News and press releases

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region compared with the previous 24 hours and no ceasefire violations in Luhansk region. The Mission observed damage to buildings from gunfire in Dokuchaievsk. It continued monitoring the disengagement areas and recorded a ceasefire violation near the Petrivske disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas and elsewhere, including in Horlivka.* The SMM saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Khlibodarivka and Muratove, and in Oleksandropil. Aerial imagery revealed the presence of over 180 tanks and howitzers in non-government-controlled areas, as well as new trenches near Vodiane and the road M03 between Svitlodarsk and Debaltseve. The Mission facilitated and monitored repairs and maintenance of essential infrastructure in Shchastia, near Artema, and between Marinka and Oleksandrivka. It visited three border areas outside of government control. The SMM continued to monitor the situation of schools near the contact line.

VIENNA, 27 September 2017 – “Combating online threats against female journalists will remain at the top of my agenda as it is an integral part of the safety of journalists. There can be no freedom of the media without safety,” said the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir, opening the first of a series of workshops on the online safety of female journalists, which concluded in Vienna today...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and a similar number in Luhansk region compared with the previous 24 hours. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded tracer rounds inside the Petrivske and a flare inside the Zolote disengagement areas, respectively. Its access remained restricted in the disengagement areas.* The Mission saw 13 howitzers in violation of withdrawal lines in non-government-controlled Novooleksandrivka. An SMM unmanned aerial vehicle spotted mortars and armoured combat vehicles near Myrne, an area outside government control in Luhansk region. The SMM facilitated and monitored repairs and maintenance of essential infrastructure in Krasnyi Lyman, Vesela Hora and Zolote. It visited one non-government-controlled border area.

VIENNA, 26 September 2017 – “I welcome last night's release of Kadri Gürsel after almost a year in prison. The charges against him must also be dropped as a matter of urgency,” OSCE media freedom representative Harlem Désir said today.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region between the evenings of 22 and 23 September compared with the previous reporting period. Between the evenings of 23 and 24 September the Mission recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region compared with the previous 24 hours. In Luhansk region, on 22 September the SMM recorded one ceasefire violation and no other ceasefire violations during the rest of the reporting period. The SMM assessed damage to civilian properties in residential areas in Horlivka and Hranitne, and followed up on an incident at an ammunition depot in Novoianysol. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote, and Petrivske, and recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere. It facilitated the extinguishing of a fire in an area between Katerynivka and Molodizhne. The SMM visited three border areas outside government control.

BERLIN, 25 September 2017 – The 24 September parliamentary elections in Germany were a strong demonstration of the country’s commitment to democratic processes and provided an opportunity for voters to freely express their will, concluded international observers from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly today following their first-ever election observation mission in the country. The efficiency and professionalism of the election administration, as well as a high level of public confidence in the overall integrity of the electoral process, contributed to the conduct of democratic elections.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote, and Petrivske, and recorded ceasefire violations assessed as inside the Petrivske disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere, including in Siedove and Olenivka. The SMM saw multiple launch rocket systems in violation of withdrawal lines near Poltavka. An SMM unmanned aerial vehicle spotted near Myrne, an area outside government control in Luhansk region, a large number of tanks and artillery pieces, as well as other hardware, which appeared to be well-maintained, refurbished and loaded with ammunition. The Mission facilitated and monitored repairs and maintenance of the thermal power plant in Shchastia and water pipelines in Zolote. It continued to monitor the situation of schools and kindergartens near the contact line on both sides. The SMM continued to monitor a gathering in Kyiv....