News and press releases

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; its access remained restricted there and elsewhere, including in Verkhnoshyrokivske.* It followed up on reports from 2 August of an explosion near non-government controlled Voznesenivka. The Mission saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. It facilitated and monitored repairs to a water pipe in Zolote, the Petrivske pumping station and the Shchastia power plant. It facilitated and monitored mine and unexploded ordnance (UXO) clearance, co-ordinated by the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC), enabling the SMM to pass along the M03 road between Svitlodarsk and Debaltseve. The SMM observed a protest outside the Regional Prosecutor’s office in Lviv.

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 decreased at both BCPs...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, but more explosions in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous 24 hours. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas. The SMM camera in the Zolote disengagement area recorded one ceasefire violation on the night of 5 August, assessed as outside the disengagement area. The Mission’s access remained restricted there and elsewhere. Armed “DPR” members impeded the SMM’s access to areas south and east of Novoazovsk near the border with the Russian Federation not under government control. The Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) was unable to facilitate the demining of the Shchastia bridge where the SMM was again denied access and its unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) again spotted anti-tank mines south of the bridge.* The Mission confirmed reports of civilian casualties in Dachne and followed up on reports of shelling in Zaporozhets. The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs of a water pipeline in Zolote. The Mission visited two border areas not under government control*.

Increasing operational awareness to detect forged documents and imposters is the aim of a three-day advanced training course for specialized police officers organized by the OSCE Secretariat’s Transnational Threats Department with support from the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, which started in Prishtinë/Priština on 8 August 2017...

The last in a series of three OSCE-supported regional roundtable discussions on promoting green technologies with a focus on organic agriculture concluded on 8 August 2017 in Taldykorgan, Kazakhstan...

Fifty young women from all over Tajikistan came together in Bahoriston of Sughd region from 31 July to 4 August 2017 for a summer camp for young women. The camp was organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe...

Between the evenings of 4 and 5 August the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. Between the evenings of 5 and 6 August, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region compared with the previous 24 hours. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote disengagement area. Its access remained restricted there and in “DPR”-controlled Novoazovsk and Verkhnoshyrokivske.* It facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to a water pipe in Zolote. The SMM monitored two border areas not under government control.