News and press releases

On both Saturday and Sunday, the SMM observed more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with 27 May. The Mission followed up on allegations of shelling on both sides of the contact line. It continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons, and noted armoured combat vehicles and newly laid mines in the security zone. The SMM monitored the situation of civilians at checkpoints and observed border areas not controlled by the Government. In Chernivtsi, the SMM monitored a peaceful march to celebrate a Jewish holiday. The Mission’s freedom of movement was restricted on three occasions in areas not controlled by the Government. East of Shyrokyne, near a “DPR” checkpoint, an armed man fired warning shots and pointed his weapon at the SMM, forcing the patrol to leave the area...

VIENNA, 30 May 2016 – Senior representatives of Russian and Ukrainian journalists’ unions today agreed to co-operate on steps to increase journalists’ safety and professionalism as they met again in Vienna. The meeting was hosted by the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović with the purpose of planning further joint activities to improve the situation for media working in and around Ukraine...

OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM) Astrid Thors visited Moldova from 23 to 25 May 2016 to discuss issues including the draft integration strategy developed with HCNM’s assistance to the Bureau for Interethnic Relations, relations between Chisinau and the autonomous territorial

DUSHANBE, 30 May 2016- Some 90 participants, including government officials and civil society representatives, are coming together in Dushanbe today for a meeting organized by the OSCE Office in Tajikistan to discuss human rights issues specific to the country, ahead of the annual OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meeting in Warsaw...

The SMM observed fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and a similar number of ceasefire violations in Luhansk region compared with the previous day. An SMM foot patrol came under small-arms fire near Yasynuvata. The Mission followed up on allegations of shelling between 24 and 26 May near Stanytsia Luhanska and of casualties. It continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons, and noted armoured combat vehicles and anti-aircraft weapons in the security zone. The Mission’s freedom of movement was restricted on six occasions, including when it lost all communication with its long-range unmanned aerial vehicle near Horlivka...

BAKU, 28 May 2016 – Concluding a two-day visit to Azerbaijan today, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Special Representative on the South Caucasus Kristian Vigenin (MP, Bulgaria) reiterated the need for increased parliamentary communication in favour of efforts for a peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict...

On 27 May an SMM foot patrol comprised of ten members (including a paramedic) was near “DPR”-controlled Yasynuvata (16km north-east of Donetsk) to follow up on a reported incident involving a “DPR” member injured by sniper fire. The SMM was accompanied by the Russian Federation Armed Forces Major General at the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) and seven armed “DPR” members. The incident had allegedly occurred during a period for which the SMM jointly with the Ukrainian and Russian Generals at the JCCC had facilitated adherence to the ceasefire, in order to enable “DPR” members to recover the bodies of three armed “DPR” members reportedly killed in action the previous day...