News and press releases

Kamensk-Shakhtinsky, Russian Federation. The Observer Mission (OM) continues to operate 24/7 at both BCPs. The overall cross-border traffic increased at both Border Crossing Points (BCPs) confirming OM’s predicted return of movement into Ukraine. The OM also observed an increase of the number of persons in military-style clothing crossing the border in both directions...

The SMM monitored the implementation of the “Package of measures for the Implementation of the Minsk agreements”. The SMM, based on its monitoring – which was restricted by third parties and by security considerations* – directly observed heavy fighting in and around the Donetsk airport and in the areas to the east of Mariupol. The SMM was granted access to a number of storage sites where Ukrainian Armed Forces heavy weapons are concentrated, following the movements of weapons monitored by the SMM in recent days...

The SMM monitored the implementation of the “Package of measures for the Implementation of the Minsk agreements”. The SMM, based on its monitoring – which was restricted by third parties and by security considerations* – assessed the situation to be calm in the Luhansk region, while fighting in and around the Donetsk airport and east of Mariupol had continued...

BELGRADE, 10 March 2015 – OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Serbia’s Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić today welcomed the beginning of efforts to remove and destroy unexploded ordinance in southeast Ukraine as a good example of co-operation by all sides yielding tangible results and producing visible improvements in the lives of the local population...

ULAANBAATAR, 10 March 2015 – A three-day conference, organized by the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre, on the role of armed and security forces in democratic societies got underway today in the Mongolian capital, bringing together representatives from Central Asia and the OSCE’s Asian Partners for Co-operation...

The SMM monitored the implementation of the “Package of measures for the Implementation of the Minsk agreements”. The SMM, based on its monitoring – which was restricted by third parties and by security considerations* – assessed the situation in the Luhansk region to be calm, but in the Donetsk region the SMM monitored fighting in and around the Donetsk airport and to the east of Mariupol. The SMM also monitored the movements of Ukrainian Armed Forces, “Donetsk People’s Republic” (“DPR”) and “Lugansk People’s Republic” (“LPR”) heavy weapons...

On 9 March 2015, the SMM facilitated the demining of the village of Kominternove (88km south-east of Donetsk) by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Kominternove is located in between territory controlled by the government and areas controlled by “Donetsk People’s Republic” (“DPR”) and as a result has been subject to constant shelling since the beginning of the conflict. Many unexploded tank and mortar shells, rocket-propelled grenades (RPG), 220mm rockets and burned tanks can be found throughout the village, including the yard of a local school and kindergarten. Previously, the SMM had seen children playing near the unexploded ordnance (UXO), and had informed Ukrainian authorities (see SMM Daily Report 29 December)...