News and press releases

Compared with the previous 24 hours, the Mission recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Small-arms fire was directed at an SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle near Peredove. The SMM recorded ceasefire violations inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area and observed military hardware inside the Zolote disengagement area. The Mission observed weapons in violation of the withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. It observed electronic jamming systems in Yuzhna-Lomuvatka. The SMM saw for the first time mines and unexploded ordnance near government-controlled Marinka and Krymske and near non-government-controlled Kruta Balka, Ilovaisk, Hirne and Donetsk city’s Petrovskyi district. Restrictions of the SMM’s access continued in all three disengagement areas and elsewhere, including in non-government-controlled Verkhnoshyrokivske and Zaichenko and government-controlled Peredove, as well as near Izvaryne and Sievernyi, areas close to the border with the Russian Federation...

VIENNA, 19 March 2019 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today said that new laws introduced in Russia impose excessive restrictions on speech and information on the Internet, and could further limit media freedom in the country...

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 compared to the previous week...

Banja Luka, 19 March 2019- On the occasion of World Social Work Day, the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and the Association of Social Workers of Republika Srpska supported the Union of Social Work Students and the Faculty of Political Sciences of the Banja Luka University in holding an event today in Banja Luka entitled “Promoting the importance of human relationships”...

Compared with the previous reporting period, between the evenings of 15 and 16 March, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region. Compared with the previous 24 hours, between the evenings of 16 and 17 March, the Mission recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region. The SMM observed fresh damage caused by gunfire to residential buildings in Yasynuvata and Sakhanka. The Mission recorded ceasefire violations inside the Zolote and Petrivske disengagement areas. It saw military personnel inside the Petrivske disengagement area. The SMM observed weapons in violation of the withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. Restrictions of the SMM’s access continued in all three disengagement areas and elsewhere, including in non-government-controlled Zaichenko and near Izvaryne, close to the border with the Russian Federation. In Kyiv, the Mission monitored a public gathering organized by National Corps...

VIENNA, 18 March 2019- The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, today expressed his concern regarding the incident that took place last Saturday in the building of the national public service broadcaster RTS...

Situation analysis at the borders, decision-making processes and implementation of operational plans were the main topics of a three-day training course organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe, which was finalized with a graduation ceremony on 15 March 2019 in Dushanbe...