News and press releases

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas; it recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote disengagement area. Its access remained restricted there and elsewhere*, including at Verkhnoshyrokivske, where armed “DPR” members impeded the SMM’s access to areas east of Mariupol for a seventh consecutive day. SMM personnel and civilian contractors installing an SMM camera at the Donetsk Filtration Station were forced to take shelter when small-arms fire erupted nearby, despite written security guarantees provided by the sides. The Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to infrastructure, including a water pipeline, a pumping station and a power plant in Luhansk region. At a government-controlled checkpoint near Popasna, the SMM observed a mortar explosion 500m from its position; no injuries or damage were reported. The SMM monitored two border areas not under government control...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske and noted a calm situation. Its access remained restricted there and elsewhere, including at Verkhnoshyrokivske where armed “DPR” members impeded the SMM’s access to areas east of Mariupol for a sixth consecutive day. It facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs at the power plant in Shchastia and at the Petrivske water pumping station in Artema. The SMM monitored one border area not under government control...

VIENNA, 3 August 2017 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today expressed his concern in a letter to the Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs regarding the decision by the Ministry of Defence to file a complaint against journalist Tomasz Piątek. The Defence Ministry claims that Piątek may have committed a criminal offence in publishing his new book, Macierewicz and His Secrets...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, but fewer explosions in Donetsk region and fewer ceasefire violations in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas. The SMM cameras recorded ceasefire violations between 2km and 10km east and east-north-east and west of the Zolote and Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement areas respectively, all assessed as outside the disengagement areas. Its access remained restricted there and elsewhere. Armed “DPR” members impeded the SMM’s access to areas east of Mariupol for a fifth consecutive day in Verkhnoshyrokivske. For more than seven hours “DPR” members held the SMM and its monitoring equipment at checkpoints near non-government-controlled Olenivka and prevented it from leaving.* The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs of infrastructure in Shchastia, Zolote and Artema. The Mission visited one border area not under government control...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region compared with the previous 24 hours. The Mission followed up on reports of damage to civilian properties caused by shelling and gunfire in Yasne. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas. The SMM camera recorded one explosion inside the Zolote disengagement area. Its access remained restricted there and elsewhere, including again in Verkhnoshyrokivske (twice).* The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs of infrastructure in Shchastia and Artema. The Mission visited two border areas not under government control...

Between the evenings of 28 and 29 July the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. Between the evenings of 29 and 30 July, the SMM 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. The SMM recorded ceasefire violations inside and near the Zolote disengagement area. Its access there and elsewhere remained restricted, including for the third consecutive day in Verkhnoshyrokivske.* The Mission saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines in the south-western area of Donetsk city, in Avdiivka and near Miusynsk. The SMM followed up and confirmed reports of civilian casualties in Marinka, Khrustalnyi and Staromykhailivka; in the latter it also observed damage to a house caused by gunfire. The SMM continued to observe the presence of mines and unexploded ordnance. The Mission visited three border areas not under government control...

The SMM recorded a similar number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer ceasefire violations in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas. Its access there and elsewhere remained restricted, including by mines on road M03.*