News and press releases

The SMM observed a similar level of violence in Donetsk region and recorded slightly fewer ceasefire violations in Luhansk region compared to the previous day. The SMM conducted crater analysis in Stanytsia Luhanska. It continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons and noted numerous armoured combat vehicles, as well as anti-aircraft weapons in the security zone. The Mission followed up on reports of casualties from a landmine incident in Pavlopil. It also monitored a protest in Lviv region. The Mission’s freedom of movement was restricted on three occasions exclusively in areas not controlled by the Government...

ST. PETERSBURG, 20 May 2016 – Addressing the plenary session of the Interparliamentary Assembly of the Commonwealth of Independent States (IPA CIS) in St. Petersburg today, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Ilkka Kanerva (MP, Finland) stressed the importance of building bridges between nations and between international inter-parliamentary organizations, welcoming the focus of the IPA CIS session on economic and environmental challenges...

The SMM observed an increased level of violence in Donetsk region and similar levels in Luhansk region compared to the previous day. The Mission continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons and visited border areas not controlled by the Government. It followed up on reports of shelling in Krasnohorivka, and on reports of casualties due to an anti-tank mine explosion near Pavlopil. The SMM also monitored a protest by internally displaced persons in Odessa, and peaceful commemorations of the 1944 deportation of the Crimean Tatars in Kherson region and Kyiv city. The Mission’s freedom of movement was restricted on two occasions...

The SMM observed a relatively low level of violence in Donbas. The Mission continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons and visited a border area not controlled by the Government. The SMM noted long queues at checkpoints and monitored the situation affecting civilians living near the contact line. It followed up on reports of shelling in “DPR”-controlled Dokuchaievsk and on reports of casualties due to an explosion in Donetsk city. The SMM also monitored the situation of IDPs. The Mission’s freedom of movement was restricted on three occasions...

The SMM observed a relatively low level of violence in Donbas. The Mission observed the presence of hardware in the security zone. It monitored the situation of civilians at checkpoints near the contact line. The SMM visited border areas not controlled by the Government. The Mission’s freedom of movement was restricted on three occasions on both sides of the contact line....*

VIENNA, 17 May 2016- The recent attack against Petar Panjkota, reporter with RTL television, in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina, is unacceptable and must be fully investigated, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović said today...

The SMM observed a slightly higher level of violence in Donetsk region both on 14 and 15 May as compared to the previous two days and recorded a low number of ceasefire violations in Luhansk region on 14 May and none on 15 May. The Mission observed the presence of weapons and hardware in the security zone. It noted the presence of mines and unexploded ordnance. The SMM monitored the situation affecting civilians near the contact line and at checkpoints on both sides of the contact line. It visited border areas both in government- and non-government-controlled areas. The Mission’s freedom of movement was restricted on three occasions on both sides of the contact line...*