News and press releases

VIENNA, 1 January 2017- OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Sebastian Kurz and Secretary General Lamberto Zannier today strongly condemned the horrible attack on the Reina nightclub in Istanbul on New Year’s Eve.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission followed up on reports of shelling in Troitske. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas in Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske, but its access was restricted by the continued presence of mines and unexploded ordnance.* The SMM continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons. The Mission monitored the situation of civilians living close to the contact line and the movement of civilians across the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge. The SMM monitored adherence to the ceasefire to facilitate repairs to essential infrastructure in Orikhove, Slovianoserbsk, and Myronivskyi. The SMM monitored three border crossing points currently not controlled by the Government.

The Icelandic authorities and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) signed a memorandum of understanding on 29 December 2016 under which Iceland commits to integrate ODIHR’s tailor-made hate crime training programmes into the existing national curricula for law

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the period between the evenings of 26 and 27 December. The Mission followed up on reports of shelling in Troitske and Zhovte (Luhansk region). The SMM continued monitoring the three disengagement areas in Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske, but its access was restricted by the continued presence of mines and unexploded ordnance.* The SMM continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons. The Mission monitored the situation of civilians living close to the contact line and the freedom of movement of civilians at entry-exit checkpoints. The SMM facilitated and monitored repairs to essential infrastructure in Orikhove, Debaltseve, Maiorsk, and Myronivskyi...

A donation ceremony involving Tajikistan’s State Committee for National Security, Border Troops and Customs Service took place on 27 December 2016 emphasizing successful co-operation between the OSCE Office in Tajikistan and the border agencies in 2016 as well as in commemoration of the 25 anniversary of the Tajik security forces...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more ceasefire violations in Luhansk region compared with the period between the evenings of 25 and 26 December. The SMM continued monitoring the three disengagement areas in Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske, and its access was restricted by the continued presence of mines and unexploded ordnance.* The SMM facilitated and monitored the removal of unexploded ordnance on Stanytsia Luhanska bridge, and repairs to essential infrastructure. The SMM visited a border crossing point currently not under government control in Luhansk region. In Kyiv the SMM observed a newly-erected tent of activists on the Independence Square...

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 increased at both BCPs. The fifty-seventh Russian Convoy of 20 vehicles crossed into Ukraine and returned through the Donetsk Border Crossing Point...