News and press releases

VIENNA, 18 April 2018 – Slovenia’s Chairmanship of the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation will be characterized by the country’s commitment to the ongoing efforts to restore confidence in the OSCE area, said State Secretary of the country’s Foreign Ministry Andrej Logar at the Forum in Vienna today...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region compared with the previous 24 hours. The SMM observed damage in a residential area of Yasynuvata. Near Chabanivka, shots were again fired at an SMM unmanned aerial vehicle. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it observed ceasefire violations near Stanytsia Luhanska. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas as well as near Izvaryne near the border with the Russian Federation, and in Starohnativka.* The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to electrical infrastructure near Maiorsk, the Petrivske pumping station and a high-voltage powerline near Yuzhna-Lomuvatka. In Kyiv, the SMM followed up on reports of an incident involving firearms in a building where internally displaced persons are known to live.

Promoting the full and equal participation of women with disabilities in political and public life was the focus of discussions at a conference organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in Vienna on 16 and 17 April 2018. Over 90 parliamentarians and

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region between the evenings of 13 and 14 April, compared with the previous reporting period. Between the evenings of 14 and 15 April, it recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region compared with the previous 24 hours. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske and recorded ceasefire violations inside the Petrivske disengagement area. The SMM heard shots in close proximity to its position while conducting a mid-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flight near the Petrivske disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas.* The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to the Petrivske pumping station and a high-voltage powerline near Yuzhna-Lomuvatka. In Kyiv, the SMM followed up on media reports of an explosion near a one-storey building.

VIENNA, 16 April 2018 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, said today he was shocked by the death of journalist Maksim Borodin in the Russian Federation...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM followed up on reports of civilian casualties and observed damage to civilian houses as a result of shelling in Donetsk city. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it heard an explosion near (but outside) the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas and elsewhere, including Trokhizbenka, Voznesenivka (near the border with the Russian Federation), and Uzhivka – where the SMM observed military hardware and a man in military-style clothing fired a shot in the air.* The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to water pipelines near Obozne, where works were completed, and Zolote and a high-voltage power line near Yuzhna Lomuvatka. In Kyiv, the SMM followed up on reports of vandalism of a monument in Mariinskyi Park and of arson at a Ukrainian Orthodox Church. In Luhansk city, the SMM monitored a gathering in front of the SMM office...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM followed up on a civilian casualty caused by the explosion of an object in Myrne and observed multiple impact sites in Staromykhailivka and Donetsk city. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it observed ceasefire violations assessed as inside the Petrivske disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas and elsewhere. The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to power lines near Veselohorivka and a water pipeline in Obozne. The SMM observed a restriction measure hearing in the trial of the captain of the fishing ship Nord, who was released on his own recognisance...