News and press releases

Ukrainian judges who were trained by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator to apply the European Convention on Human Rights and the case law of the European Court in their decisions, increased their use of these instruments in their work by more than one third. Moreover, eight out of ten justices who never referred to the Convention in their practice started doing so after the training. Between 2014 and 2017, more than 6000 judges participated in training workshops organized by the OSCE in partnership with the National School of Judges.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions between the evenings of 17 and 18 August, compared with the previous reporting period. Between the evenings of 18 and 19 August, the Mission recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more ceasefire violations in Luhansk region, compared with the previous 24 hours. The SMM followed up on reports of recent damage caused by shelling and gunfire in a residential area of Yasynuvata. The Mission observed a ceasefire violation and recently dug trenches inside the Zolote disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas.* The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Kostiantynivka and Krasnohorivka, as well as in Mariupol. The Mission continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station. It facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs of residential houses in Avdiivka and firefighting activity south of the Zolote disengagement area. In Odessa, the SMM observed an “Odessa Pride March”.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, compared with the previous reporting period in Donetsk region. It recorded no ceasefire violations in Luhansk region. The SMM observed fresh impact sites in residential areas of Dokuchaievsk and Holmivskyi. The SMM continued monitoring all three disengagement areas; it saw a man wearing military-style clothing entering the Zolote disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas, as well as at a checkpoint near non-government-controlled Verkhnoshyrokivske.* The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Kostiantynivka and Sopyne. The Mission continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station, as well as repairs and maintenance works to critical water infrastructure in Luhansk region on both sides of the contact line.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM heard explosions and small-arms fire 100-500m from their location in Holmivskyi, including two shots assessed as flying overhead. The SMM recorded ceasefire violations near the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas, as well as in Horlivka and Mykolaivka, and near Kreminets*. The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Ocheretyne, Sopyne and Sofiivka. The Mission continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station, as well as repairs and maintenance works to critical water infrastructure in Luhansk region.

On the morning of 16 August, an SMM patrol consisting of five SMM members and two armoured vehicles was positioned on the north-eastern edge of Holmivskyi (non-government-controlled, 49km north-east of Donetsk).

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region, compared with the previous reporting period. Small-arms fire was assessed as directed at an SMM unmanned aerial vehicle near Berezivske. The SMM observed military positions and a recently extended trench inside the Petrivske disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas, near Starolaspa and Zolote-2/Karbonit, and again near Zaichenko. The SMM observed a weapon in violation of withdrawal lines near Sopyne. The Mission continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station, as well as repairs and maintenance works to critical water infrastructure in Luhansk region.

On 14- 16 August 2018, the OSCE Mobile Training Team delivered an interactive course on identifying foreign terrorist fighters for officers of Turkmenistan’s border and migration services in Ashgabat. The deployment of the Training Team was organized by the Border Security and Management Unit of the OSCE Transnational Threats Department, with the support of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat and in close co-operation with the host country.