News and press releases

KYIV, 7 April 2016 – Ertugrul Apakan, Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), expressed concern today regarding the highest level of ceasefire violations in the Donetsk region since the sides recommitted to the ceasefire in September 2015. He noted as particularly troubling the extremely high number of incidents involving the use of heavy weapons and mortars...

The SMM observed a slightly lower number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region. In Luhansk region the situation remained relatively calm, with a low number of ceasefire violations recorded. The Mission continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons, and facilitate and monitor repair works on the water supply system in Slovianoserbsk. The SMM followed up on a report of shelling in Kominternove. The Mission visited two border crossing points in areas not controlled by the Government. It encountered freedom of movement restrictions on both sides of the contact line*...

SLOVIANSK, Ukraine, 7 April 2016 – The OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine, at a ceremony in Sloviansk, Donetsk region today, presented representatives of the Infrastructure Ministry’s State Special Transport Service with 15 sets of protective equipment, including vests and helmets, which are to be delivered to local deminers working along transport routes in the east of the country...

SKOPJE, 7 April 2016- Head of the OSCE Mission to Skopje Nina Suomalainen today congratulated the Roma community in the country ahead of the International Roma Day on 8 April, and expressed her wish for harmony and co-existence amongst all communities...

TASHKENT, 7 April 2016 – The implementation of traffic management and effective road safety measures were the focus of an OSCE-supported roundtable discussion for some 40 representatives of the Interior Ministry, Parliament, state agencies, media and civil society, and a two-day seminar for 25 traffic police officers, held in Tashkent from 5 to 7 April...

VIENNA, 7 April 2016 – The OSCE Permanent Council today decided to extend the mandate of the OSCE Observer Mission at the Russian border checkpoints of Gukovo and Donetsk by three months, until 31 July 2016...

VIENNA, 6 April 2016 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today called upon Canadian authorities to improve reporters’ rights to protect confidential sources in the wake of a court decision ordering the disclosure of materials relating to a terrorism investigation...