News and press releases
News and press releases from the OSCE's global activities.
All sides in eastern Ukraine must ensure safety and freedom of movement of SMM monitors, says OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Dačić
Publishing date: 28 July 2015
BELGRADE, 28 July 2015 – All sides in eastern Ukraine have a responsibility to ensure the safety of OSCE monitors and guarantee their unfettered access across the region, the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Serbia’s Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić said today following two recent incidents in which teams from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) were caught in fire exchanges...
Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine based on information received as of 19:30 (Kyiv time), 27 July 2015
Publishing date: 28 July 2015
The SMM monitored the implementation of the “Package of measures for the implementation of the Minsk agreements”. Its monitoring was restricted by third parties and security considerations*. The SMM continued to observe ceasefire violations at and around the Donetsk airport. The SMM was caught in a fire exchange in Shyrokyne...
Spot Report by the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM): SMM team caught in fire exchange in Shyrokyne, one member injured by debris
Publishing date: 27 July 2015
At 11:15hrs on 27 July, an SMM patrol comprised of two vehicles entered Shyrokyne (100km south of Donetsk, 20km east of Mariupol)...
OSCE Deputy Chief Monitor in Ukraine Alexander Hug to brief media in Kyiv on Tuesday
Publishing date: 27 July 2015
KYIV, 27 July 2015 – Deputy Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine, Alexander Hug, will hold a briefing for media in Kyiv tomorrow, Tuesday 28 July...
Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine based on information received as of 19:30 (Kyiv time), 26 July 2015
Publishing date: 27 July 2015
The SMM monitored the implementation of the “Package of measures for the implementation of the Minsk agreements.” Its monitoring was restricted by third parties and security considerations*. Ceasefire violations in and around Donetsk city and at the Donetsk airport decreased on 26 July compared to 25 July. The security situation in Mariupol remained calm. Ceasefire violations increased in Luhansk region compared to previous days. An SMM patrol was caught in fire in Shchastia (20km north of Luhansk) but came out unharmed...
OSCE ready for ‘Alliance of institutions’ in combating intolerance and violent extremism, says Secretary General Zannier in Barcelona
Publishing date: 27 July 2015
“It is our responsibility to protect what binds us together and to present a united front against forces that want to reverse these positive trends by exploiting what still divides us,” said OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier at the High Level Meeting on Intercultural and Interreligious Dialogue held on 22 and 23 July 2015 in Barcelona...
Spot report: Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) patrol is caught in fire in Shchastia but comes out unharmed
Publishing date: 26 July 2015
At approximately 12:40hrs on 26 July, an SMM patrol comprised of two vehicles was caught in mortar and automatic grenade launcher fire while trying to cross the contact line from the “Lugansk People’s Republic” (“LPR”)-controlled side of Shchastia (20km north of Luhansk) to the government-controlled side. This crossing had been agreed and co-ordinated beforehand with both the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the “LPR”.