News and press releases

On 2 February 2018 at 13:00, an SMM patrol consisting of six SMM members and two armoured vehicles was positioned at an abandoned gas station on road M04 about 2.5km south-west of “DPR”-controlled Yasynuvata (16km north-east of Donetsk), about 2km east of the contact line. Between 13:00 and 13:50, the SMM recorded five undetermined explosions, 11 shots of infantry fighting vehicle (BMP-2) cannon (30mm) fire and 34 bursts and shots of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all 1-2km west. Between 13:50 and 14:08, the SMM heard uncountable overlapping bursts and shots of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire 1-2km west. At 14:08, five SMM members were standing in between the SMM’s armoured vehicles when they heard the hissing sound of three bullets flying west to east over their heads and saw one of the bullets land 10-15m east of the SMM. The SMM patrol immediately left the area and returned safely to its base in Donetsk city at 14:55.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it observed ceasefire violations near the Zolote disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere, including in Siedove near the border with the Russian Federation, in Donske and near Kreminets.* The SMM followed up on reports of an explosion in Donetsk city centre. The Mission visited two border areas not under government control. In Kyiv, the SMM observed four gatherings.

The SMM recorded fewer 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. Its access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere, including in Horlivka and near Kreminets.* The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Mykolaivka. The Mission continued to facilitate and monitor repair works to water wells near Krasnyi Lyman and Artema. The SMM visited two border areas not under government control. In Odessa, the SMM observed an event commemorating the Holocaust; in Kyiv, the SMM observed a protest of retired law enforcement personnel...

MINSK, 31 January 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 31 January 2018...

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 near all three. Its access remained restricted in the disengagement areas and elsewhere, including in Donske. The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Vidrodzhennia and Bakhmut. The Mission continued to facilitate and monitor repair works to water wells near Krasnyi Lyman. The SMM visited two border areas not under government control. In Chernivtsi, the SMM observed an event commemorating the battle of Kruty...

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 seventy-first Russian convoy crossed into Ukraine and returned though the Donetsk BCP...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region compared with the previous 24 hours. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations inside the Petrivske disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere, including to two compounds in Luhansk city. The SMM observed weapons in violations of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. The SMM facilitated and monitored repair works to a water pumping station near Artema. The Mission visited four border areas not under government control. In Kyiv, the SMM monitored a gathering in the city centre and it continued to monitor the gathering outside the Parliament building. In Ivano-Frankivsk, Odessa, Kharkiv and Dnipro, the SMM observed events commemorating the battle of Kruty...