News and press releases

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 slightly decreased at both BCPs compared to the previous week.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, compared with the previous 24 hours. On the night of 16-17 September, the Mission heard small-arms fire 30-50m from its position. The SMM recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote and the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement areas. Inside the Petrivske disengagement area, the SMM saw Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers and a recent extension of a trench assessed as belonging to the armed formations. The Mission’s access remained restricted in the disengagement areas, as well as in Bohdanivka and again near Verkhnoshyrokivske.* The SMM observed weapons in violation of the respective withdrawal lines near Ocheretyne, Shyroke, Novoamvrosiivske and Khrustalnyi. The Mission continued to facilitate and monitor the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station. It also facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs and maintenance works to critical water infrastructure in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, as well as demining and repairs at the Krasnohorivka gas distribution station between Marinka and Oleksandrivka and repairs to houses in Avdiivka. In Kyiv, the SMM monitored a protest in front of the General Prosecutor’s Office, where it saw protestors clash with police officers...

Representatives from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan participated in an OSCE-supported two-day regional seminar “Combatting financing of terrorism: best practices within the OSCE region”. The event concluded in Ashgabat on 18 September 2018.

An OSCE-supported two-day training seminar on applying a risk-based approach to counter money laundering and the financing of terrorism for some 80 representatives from the National Bank of Kazakhstan, the Financial Monitoring Committee and the second-tier banks concluded on 18 September 2018 in Almaty, Kazakhstan...

Experts and representatives of armed forces, defence ministries, military trade unions and professional associations from a range of OSCE participating States shared experiences and good practices in protecting armed forces’ right to freedom of expression while ensuring operational effectiveness at

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and none in Luhansk region between the evenings of 14 and 15 September, compared with the previous reporting period. Between the evenings of 15 and 16 September, the Mission recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and Luhansk regions, compared with the previous 24 hours. The SMM observed a fresh crater caused by shelling near Dovhe. It recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote and Petrivske disengagement areas. The Mission’s access remained restricted in the disengagement areas as well as again near Verkhnoshyrokivske, Yuzhna-Lomuvatka and Zaichenko, and in Novoazovsk and Dovzhanske, near the border with the Russian Federation in non-government-controlled areas.* The SMM continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station as well as to water infrastructure in Artema and between Avdiivka and Yasynuvata...

Challenges and good practices in ensuring human rights-compliant assembly policing in the Western Balkans region and related available resources were explored and presented at an event in Warsaw on 17 September 2018, during the Human Dimension Implementation Meeting. Some 40 representatives of