News and press releases

The SMM observed more ceasefire violations both in Donetsk and Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM monitored the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske, but its access there and elsewhere remained restricted.

On 11 April an SMM patrol consisting of five monitors and two armoured vehicles was positioned about 2.5km south of government-controlled Staryi Aidar (20km north-west of Luhansk) and about 2km north-west of the contact line.

The SMM observed more ceasefire violations in Donetsk but fewer in Luhansk region compared with the previous 24 hours. The Mission followed up on reports of civilian casualties and damage from gunfire, and shelling in residential areas in Dokuchaievsk, Donetsk city, Khreshchatytske and Donetskyi. The Mission monitored the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske, but its access there and elsewhere remained restricted.

On 2 April, an SMM patrol composed of six members and two armoured vehicles was stationary (since 12:25) 50 metres west of the main Tsentralna street on the northern edge of “DPR”-controlled Sakhanka (24km north-east of Mariupol), in the parking lot of an uninhabited building. Three patrol members were outside the vehicles, and three were inside.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission followed up on reports of civilian casualties in Yasynuvata and damage to houses and other civilian infrastructure from shelling and gunfire in Yasynuvata, Irmino, Sentianivka, Kadiivka, Molodizhne and Novooleksandrivka. The Mission monitored the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske, but its access there and elsewhere remained restricted

The SMM recorded a similar overall number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions as in the previous reporting period, but twice as many explosions in Luhansk region than in the previous period, most in areas west of Kadiivka. The Mission followed up on civilian casualties in Avdiivka, Bakhmut and Horlivka, and observed damage to civilian property in Lobacheve, Stanytsia Luhanska bridge and Pavlopil. The Mission monitored the disengagement areas in Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske, but its access remained restricted.* The SMM camera recorded ceasefire violations inside the Stanytsia Luhanska area. The Mission observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines and missing from storage sites. It visited two border areas currently not under government control. The Mission continued to monitor the blockade of routes crossing the contact line and monitored demonstrations in support of the blockade. It monitored continuation of a protest outside a bank office in Kyiv and followed up on a similar protest in Dnipro.

VIENNA, 15 March 2017 – OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz today again adamantly called on all parties to the crisis in and around Ukraine to comply with their commitments and to actively support the work of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), against the backdrop of the latest escalation of risks for its staff and assets.