News and press releases

VIENNA, 30 August 2017 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media today expressed his concern regarding the practice of detention and expulsion of foreign journalists from Ukraine.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions, however more explosions in Luhansk region, compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM continued monitoring the Zolote and Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement areas and recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote disengagement area. Its access there and elsewhere remained restricted, including in Verkhnoshyrokivske.* The Mission saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines in Stanytsia Luhanska. The SMM observed unexploded ordnance near Staromarivka and in the centre of Pikuzy. It again facilitated and monitored mine and unexploded ordnance clearance, co-ordinated by the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination, enabling the SMM to travel the M03 road between Svitlodarsk and Debaltseve. The Mission continued to facilitate and monitor repairs and maintenance to infrastructure in Shchastia, Popasna and Stanytsia Luhanska. It visited two border areas not under government control in Luhansk region. The SMM monitored a protest in Odessa.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas and recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas.* The SMM observed up to several hundred civilians queuing to walk across the contact line at the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge. The Mission continued to facilitate and monitor repairs and maintenance to infrastructure in Shchastia, Artema, Yashchykove and Zolote.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission followed up further on reports of civilian casualties in Shyrokyi and Sakhanka. It observed damage to residences in Novoluhanske due to shelling. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas and recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote and Petrivske areas. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas – in Petrivske, an armed man required the Mission to end an unmanned aerial vehicle flight – and elsewhere, including in Siedove and Verkhnoshyrokivske.* The SMM observed a mine hazard sign and unexploded ordnance near Nova Marivka. The Mission continued to facilitate and monitor repairs and maintenance to infrastructure in Shchastia and Artema. It monitored a peaceful gathering in Kyiv.

The SMM recorded a similar number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas and recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote disengagement area; its access remained restricted there and elsewhere.* The SMM followed up on reports of civilian casualties in Stanytsia Luhanska and Sakhanka. The Mission facilitated and monitored ongoing repairs to essential infrastructure in Luhansk region.

The SMM recorded a similar number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer ceasefire violations in Luhansk region compared with the previous 24 hours. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote disengagement area. The Mission’s access was restricted in all three disengagement areas.*

Between the evenings of 11 and 12 August the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. Between the evenings of 12 and 13 August the Mission recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region compared with the previous 24 hours. In the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area, an armed man pointed his assault rifle at SMM patrol members and threatened to shoot them.* The Mission followed up on a report of a civilian casualty in Dokuchaievsk; a “DPR” member told the Mission he could not provide detailed information about the incident without the permission of other “DPR” members.*