News and press releases

Five Ukrainian regional newspapers were selected on 23 August 2016 to benefit from assistance in their transformation from the state-funded to independent media outlets as part of a project implemented by OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine at the request of the State Committee on Television and Radio Broadcasting...

VIENNA, 26 August 2016- A two-week workshop focusing on modern security challenges and border management concluded today at the Federal Academy of Finance of Austria...

KYIV, 26 August 2016 – Challenges such as the lack of employment and inadequate housing that face both internally displaced persons (IDPs) and the host communities in which they live could be major potential triggers for strained relations between the two and lead to secondary displacement, says a new report issued today by the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM)...

The SMM recorded more explosions in Donetsk region on 25 August (at least 543) compared with 24 August (over 350). In Luhansk region the SMM recorded a similar number of explosions compared with the previous day. It conducted crater analysis in Molodizhne, Petrovskyi district and Hannivka. The Mission facilitated repairs to essential infrastructure in Obozne and Shchastia. The SMM monitored three border areas not controlled by the Government.* It faced two freedom-of-movement restrictions in areas not controlled by the Government. The Mission observed a calm situation along the administrative boundary line with Crimea. The SMM also followed up on reports of an explosion at an administrative building in Bila Tserkva...

DUSHANBE, 26 August 2016- A five-day OSCE-supported workshop for twenty border officials from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan on best practices in border surveillance concluded today at the OSCE Border Management Staff College in Dushanbe...

Understanding how to counter hate crime, exchanging experiences and identifying avenues of co-operation were at the centre of a two-day workshop organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in Warsaw.

The SMM observed a significant decrease in the number of explosions recorded in Donetsk region on 23 August (approximately 170) compared with 22 August (531), although the number of recorded explosions doubled on 24 August (over 350) compared with the previous day. In Luhansk region the SMM recorded twice as many explosions on 23 August (over 140) and thrice as many explosions on 24 August (over 200) compared with 22 August (60). The Mission observed ceasefire violations involving proscribed weapons in close proximity of its positions in Yasynuvata and Stanytsia Luhanska. The SMM conducted crater analysis and observed the results of shelling on both sides of the contact line, in Popasna, Hranitne, Solodke, Petrovskyi district, Novooleksandrivka, Stanytsia Luhanska, Avdiivka, Krasnohorivka, and Krymske. The SMM faced four freedom-of-movement restrictions, all but one in areas not controlled by the Government. The Mission continued to observe a calm situation along the administrative boundary line with Crimea. The SMM also monitored celebrations marking Independence Day which were held on 24 August...