News and press releases

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and a similar number in Luhansk region compared with the previous 24 hours. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; an SMM unmanned aerial vehicle spotted new mines inside and near the Petrivske disengagement area. The SMM’s access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere. The Mission observed weapons in violation of the withdrawal lines near Mariupol. The SMM visited two border areas outside government control. In Dnipro, the SMM followed up on reports of an explosion of an improvised explosive device which injured a woman...

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 compared to the previous week. The seventieth Russian convoy crossed into Ukraine and returned through the Donetsk Border Crossing Point...

Following the recommitment to cease fire, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and a similar number of ceasefire violations in Luhansk region between the evenings of 22 and 23 December compared with the previous reporting period. Between the evenings of 23 and 24 December, the SMM recorded a significant decrease in the number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region compared with the previous 24 hours and no ceasefire violations in Luhansk region. The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions between the evenings of 24 and 25 December compared with the previous 24 hours, but fewer compared with the period between the evenings of 22 and 23 December. The Mission followed up on reports of a civilian injured along the contact line near Berezove and observed damage to residential areas of Pavlopil and Yasynuvata assessed as caused by shelling. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded a ceasefire violation inside the Stanytsia Luhanska area. The SMM’s access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere, including at two “DPR” weapons storage sites. The Mission observed weapons in violation near Poltavka. The SMM visited five border areas beyond government control. In Kyiv, the SMM monitored four gatherings in the city centre...

KYIV, 26 December 2017- The Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in Ukraine and in the Trilateral Contact Group, Ambassador Martin Sajdik, issued today the following statement:...

VIENNA, 25 December 2017- Following the 5th hearing in the Cumhuriyet trial, OSCE media freedom representative Harlem Désir repeated his earlier resolute calls on Turkey to free all journalists in prison and drop charges against them...

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 a civilian casualty in Lysychansk. The SMM observed damage to civilian properties in residential areas of Yasynuvata. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations inside the Petrivske disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in the disengagement areas and elsewhere, including at checkpoints near Verkhnoshyrokivske and Rozdolne.* The Mission saw weapons in violation in Oleksandropil. The SMM observed long queues of civilians at the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge...

VIENNA, 23 December 2017 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today expressed serious dismay that a four-year suspended sentence in the case of the murder of journalist Vyacheslav Veremyi in Kyiv leads to impunity...