News and press releases

At 14:28 on 22 August, an SMM patrol comprising four SMM staff members and a paramedic in two vehicles was stopped by three armed men at a checkpoint in “DPR”-controlled Lukove (72km south of Donetsk). One of them demanded in a hostile manner to search the SMM vehicles...

The SMM observed an increase in the number of explosions recorded in Donetsk region both on 20 August (over 430) and 21 August (over 540) compared to 19 August. In Luhansk region the SMM recorded more explosions (over 250) on 20 August and fewer explosions on 21 August (over 30) compared to 19 August. On two consecutive days, the Mission heard small-arms fire in close vicinity of its positions – in Novooleksandrivka and Novozvanivka respectively – while conducting mini-UAV flights. The SMM conducted crater analysis and observed the results of shelling on both sides of the contact line, in Marinka, Svitlodarsk, Hranitne, Pervomaiske, Veselohorivka, Komyshuvakha, Petrovskyi district, Yasynuvata, and Stanytsia Luhanska. The SMM monitored long queues at entry-exit checkpoint in Zaitseve/Horlivka and at Stanytsia Luhanska bridge, and facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable demining work and repairs at the bridge. The Mission monitored five border areas not controlled by the Government and continued to observe a calm situation along the administrative boundary line with Crimea. The SMM faced five freedom-of-movement restrictions, all in areas not controlled by the Government...

On 18 August 2016 the Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan Argo Avakov met with the Deputy Head of the Armenian Police Vardan Yeghiazaryan to discuss developments related to the 17 July seizure of the Erebuni police compound in Yerevan and the OSCE Office in Yerevan’s willingness to provide assistance to Armenian authorities and civil society to strengthen trust and co-operation between the police and the public...

An OSCE-supported training seminar on data journalism for some 15 journalists from across Kazakhstan started on 22 August 2016 in Astana...

COPENHAGEN, 21 August 2016 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Christine Muttonen (MP, Austria) issued the following statement in response to an apparent terrorist attack that has killed at least 50 people in Gaziantep, Turkey, Saturday night...

On 20 August at 16:44, as the SMM was landing an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in Novooleksandrivka (65km west of Luhansk) it heard at least five bursts of small-arms fire (possibly AK), from a wooded area approximately 50m to the west. On hearing the gunfire, four monitors operating the UAV, who were standing between the two SMM vehicles (positioned 60m apart), immediately lay flat on the ground and crawled back to the vehicles before rapidly leaving the area (all within a two-minute period). One SMM paramedic remained in one of the vehicles during the incident. No one was injured and no damage was caused to SMM vehicles or the UAV...

The SMM observed a decrease in the number of explosions (366) recorded in Donetsk region compared with the previous day (450). In Luhansk region the SMM recorded nearly eight times fewer explosions (89) compared to the previous day (700). The SMM carried out crater analysis and observed the results of shelling on both sides of the contact line, in Myrne Stanytsia Luhanska, Styla and Horlivka. It continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons. The SMM monitored the situation of civilians travelling across the contact line at Stanytsia Luhanska bridge and facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to essential infrastructure and the hand-over of a body. The Mission monitored four border areas not controlled by the Government and continued to observe a calm situation along the administrative boundary line with Crimea. The SMM faced one freedom-of-movement restriction in an area not controlled by the Government...