News and press releases

Summary The SMM recorded a spike in the number of ceasefire violations in Luhansk region, with the majority (mostly explosions) recorded in areas along the contact line between Popasna, Pervomaisk, Muratove and Krymske, including Zolote, and the disengagement area near it, as well as Hirske. It

A meeting on 17 February 2020 in Podgorica between Zlatko Vujović, chair of the governing board, Centre for Monitoring and Research (CeMI) and Darko Brajović, National Programme Officer, OSCE Mission concluded that both national and international observers have an important role in the electoral process to enhance citizens’ confidence in elections and safeguard transparency.

VIENNA, 19 February 2020 – The first preparatory meeting of the 2020 OSCE Economic and Environmental Forum concluded on 18 February in Vienna. The meeting focused on countering corruption by improving the understanding of how new technologies affect government and economic development, stability and security in the region.

The Arabic language version of the OSCE guidebook on “Understanding the Role of Gender in Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism and Radicalization That Lead to Terrorism (P/CVERLT): Good Practices for Law Enforcement” was launched in Cairo on 17 February 2020. The guidebook, the first of its kind, is the result of a two-year collaborative effort by experts on gender, the security sector and countering violent extremism based on case studies from across the OSCE area. The event was organized jointly by the OSCE and the League of Arab States (LAS).

In the morning of 18 February, from approximately 05:30 to 11:30 hrs, while on patrol in the area of Zolote (government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk) and at its forward patrol bases in Kadiivka (formerly Stakhanov, non-government-controlled, 50km west of Luhansk) and Popasna (government-controlled, 69km west of Luhansk) – and with its cameras – the SMM recorded a marked spike in the number of ceasefire violations in the area, including over 2,300 explosions...

TIRANA / VIENNA, 18 February 2020- OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Prime Minister and Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of Albania, Edi Rama, and OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger expressed their deep concern about reports of heavy fighting near the Zolote disengagement area in eastern Ukraine today. They regretted in particular the reports of casualties. While noting that the fighting there was reported to have stopped, they called for restraint and full respect for the ceasefire, especially after the many recommitments and reaffirmations most recently in the conclusions of the Normandy-format Summit in Paris on 9 December.

Summary Compared with the previous 24 hours, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. The SMM saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both