News and press releases

CHISINAU, 7 September 2018 – The Italian OSCE Chairmanship has appointed Claus Neukirch of Germany as the Head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova. He will also serve as the OSCE mediator in the Transdniestrian Settlement Process.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more ceasefire violations in Luhansk region, compared with the previous reporting period. It followed up on reports of a civilian casualty as a result of an explosion of a heavy-machine-gun round in Shchastia. The Mission recorded ceasefire violations inside the Zolote disengagement area and new military positions inside the Petrivske disengagement area. The SMM’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas as well as at a heavy weapons holding area in a non-government-controlled area of Donetsk region and in Verkhnoshyrokivske.* It observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines including in Buhaivka, Miusynsk and Khrustalnyi. The Mission’s long-range unmanned aerial vehicle spotted a convoy of trucks on a dirt road near the border with the Russian Federation where there are no border crossing facilities in a non-government-controlled area of Donetsk region, in the middle of the night. It continued to monitor the situation at the closed entry-exit checkpoint near Stanytsia Luhanska where it observed construction works and road repairs. The Mission continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station. The SMM also facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to water infrastructure near Zolote, Pervomaisk and Krasnyi Lyman.

An OSCE-supported roundtable discussion on print media sustainability was held from 4 to 5 September in Popova Shapka, Tetovo...

At 10:10 on 5 September, an SMM patrol consisting of six members and two armoured vehicles was positioned at a checkpoint of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on road T1316, approximately 400m from the northern edge of the Zolote disengagement area. Two patrol members were standing next to the vehicles and the others were inside the vehicles with the doors open when they heard seven explosions 150-200m south-south-east. The SMM assessed four of the explosions as outgoing mortar rounds (type undetermined) and the remaining as outgoing rounds of undetermined weapons. The SMM immediately left the area.

MINSK, 5 September 2018 – The Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in Ukraine and in the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG), Ambassador Martin Sajdik, made the following statement to the press after the meeting of the TCG and its Working Groups in Minsk on 5 September 2018:

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission recorded ceasefire violations near the Petrivske disengagement area. The SMM’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas.* It continued to monitor the situation at the closed entry-exit checkpoint near Stanytsia Luhanska where it observed construction works. The Mission continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station. The SMM also facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to water infrastructure near Pervomaisk and Krasnyi Lyman.

PRAGUE, 5 September 2018- Harnessing the opportunities of the digital transition while curbing its negative security implications through human capital development, is the focus of this year’s OSCE Economic and Environmental Forum which opened today in Prague...