News and press releases

A two-week regional course for military officers from Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan on pre-deployment for peacekeeping operations concluded on 6 April 2017 in Almaty, Kazakhstan...

The SMM observed more ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous 24 hours, despite a recommitment to the ceasefire on 1 April. The Mission followed up on two reports of civilian casualties in Troitske and Verkhnotoretsk. The Mission monitored the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske, but its access there and elsewhere remained restricted.* It continued to observe weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. The SMM facilitated and observed demining activity as well as the restoration of operations at the Donetsk Water Filtration Station. The Mission monitored a border area currently not under government control. The SMM noted no changes and a calm situation at the blockade sites near Hirske and Buhas. Shots were fired near an SMM mid-range unmanned aerial vehicle on the outskirts of Luhansk city. The SMM followed up on a recent incident when a hand grenade was reportedly detonated in a café in Dnipro. In Balakliia, the SMM saw repair work underway and that a local school resumed operations following explosions at the ammunitions depot...

Strengthening the preparedness of NGO staff working in regions where they face a high risk of becoming a target of kidnapping for ransom is the focus of a three-day training course organized by the Transnational Threats Department of the OSCE Secretariat from 4 to 6 April 2017 in co-operation with the Spanish Guardia Civil’s Centre of Excellence for Special Training (CAE) in Logroño...

VIENNA, 6 April 2017 – The mandate of the OSCE Observer Mission at the Russian Checkpoints Gukovo and Donetsk was extended by three months to 31 July 2017 following a consensus decision today by participating States at the OSCE Permanent Council...

The OSCE points of contact network to strengthen risk analysis and information exchange between the OSCE’s participating States and Mediterranean Partners in the area of border security and management was launched at a roundtable event organized by the OSCE in Madrid from 4 to 6 April 2017 in co-operation with the Spanish National Police...

On the occasion of International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, Tajikistan’s National Mine Action Centre organized on 4 April 2017 an event bringing together government officials, international and national state organizations and NGOs engaged in humanitarian mine action as well donor community representatives in Tajikistan...

Around 14:00 of 5 April, the SMM observed, in violation of the respective withdrawal line, heavy weapons moving in the vicinity of an aerodrome in Luhansk – 1.2km north of the road M04. (For example, at 14:47, the SMM observed one multiple-launch rocket system (MLRS) (BM-21 Grad, 122 mm) heading south-east on the road M04)...