News and press releases

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. Small arms were again fired near an SMM patrol and towards an SMM unmanned aerial vehicle near Kostiantynivka. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations near the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere, including at the Chervona Mohyla railway station near Voznesenivka and, as has been the case in previous days, at three crossing points at the border with the Russian Federation in areas outside government control out of five visited by the SMM.* The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Zoria. The Mission continued to facilitate and monitor repairs and maintenance of essential infrastructure near Berezove, Orlivske, Artema, Novotoshkivske and Yashchykove. The SMM monitored gatherings in Odessa and Ivano-Frankivsk on the occasion of the fourth anniversary of events at Maidan...

On 22 February 2018 at 06:47 (Moscow time), the seventy-second Russian convoy arrived at the Donetsk Border Crossing Point (BCP). A total of 16 vehicles were checked by the Russian border guards and customs services prior to their crossing into Ukraine. All 16 vehicles had crossed back into the Russian Federation by 15:23 on 22 February...

A two-day workshop on how to establish an Advance Passenger Information (API) system for preventing the movement of foreign terrorist fighters and enhancing aviation security concluded on 22 February 2018 in Prishtinë/Priština. Representatives from all Kosovo agencies involved in passenger processing – 45 in total – as well as police and customs officials and members of the civil aviation authority, the Data Protection Agency and the Internal Affairs Ministry took part...

Transparency International published the results of its Corruption Perceptions Index 2017 on 22 February 2018, ranking Albania the 91st among 180 countries and territories included in the index, a drop of eight places since 2016. Albania scored 38 out of 100 points...

CHISINAU, 22 February 2018 – Alfredo Conte, Adviser to the Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the Transdniestrian Settlement Process, concluded a three-day visit to Moldova today. He met with the leadership in Chisinau and Tiraspol, the authorities in the Autonomous Territorial Unit (ATU) of Gagauzia and the resident Ambassadors of the 5+2 Mediators and Observers. His meetings set the stage for an upcoming visit to Moldova by the Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the Transdniestrian Settlement Process, Franco Frattini.

The OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe donated winter clothing, table games, sports equipment as well as a refrigerator and a professional oven to the Reception Referral Centre for Minors on 21 February 2018 in Dushanbe.

The OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe held a ceremony to mark its donation of humanitarian demining equipment to Tajikistan’s Ministry of Defence and the National Mine Action Centre on 20 February 2018.