News and press releases

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske and observed ceasefire violations assessed as outside the disengagement areas in Stanytsia Luhanska and Zolote. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas and in Luhansk city, Verkhnoshyrokivske, Staropetrivske and at a border crossing point in Izvaryne, close to the border with the Russian Federation in Luhansk region.* The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Svitlodarsk, Mykolaivka, Khrustalnyi, and Luhansk city and over 60 anti-tank mines on road M-03 between Svitlodarsk and Nyzhnie Lozove. The Mission continued to facilitate access for workers to and from the Donetsk Filtration Station. Its unmanned aerial vehicle was fired upon while flying near the station.

Identifying next steps in improving access to identity and civil registration documents for Roma in Ukraine was the focus of an expert meeting organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on 29 March 2018 in Kyiv.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission observed damage caused by gunfire to civilian properties in residential areas of Sakhanka and Horlivka, where it also followed up on reports of a civilian casualty. The SMM saw a de-miner injured by an explosion near the Donetsk Filtration Station. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations in the Petrivske disengagement area and observed a soldier carrying a weapon inside the Zolote disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas and elsewhere. The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Vodiane and Bohoiavlenka. The Mission continued to facilitate access for workers to and from the Donetsk Filtration Station; it also facilitated repairs to the Petrivske pumping station near Artema and to power lines near Semyhiria. In Kyiv, the SMM saw a makeshift memorial outside the Embassy of the Russian Federation honouring the victims of the shopping mall fire in Kemerovo in the Russian Federation...

VIENNA, 29 March 2018 – The closure of the Özgürlükçü Demokrasi newspaper and appointing a trustee to head it is a major attack on the independence of this media outlet and another setback to media pluralism in Turkey, said Harlem Désir, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, today following yesterday’s police raid on the newspaper’s office...

KYIV, 28 March 2018- The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) today re-introduced the use of long-range unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which will operate over Donetsk and Luhansk regions...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM observed damage caused by shelling to civilian properties in residential areas of Sakhanka. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations near the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area and spotted military hardware, as well as previously seen mines inside the Petrivske disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas and elsewhere, including at border crossing points near Dovzhanske, Izvaryne, Sievernyi, and to Siedove (all close to the border with the Russian Federation), as well as to a heavy weapons holding area in a non-government-controlled area of Donetsk region. The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Lozuvatske, Pidlisne and Sievierodonetsk. The Mission continued to facilitate access for workers to and from the Donetsk Filtration Station; it facilitated maintenance works to the Petrivske pumping station near Artema. In Kharkiv, the SMM saw flowers and candles laid outside the Consulate of the Russian Federation to commemorate the victims of the shopping mall fire in Kemerovo in the Russian Federation...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous 24 hours. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations inside the Petrivske disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas and elsewhere, including, again, at a border crossing point near Izvaryne (near the border with the Russian Federation), at a checkpoint near Nova Marivka and at compound in Zymohiria.* The SMM observed a weapon in violation of withdrawal lines in Pobeda. The Mission continued to facilitate access for workers to and from the Donetsk Filtration Station; it facilitated maintenance works to the Petrivske pumping station near Artema. The SMM followed up on reports of a fire at the Polish cultural centre Poska Nuta in Odessa and reports of damage to a building where the regional office of a political party is located in Dnipro.