News and press releases

CHISINAU / TIRASPOL, 26 July 2016 – OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, in Moldova today had talks with high-level Moldovan officials as well as with representatives from the Transdniestrian leadership. Steinmeier also visited the offices of the OSCE Mission in Moldova on both sides of the Dniester/Nistru River, in Chisinau and Tiraspol, and acknowledged their valuable work towards the Transdniestrian conflict settlement process...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared to the previous day. The largest concentration of ceasefire violations was again recorded in the Yasynuvata-Avdiivka area. The SMM followed up on reports of casualties and conducted crater analysis in Novooleksandrivka, Kominternove, Novozvanivka and Avdiivka. The SMM observed a weapons system in violation of the respective withdrawal line, as well as armoured combat vehicles and an unmanned flying vehicle in the security zone. In Soledar, a representative from the JCCC did not facilitate the provision of security assurances for repair work on essential infrastructure. The SMM continued to note the presence of unexploded ordnance. It monitored two border areas not controlled by the Government. The Mission’s freedom of movement was restricted on five occasions, including two episodes during which shots were fired at an SMM unmanned aerial vehicle, all in areas outside government control...

At 23:51 on 25 July 2016, while flying over government-controlled Avdiivka, approximately 600m north-west of the contact line and 12.5km north of Donetsk, an SMM long-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) experienced a loss of signals with the Ground Control Station and the SMM lost all communication with the UAV...

CHISINAU, 25 July 2016 – OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and German Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Frank-Walter Steinmeier, is traveling to Moldova and will have talks in Chisinau and Tiraspol on 26 July 2016...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region on 23 July compared to 22 July and more on 24 July compared to the previous day. On both 23 and 24 July, ceasefire violations occurred mostly at daytime and focused in Yasynuvata. In Luhansk region, the SMM noted a sharp increase in the level of violence on 23 July compared to 22 July and a relatively low number of ceasefire violations on 24 July. The SMM recorded no ceasefire violations in Stanytsia Luhanska. The SMM followed up on reports of casualties and conducted crater analysis in Novooleksandrivka, Berdianske, Krasnohorivka, and Donetskyi. The SMM attempted to visit the proposed disengagement areas west of Petrivske, but could not do so due to the presence of mines. It observed weapons in violation of the withdrawal line and numerous armoured combat vehicles in the security zone. The SMM observed new mine hazard signs in Stanytsia Luhanska and Petrivske. Its freedom of movement was restricted on nine occasions, all in areas outside government control, including a border area...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region compared with the previous reporting period, particularly in the Yasynuvata and Shyrokyne areas. In Luhansk region, the SMM noted fewer ceasefire violations, the majority of which during the night near Stanytsia Luhanska. The Mission noted a heavy weapon in violation of the withdrawal line and saw for the first time two anti-tank mines outside Molodizhne. The SMM conducted crater analysis in Semyhiria, Kodema and at the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge. The Mission facilitated and monitored repair work in Pryshyb and Shchastia. Its freedom of movement was restricted on two occasions, in areas outside government control.*

The SMM noted a decrease in ceasefire violations recorded in Donetsk region compared with the previous reporting period, particularly in the Avdiivka-Yasynuvata and Shyrokyne areas. In Luhansk region, however, the SMM noted an increase in ceasefire violations recorded, with the majority near Stanytsia Luhanska. The SMM followed up on reports of shelling and civilian injuries and conducted crater analysis on both sides of the contact line, in Avdiivka, Horlivka, Andriivka, Kominternove, Zolote, and at the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge. The SMM was informed that the downed electrical power lines supplying the water filtration plant near Yasynuvata were repaired. Its freedom of movement was restricted on six occasions, five of which were in areas outside government control, including at a checkpoint in Horlivka.