News and press releases

The SMM continued to observe ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The Mission continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons. The SMM monitored border areas not controlled by the Government. It was restricted in its freedom of movement, including at a heavy weapons holding area and at a border crossing point in an area not controlled by the Government. The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to essential infrastructure. The Mission continued to monitor the situation affecting internally displaced persons. The SMM spoke to organizers of the upcoming Festival of Equality in Lviv...

In Donetsk region, the SMM continued to observe numerous ceasefire violations. It observed no ceasefire violations in Luhansk region. The Mission continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons. It was restricted in its freedom of movement, including at one heavy weapons holding area and at a border crossing point in an area not controlled by the Government.* The SMM continued to monitor the situation of civilians in the vicinity of the contact line...

In Donetsk region, the SMM continued to observe numerous ceasefire violations, while their number decreased in Donetsk city compared to the number in the previous reporting period. The situation remained stable in Luhansk. Repair works to the gas pipeline in Marinka were suspended due to security concerns. The Mission reached border crossing points in areas not controlled by the Government in both Luhansk and Donetsk regions. It was restricted in its freedom of movement, mostly in areas not controlled by the Government, including in border areas...

The SMM observed a sharp increase in ceasefire violations in Donetsk region compared to the previous day. The situation remained stable in Luhansk. The Mission continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons and conducted crater analysis. It continued to facilitate repair work to essential infrastructure. The SMM reached border crossing points in areas not controlled by the Government in both Luhansk and Donetsk regions. It encountered freedom-of-movement restrictions in areas not controlled by the Government, including in border areas.* The SMM observed physical confrontations at a courthouse in Odessa between Right Sector and pro-Maidan activists, and people accused of participating in 2 May 2014 clashes near the Trade Union building.

The SMM observed an increase in ceasefire violations in Donetsk region compared to the previous day. The situation remained stable in Luhansk. The Mission continued to facilitate repair work to essential infrastructure. The SMM monitored training areas on both sides of the contact line. The Mission reached border crossing points in areas not controlled by the Government in both Luhansk and Donetsk regions. It encountered freedom-of-movement restrictions on both sides of the contact line, including in border areas.*

VIENNA, 10 March 2016 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today expressed concern over a sudden decision by the Croatian government proposing that the Parliament rejects a regular report of the Croatian Agency for the Electronic Media, to terminate the Agency's mandate and to dismiss its director...

The SMM observed ceasefire violations in Donetsk region at a level similar to the previous day. The situation remained stable in Luhansk. The Mission continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons. It continued to facilitate demining and repair work to essential infrastructure. The Mission reached border crossing points in areas not controlled by the Government in both Luhansk and Donetsk regions. The SMM encountered freedom-of-movement restrictions.* It monitored demonstrations in support of Nadiya Savchenko in Kramatorsk, Odessa, Kharkiv and Kyiv...