News and press releases

Following an SMM-facilitated, three-day period of relative calm, at 18.35hrs on 11 April, the SMM – positioned on the eastern outskirts of government-controlled Berdianske (2km west of “Donetsk People’s Republic” (“DPR”)-controlled Shyrokyne) – heard a tank round being fired. It assessed it to have been fired from government-controlled territory approximately 500 metres from its position, and to have impacted in or around Shyrokyne.

The SMM monitored the implementation of the “Package of measures for the Implementation of the Minsk agreements”. Its monitoring was restricted by third parties and by security considerations*. The situation around Donetsk airport and Shyrokyne remained tense. The SMM observed several demonstrations in Luhansk city, Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odessa and Ivano-Frankivsk.

VIENNA, 7 April 2015 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today welcomed new legislation to foster the development of public broadcasting in Ukraine...

This report is for the media and general public The SMM monitored the implementation of the “Package of measures for the Implementation of the Minsk agreements”. The SMM, based on its monitoring – which was restricted by third parties and by security considerations* – observed that fighting continued in areas around the Donetsk airport. The SMM monitored the situation around Shyrokyne and did not observe any weapons being fired, expect small arms fire directed at an unidentified UAV. The SMM monitored one heavy weapons holding area belonging to the “Lugansk People’s Republic” (“LPR”), and four to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

KYIV, 4 April 2015 – Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine Ambassador Ertugrul Apakan today wished people across Ukraine a safe, peaceful and joyous Easter holiday season and urged all sides to ensure a lasting ceasefire...

VIENNA, 1 April 2015 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today said that media pluralism and access to information in Crimea, Ukraine, have been limited even further, following the end of the imposed re-registration period for all media outlets by 1 April 2015...

OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Astrid Thors and the Ukrainian authorities discussed their concerns about human rights violations in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Ukraine, during Thors’ visit to Kyiv and Kharkiv from 16 to 20 March 2015. Thors has been concerned about reports of