News and press releases

WARSAW/VIENNA, 18 March 2022 – OSCE Chairman-in-Office and Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau and Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid strenuously condemned the ongoing violence by the Russian Armed Forces against civilian areas throughout Ukraine, including the recent bombing of a theatre harboring hundreds of civilians in Mariupol.

Summary The Mission completed its temporary evacuation of international mission members from the Mission’s area of operations. National mission members are undertaking administration of the Mission’s premises and assets in anticipation of a return to operations in Ukraine. The SMM has suspended its

Summary The Mission received reports that the SMM premises in Mariupol were damaged due to shelling. The process of temporary evacuation of all international mission members is nearly complete. The last remaining group – the Chief Monitor and senior management team – will now leave Ukraine. The

Summary Following the instruction of 24 February to temporarily evacuate all SMM international mission members, the Kharkiv Monitoring Team completed its evacuation and the Kherson Monitoring Team started its evacuation. The relocation of national mission members formerly stationed in Kramatorsk

Summary During the night of 3 to 4 March, the Kherson Monitoring Team heard shooting. On 4 March, internet and mobile coverage became intermittent at the SMM’s office in Kherson city. Following the instruction of 24 February to temporarily evacuate all SMM international mission members, the Kharkiv

ERGNETI, 4 March 2022 — The 105th meeting of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) took place today in Ergneti, under the co-facilitation of Ambassador Marek Szczygieł, Head of the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM), and Ambassador Viorel Moşanu, Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the South Caucasus.

Summary On the morning of 3 March, the SMM continued to hear explosions around Kherson city. Following the instruction of 24 February to temporarily evacuate all SMM international mission members, the Kharkiv Monitoring Team continued its evacuation westwards through Ukraine, while the Kherson