News and press releases

BRATISLAVA, 5 December 2019 – The humanitarian aspects of the crisis in and around Ukraine were at the centre of discussion at a side event at the 26th OSCE Ministerial Council in Bratislava today.

BRATISLAVA, 5 December 2019- The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovakia Miroslav Lajčák today announced the appointment of Ambassador Heidi Grau of Switzerland as the OSCE Chairperson’s Special Representative in Ukraine and in the Trilateral Contact Group. Ambassador Grau succeeds Ambassador Martin Sajdik, whom the OSCE Chair thanked for his dedication and important work, which included concrete achievements towards the full implementation of the Minsk agreements...

On 5 December at 06:20 (Moscow time), the ninety-second[1] Russian convoy arrived at the Donetsk Border Crossing Point (BCP). A total of ten vehicles were checked by Russian Federation border guards and customs officers prior to their crossing into Ukraine. All ten vehicles had crossed back into the Russian Federation by 12:35 on 5 December...

Summary Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and a similar number in Luhansk region. The SMM observed a team of deminers from non-government-controlled areas on the eastern edge of the Petrivske disengagement area. The Mission

Summary Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region. Inside and near the disengagement area near Petrivske, SMM unmanned aerial vehicles spotted anti-tank mines and repairs to the road north of the area.

KAMENSK-SHAKHTINSKIY, Russian Federation. The Observer Mission (OM) continues to operate 24/7 at both Border Crossing Points (BCPs). The overall number of border crossings by persons decreased at both BCPs compared to the previous week. The ninety-first Russian convoy crossed into Ukraine and returned through the Donetsk BCP...

Summary Compared with the previous 24 hours, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and no ceasefire violations in Luhansk region. Outside the disengagement area near Petrivske, the SMM saw that some anti-tank mines previously laid across a road had been removed and trenches