News and press releases

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...

The OSCE Mission in Kosovo released today the third edition of its Justice Monitor, a publication presenting qualitative performance indicators for first instance courts in Kosovo...

The SMM recorded fewer, but still a high number, of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region from the evenings of 22 to 23 December compared with the previous reporting period, including 1,150 explosions, mainly in the Svitlodarsk-Debaltseve area. The SMM evacuated its forward patrol base in government-controlled Svitlodarsk on 24 December due to the proximity of shelling on the evening of 23 December. While the SMM recorded a high number of explosions west of Horlivka on the night of 23 December, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations after a renewed commitment to the ceasefire starting on 24 December. The SMM returned to its forward patrol base in Svitlodarsk on 26 December...

The final report by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on the 18 September 2016 State Duma elections in the Russian Federation recommends that national legislation concerning the freedoms of association, assembly and expression be aligned with international