News and press releases

VIENNA, 19 April 2016- Interfaith dialogue and co-operation are key to fostering cohesion and preventing violent extremism, conclude participants of the OSCE Mediterranean Contact Group meeting held today in Vienna...

The SMM recorded a higher level of violence in Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with both 16 and 17 April. The Mission followed up on allegations of shelling in areas near the contact line. It noted weapons in violation of withdrawal lines and others absent from storage sites. The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to essential infrastructure. It observed long queues at checkpoints along the contact line. The Mission monitored one border area outside government control and was denied access to another. The SMM’s freedom of movement was restricted further in areas not controlled by the Government, including access to a site known as a heavy weapons holding area. The SMM was threatened by armed men in areas outside of Government control...

The SMM recorded a lower level of violence in Donetsk region over the weekend. In Luhansk region the SMM continued to register ceasefire violations in the area of Stanytsia Luhanska in the evening hours and registered similar numbers of explosions compared to the night of 15 April. The SMM followed up on allegations of shelling in areas near the contact line. It observed weapons in the security zone, and noted that weapons were absent from storage sites. The Mission monitored four areas and was denied access to one area on the border still outside government control. Both sides restricted the SMM’s freedom of movement*. The SMM saw a Ukrainian Armed Forces checkpoint had been moved 3km closer to a “DPR” position...

LEINSWEILER, 17 April 2016 – Members of Parliament from 15 countries gathered in the French-German border region on 16 and 17 April to consider parliamentary contributions to OSCE efforts in addressing conflicts. Some 25 parliamentarians, including from several countries impacted by protracted conflicts, heard presentations from experts on reconciliation processes particularly in the Saar-Lor-Lux and Tyrol-South Tyrol-Trentino regions...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region compared to the previous day. In Luhansk region the SMM recorded a similar number of ceasefire violations compared to the previous day. The SMM followed up on allegations of shelling in an area near the contact line. It observed weapons in the security zone, and noted that weapons were absent from storage sites. The Mission monitored two border areas not controlled by the Government. The SMM monitored a peaceful protest in Odessa...

SMM observed a marked increase in violence during this reporting period with over 4,000 ceasefire violations through the Donetsk region, 500 of which were explosions. The major hotspots of Avdiivka/Yasynuvata accounted for more than half of these ceasefire violations. In Luhansk the Mission noted fewer ceasefire violations compared with the previous day. The SMM observed weapons in the security zone, and noted that weapons were absent from storage sites. The Mission observed long queues of civilians and vehicles waiting to cross at checkpoints. The SMM encountered a restriction of its freedom of movement in an area not controlled by the Government...

KYIV, 15 April 2016 – Ertugrul Apakan, Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), expressed today his dismay at a sharp increase in fighting in the east of the country. On 14 April the number of ceasefire violations recorded by the SMM exceeded 4,000, with over 500 of them being explosions. The most acute deterioration was seen in the Avdiivka-Yasynuvata area in the Donetsk region, with high numbers of explosions caused by proscribed weapons...