areas...

In Kominternove the SMM found the bodies of two young boys killed by power lines most probably downed by shelling. In Donetsk region the SMM observed more ceasefire violations on each 25 and 26 June compared to 24 June. In Luhansk region the SMM recorded no ceasefire violations on 25 June, and fewer on 26 June compared to 24 June. It conducted crater analysis in Makiivka. The SMM continued to observe long queues at entry-exit checkpoints along the contact line, where civilians complained about lack of basic facilities. The SMM monitored a public meeting in Lviv. The SMM’s freedom of movement was restricted on seven occasions both in government- and non-government-controlled areas...

In Donetsk region, the SMM observed fewer ceasefire violations, with nearly 90 explosions during the night of 23 June and four during the day. In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded some ceasefire violations compared with none during the previous day. It conducted crater analysis and observed damage to houses in Kirovskyi district and Kominternove. The SMM continued to observe long queues at entry-exit checkpoints along the contact line, with civilians suffering from high temperatures. It reached the border in an area not controlled by the Government on one occasion. In Kharkiv, the SMM monitored a public gathering related to the status of volunteer participants in the Anti-Terrorism Operation. The SMM’s freedom of movement was restricted on two occasions – once in a government-controlled area and once in an area outside government control...*