News and press releases

The SMM observed a reduced number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region compared with previous days. In Luhansk, all ceasefire violations observed were assessed to be part of training. The Mission continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons. It facilitated and monitored repairs to essential infrastructure on both sides of the contact line in Luhansk region. The SMM encountered freedom of movement restrictions, all in areas not under government control*. The SMM observed a protest outside a TV station in Kyiv. The SMM facilitated dialogue between Church representatives in Ivano-Frankivsk region...

Lessons learned and recommendations for further reforms in policy, legislation and practice developed over the course of a project to promote the security of religious communities in Ukraine were the focus of an event organized by the OSCE Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in Kyiv on 25 and 26 February 2016.

VIENNA, 25 February 2016 – Nearly 300 lawmakers from Europe, Asia and North America, including four speakers of parliament, assembled today in Vienna for the opening of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s 2016 Winter Meeting, its first major convocation of the year...

The SMM observed a higher number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk than the previous day, and mostly training-related ones in Luhansk region. It continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons. The Mission facilitated and monitored repair works on both sides of the contact line. The SMM encountered freedom-of-movement restrictions, all in Donetsk region.* The SMM noted long queues at crossing points on the contact line. It monitored public gatherings in Kyiv and Odessa...

The SMM observed a lower number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk than the previous day, and four training-related violations in Luhansk. It continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons. The Mission facilitated and monitored repair works on both sides of the contact line. The SMM encountered freedom-of-movement restrictions, the majority south of Donetsk city. The SMM noted long queues along the line of contact. It observed public gatherings in Kyiv and Chernivtsi...

NEW YORK, 24 February 2016 – Delivering the Annual Harriman Lecture at Columbia University, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović emphasized the importance of OSCE’s comprehensive and multi-dimensional concept of security. Mijatović said freedom of expression and free media constitute two imperative tools in fostering a meaningful debate on security issues and effectively addressing new security challenges...

Kamensk-Shakhtinskiy, Russian Federation. The Observer Mission (OM) continues to operate 24/7 at both Border Crossing Points (BCP). The overall cross-border traffic increased at both BCPs. A forty-eighth Russian Convoy crossed at the Donetsk BCP...