News and press releases

The SMM recorded a sharp increase in ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer ceasefire violations in Luhansk region, compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission observed damage as a result of shelling in Loskutivka. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske and recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote and inside the Petrivske disengagement areas. Its access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere, including in Dovhe and near Izvaryne in Luhansk region, at the border with the Russian Federation.*

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission observed a fresh impact site on the eastern edge of Popasna. 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, including near Voznesenivka in Luhansk region, at the border with the Russian Federation*.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. It recorded ceasefire violations inside the Petrivske disengagement area and its access remained restricted there and elsewhere, including at a border area near Izvaryne (near the border with the Russian Federation)*. The SMM continued to facilitate access to the Donetsk Filtration Station for Voda Donbassa employees and heard ceasefire violations in the area, despite security guarantees. The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to high-voltage power lines near Yuzhna-Lomuvatka, Almazna and Veselohorivka, and to the Petrivske pumping station near Artema.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions between the evenings of 4 and 5 May compared with the previous reporting period. Between the evenings of 5 and 6 May, it recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer ceasefire violations in Luhansk region compared with the previous 24 hours. The SMM observed the impact of a projectile at the entry-exit checkpoint in Pyshchevyk.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region, compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations inside the Petrivske disengagement area. The SMM’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas and elsewhere, including near Shevchenko, Debaltseve and Kreminets. The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. The SMM continued to facilitate access to the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS) for Voda Donbassa water company employees; it heard ceasefire violations in the area despite security guarantees. It also continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to high-voltage power lines near Yuzhna-Lomuvatka. The SMM visited two border areas not under government control. It also continued to monitor the situation in Balakliia and monitored a gathering in Uzhhorod.

MINSK, 4 May 2018 – The Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in Ukraine and in the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG), Ambassador Martin Sajdik, made the following statement to the press after the meeting of the TCG and its Working Groups in Minsk on 4 May 2018:

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region, compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM followed up on reports of a civilian casualty in Bakhmut. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. The SMM’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas and elsewhere, including at one of the four crossing points visited at the border with the Russian Federation in non-government-controlled areas. The SMM observed a weapon in violation of withdrawal lines in Pobeda. The SMM continued to facilitate access to the Donetsk Filtration Station for Voda Donbassa water company employees to keep the station functioning; it heard ceasefire violations in the area despite security guarantees. It also continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to high-voltage power lines near Yuzhna-Lomuvatka and to the Petrivske pumping station. In Balakliia, the Mission followed up on reports of explosions at an ammunition storage depot. In Vinnytsia, the SMM monitored a gathering of internally displaced persons.