News and press releases

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region compared with the previous 24 hours. The Mission observed fresh impact sites in Novotroitske. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas; it recorded ceasefire violations in the Zolote disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in the three areas and elsewhere, including in Horlivka.* The Mission observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines in Kalmiuske. It facilitated ongoing repairs to a water pumping station in Artema. The Mission monitored the situation of civilians at entry-exit checkpoints in Horlivka, where it saw long queues, and in Pyshchevyk. The SMM visited a border area not under government control in Luhansk region. In Kherson region the Mission noted a calm situation near Chaplynka and Kalanchak...

Ten border officers from the Afghan Border Police and ten Tajik Border Troops completed a three-week training of trainers course on 26 July 2017. The course was organized under the Patrol Programming and Leadership project of the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe...

An OSCE-supported regular meeting of the Shu-Talas Water Basin Council, followed by a training seminar on climate change adaptation measures, took place on 26 July 2017 in Taraz, southern Kazakhstan...

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...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and a similar number of ceasefire violations in Luhansk region compared with the previous 24 hours. The Mission followed up on reports of civilian casualties in Yasynuvata and in Marinka. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas; it recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote disengagement area. Its access remained restricted there and elsewhere, including in Novotoshkivske, Slovianoserbsk and Debaltseve.* The Mission observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Bakhmut and Luhanske. Its unmanned aerial vehicle spotted the presence of 64 anti-tank mines along road M03 between Debaltseve and Svitlodarsk where the SMM had facilitated and monitored mine and unexploded ordnance clearance on 19 July. The Mission facilitated and monitored the completion of repairs to pylons near the Donetsk Filtration Station. In Odessa city the SMM followed up on a car explosion incident...

Between the evenings of 21 and 22 July the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region, compared with the previous reporting period. Between the evenings of 22 and 23 July the Mission recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region compared with the previous 24 hours. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas; it recorded ceasefire violations in the Zolote disengagement area. Its access remained restricted there and elsewhere, including in Staromykhailivka and again in Novoazovsk, where military-type vehicles were seen travelling from the Novoazovsk area towards the border with the Russian Federation and vice versa. The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. It continued to observe fresh craters and recent excavations in the area of Kruta Balka and in Olenivka. The SMM visited four border areas not under government control in Luhansk and Donetsk regions. The Mission monitored a strike at a coal mine in Pryvillia and a public gathering near Kharkiv...

WARSAW, 24 July 2017- Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, welcomed today’s announcement by Polish President Andrzej Duda that further, broader consultation was necessary on two draft laws on the judiciary passed by the parliament last week...