News and press releases

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. It continued to face restrictions to its movement in the disengagement areas in Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske.* The SMM’s freedom of movement was further restricted on six occasions. It followed up on reports of civilian casualties. The SMM monitored one border area not controlled by the Government. The SMM facilitated and monitored repair works on both sides of the contact line. The SMM monitored a protest march in Kyiv...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region compared with the previous reporting period. In Luhansk region the SMM noted a similar number of ceasefire violations as in the previous reporting period. The SMM continued to monitor the disengagement areas in Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske, and faced restrictions of its freedom of movement in all three areas.* The Mission followed up on reports of water supply cuts in Luhansk city. It visited one border area currently not under government control. In Kherson region, the SMM monitored the situation on the coast of the Black Sea and at the administrative boundary line between the Ukrainian mainland and Crimea, noting a calm situation...

STOCKHOLM, 2 December 2016 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today expressed concern over the treatment of Canadian photojournalist Edward Ou in October by U.S. Customs and Border Protection authorities in Vancouver...

WARSAW, 2 December 2016 Ahead of tomorrow’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) called on participating States to take concrete steps to create more inclusive societies, free from intolerance and promoting the full and effective participation of persons with disabilities in political and public life...

The SMM recorded a similar number of ceasefire violations as in the previous reporting period in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions, but fewer explosions than during the previous reporting period in each of them. The SMM continued to monitor the disengagement areas in Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske, and faced restrictions of its freedom of movement in all three areas.

VIENNA, 1 December 2016 – Attacks on journalists and impunity for crimes committed against journalists continue to plague media freedom in the OSCE region, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović told the Permanent Council today when she presented her latest semi-annual report on media freedom developments in the OSCE region over the past six months...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region during the reporting period and fewer in Luhansk region, compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM recorded the majority of the ceasefire violations around the Avdiivka-Yasynuvata-Donetsk airport area. The SMM continued to monitor the disengagement areas in Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske, and faced restrictions of its freedom of movement in all three areas.* The SMM camera at the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge recorded at least two ceasefire violations within the disengagement area. The Mission followed up on reports of an accidental civilian casualty in Dokuchaievsk and three non-civilian casualties in Novozvanivka. It continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons and noted weapons in violation of the withdrawal lines in government-controlled areas. The SMM monitored repairs to essential infrastructure providing water to 50,000 people in and around Toretsk...