News and press releases

Between the evenings of 10 and 11 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 11 and 12 August, the SMM again recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region compared with the previous 24 hours. The SMM observed the bodies of two men, one who appeared to be deceased, at separate checkpoints near the contact line. The SMM observed an armed man inside the Zolote disengagement area and ordnance disposal activity in the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas and again near Zaichenko, Bezimenne and Novoazovsk, near the border with the Russian Federation.* The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. It also observed hundreds of crates of ammunition and rockets at a compound in Khrustalnyi. The Mission continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station as well as repairs and maintenance works to critical water infrastructure in Obozne.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer violations in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM followed up on three civilian casualties from unexploded ordnance near Hranitne and Horlivka. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske and observed new firing positions and a freshly dug trench inside the Zolote disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas as well as near Oleksandrivske, Starolaspa, Bezimenne and Siedove, and again in Zaichenko. The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Vershyna, Zolote-3/Stakhanovets and Donetskyi. The Mission continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station, including through monitoring the security situation around the station, as well as repairs and maintenance works to critical civilian infrastructure near Zalizne, Popasna and Artema. In Luhansk city, the SMM observed over 100 large boxes being offloaded from trucks labelled “Humanitarian Aid from the Russian Federation”. In Kyiv, the SMM monitored a procession organized by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of up to 70,000 people to commemorate the adoption of Christianity.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region compared with the previous reporting period and a similar number of ceasefire violations in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske and recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas as well as, again, in Zaichenko in southern Donetsk region and at a border crossing point near Izvaryne, near the border with the Russian Federation.*

VIENNA, 19 July 2018- The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, today expressed his great concern in a letter to Ukrainian authorities following the recent detention and extradition of a journalist to Turkey.

This report is for the media and the general public. The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission followed up on reports that a 14-year-old boy had been injured by the explosion of an object, which he had picked up in Zlatoustivka. It also followed up on reports of recent damage caused by shelling in a residential area of Zolote-4/Rodina. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations near the Stanytsia Luhanska and Zolote disengagement areas and again observed military presence inside the Zolote disengagement area. The SMM’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas, as well as near Markyne, Nova Marivka and Bezimenne.* The Mission observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. The SMM continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station, including through monitoring the security situation around the station, as well as repairs and maintenance works to other essential civilian infrastructure near Zalizne, Artema, Novotoshkivske and Raivka...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region, compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded a ceasefire violation near the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area and continued to observe military presence inside the Zolote and Petrivske disengagement areas. The SMM’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas and was restricted near Starolaspa in Donetsk region and at a military-type compound in Luhansk region. The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Kreminna, Krasnorichenske and Chervonopopivka. The Mission continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station, including through monitoring the security situation around the station, as well as repairs and maintenance works to other essential civilian infrastructure near Artema, Novotoshkivske, Novoselivka, Stanytsia Luhanska and Bolotene. In Kyiv, the SMM observed a public gathering.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region between the evenings of 6 and 7 July, compared with the previous reporting period. Between the evenings of 7 and 8 July the Mission 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 saw a recent trench inside the Zolote disengagement area. The SMM’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas. It was also restricted in Zaichenko, Starolaspa and Olenivka, as well as at a permanent storage site in a non-government-controlled area of Donetsk region and a heavy weapons holding area in a government-controlled area of Donetsk region. The Mission observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. The SMM continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station, including through monitoring the security situation around the station. The Mission monitored the transfer of mortal remains from government-controlled to non-government-controlled areas of Luhansk region. It also monitored gatherings in Kherson and Odessa.