News and press releases

The OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, Lamberto Zannier, visited Ukraine from 11 to 14 September 2018, as a follow-up to his previous visits to Kyiv in December 2017 and the Zakarpattia region in February 2018. During the meetings with the Government and the Verkhovna Rada in Kyiv...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote and Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement areas. It observed multiple launch rocket systems in violation of agreed withdrawal lines near Khrustalnyi. The Mission’s access remained restricted in the disengagement areas, as well as again near Verkhnoshyrokivske.* The SMM continued to facilitate the process of restarting operations at the Donetsk Filtration Station, following a power outage. The SMM continued to monitor repairs and maintenance work to water infrastructure in Stanytsia Luhanska and near Zolote, Artema and Krasnyi Lyman. In Kyiv, the SMM monitored a trial hearing of five former “Berkut” members accused of murder related to events at Maidan in 2014.

The 10th annual OSCE regional workshop on explosive hazards reduction and response in Central Asia concluded in Astana on 13 September 2018. This year, the event focused on the emerging threat posed by Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and best practices in countering them...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region, compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote disengagement area. In the Petrivske disengagement area, the SMM spotted two soldiers and an infantry fighting vehicle of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Its access remained restricted in the disengagement areas, near Leonove near the border with the Russian Federation, in an area of Luhansk region beyond government control, as well as, again, near Verkhnoshyrokivske and Zaichenko.* The Mission monitored electrical repairs near the Donetsk Filtration Station and continued to monitor repairs to water infrastructure in Stanytsia Luhanska. The SMM continued to monitor the situation south-east of Kherson following reports of hazardous air pollution.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region compared with the previous 24 hours. The SMM recorded ceasefire violations inside the Petrivske and Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement areas, and noted that trenches in the Petrivske disengagement area had been recently extended. The Mission’s access remained restricted in the disengagement areas as well as, again, near Verkhnoshyrokivske, and near Izvaryne on the border with the Russian Federation.* The SMM continued to monitor repairs to water infrastructure in Stanytsia Luhanska and Pervomaisk.

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 SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region between the evenings of 7 and 8 September, compared with the previous reporting period. Between the evenings of 8 and 9 September, the Mission recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and fewer in Luhansk region, compared with the previous 24 hours. The SMM followed up on reports of fresh damage caused by gunfire in a residential area of Maiorsk. The Mission observed that the entry-exit checkpoint near Stanytsia Luhanska re-opened following construction and repair works and civilians have resumed crossing. The SMM saw multiple launch rocket systems in violation of withdrawal lines near Khrustalnyi. It saw, for the first time, a mine and a hand grenade near Verkhnoshyrokivske. The SMM recorded ceasefire violations inside and near the Zolote disengagement area and near the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. The Mission’s access remained restricted in the disengagement areas as well as near Verkhnoshyrokivske, Yuzhna-Lomuvatka and Khrustalnyi.* The Mission continued to monitor the situation around the Donetsk Filtration Station, which has been non-operational since 6 September due to a power outage. In Lviv, the SMM monitored a public gathering outside the regional court of appeals. The SMM continued to follow up on reports of hazardous air pollution south-east of Kherson that had reportedly originated from a nearby chemical plant.