News and press releases

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous 24 hours. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations inside the Petrivske disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas and elsewhere, including, again, at a border crossing point near Izvaryne (near the border with the Russian Federation), at a checkpoint near Nova Marivka and at compound in Zymohiria.* The SMM observed a weapon in violation of withdrawal lines in Pobeda. The Mission continued to facilitate access for workers to and from the Donetsk Filtration Station; it facilitated maintenance works to the Petrivske pumping station near Artema. The SMM followed up on reports of a fire at the Polish cultural centre Poska Nuta in Odessa and reports of damage to a building where the regional office of a political party is located in Dnipro.

International standards guaranteeing the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and key principles and good practices for policing assemblies in a human rights-compliant way were the focus of an event organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on 21 March 2018 in Kyiv. The event marked the launch of the Ukrainian-language version of ODIHR’s Human Rights Handbook on Policing Assemblies.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region, compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded two ceasefire violations near the Stanytsia Luhanska and Petrivske disengagement areas. The SMM’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas and elsewhere, including near Izvaryne, at a border crossing point in Luhansk region near the border with the Russian Federation, in Amvrosiivka, Verkhnoshyrokivske and a heavy weapons holding area in a non-government-controlled area of Donetsk region.*

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske and observed calm situations in the Stanytsia Luhanska and Zolote disengagement areas. Its access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere, including again at the Chervona Mohyla railway station near Voznesenivka, at two border crossing points in Luhansk region near the border with the Russian Federation and near Oleksandrivske.* The Mission saw mine hazard signs for the first time near Dokuchaievsk and Staryi Krym. The SMM visited three border areas not under government control. The Mission monitored a court hearing in Kyiv and gatherings in Kyiv, Odessa and Kharkiv.

VIENNA, 7 March 2018 –OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today welcomed the decision by the Supreme Court of Ukraine regarding the case of Igor Efimov, photojournalist with the newspaper Vechirni Cherkasy...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission observed damage caused by shelling to and near civilian properties in Slovianoserbsk and Molodizhne. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske and observed ceasefire violations near the Zolote disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere, including, again, at three crossing points at the border with the Russian Federation in Luhansk region.*

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region, including more explosions, and fewer in Luhansk region, compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission observed damage caused by shelling, including to civilian properties and essential infrastructure, in Zaitseve and Zolote-5. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske and observed ceasefire violations near the Zolote disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere, including near Siedove close to the border with the Russian Federation.* The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. The Mission facilitated and monitored repair works and maintenance of essential infrastructure near Zolote and Berezove and in Olenivka.