News and press releases

DEBALTSEVE, 10 December 2015- The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) is opening a new Forward Patrol Base in Debaltseve today, becoming the third such Base established by the Mission in the Donetsk region and the second one in an area outside of government control in this eastern region of Ukraine.

The SMM recorded an increasing number of ceasefire violations around Donetsk airport. In Luhansk region, all explosions and gunfire heard were assessed as activities related to training or demining. The SMM followed up on reports of resumption of power supply across the administrative boundary line between Kherson and Crimea. Its freedom of movement was restricted six times on both side of the contact line, resulting, in one instance, in the inability to reach the areas alongside the international border and border crossing points in areas not controlled by the Government*...

The role of interfaith dialogue in promoting peaceful coexistence, grounded in freedom of religion or belief for all in Ukraine was the focus of a national meeting, organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), in co-operation with the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine, in Kyiv on 8-9 December 2015.

DONETSK, 9 December 2015- The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine is today opening a new Forward Patrol Base to house a small group of monitors in the city of Horlivka, an area currently not under government control in the eastern region of Donetsk. Principal Deputy Chief Monitor Alexander Hug will spend the first night in the newly-established Base together with the team...

The SMM recorded a number of ceasefire violations, including the use of Addendum-proscribed weapons. It noted partial compliance in relation to the withdrawal of prohibited weapons from the security zone and observed the developments regarding the restoration of power supply to Crimea.

Kamensk-Shakhtinskiy, Russian Federation. The Observer Mission (OM) continues to operate 24/7 at both Border Crossing Points (BCP). The overall cross-border traffic decreased at both BCPs.

The Principal Deputy Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) Alexander Hug visited a children’s hospital in Donetsk on 7 December 2015 to discuss a request by its manager to reopen the premises. It was agreed that reopening the hospital was currently impossible without firm security guarantees from both sides...