News and press releases

At 11:15 on 3 March, positioned south-west of  “DPR”-controlled Khreshchatytske (formerly Krasnoarmiiske, 33km north-east of Mariupol) the SMM observed what it assessed to be two self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) and one command vehicle moving from south to north and turning east at locations 2-3km east from SMM’s position. The SMM moved further south-east, and at 11:50 reached a location about 500m east of the spot where it had assessed the weapons could be located...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region. In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded more ceasefire violations, including more than twice as many explosions compared with the previous reporting period. It followed up on casualties in Kurakhove and Popasna and observed damage from shelling on both sides of the contact line in Zolote. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas in Stanytsia Luhanska, Petrivske and Zolote but its access remained restricted.* The Mission heard artillery explosions and heavy-machine-gun fire near the Zolote disengagement area. The Mission monitored the blockade of routes crossing the contact line in four locations. It visited two border areas not under government control. The SMM monitored a protest in Chernivtsi...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions, including more than twice as many explosions compared with the previous reporting period. It observed damage from shelling on both sides of the contact line. The SMM monitored adherence to the ceasefire and facilitated dialogue in order to repair essential infrastructure in the area of Svitlodarsk. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas in Stanytsia Luhanska, Petrivske and Zolote but its access remained restricted.* The Mission heard artillery explosions and heavy-machine-gun fire inside and near the Zolote disengagement area. The SMM camera in Stanytsia Luhanska revealed five ceasefire violations inside the disengagement area on 27 February. The SMM noted unexploded ordnance in Lyman, Shchastia, Kalynove and near Donetsk airport. The Mission monitored the blockade of routes crossing the contact line in four locations. It visited a border area not under government control...

On 2 March 2017, the 75th meeting under the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) was held in Ergneti. Kestutis Jankauskas, Head of the European Union Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM) and Ambassador Guenther Baechler, Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the South Caucasus, co-facilitated the proceedings...

VIENNA, 2 March 2017 – Statelessness, a human rights and security issue affecting hundreds of thousands of people across the OSCE region according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), is the focus of a new handbook of international standards and good practices launched in Vienna today by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the UNHCR...

VIENNA, 2 March 2017 – Following today’s decision of the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna, the mandate of the OSCE Office in Tajikistan was extended until 30 June 2017...

MINSK, 2 March 2017 – The Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in Ukraine and in the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG), Ambassador Martin Sajdik, made the following statement to the press after the meeting of the TCG and its working groups in Minsk on 1 March 2017:..