News and press releases

Kyiv, 12 September 2015 – Completing a three-day visit to south-eastern Ukraine, OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier expressed hope that the current cease-fire, which has been largely respected for almost to weeks, will prove durable and provide the necessary impetus to negotiations on the implementation of the Minsk Agreements. “The people of eastern Ukraine are tired of the conflict and deserve a firm commitment from all the sides to achieve sustainable peace”, said Zannier.

KYIV, 9 September 2015 – The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today formally opened an election observation mission for the 25 October local elections in Ukraine. The mission’s deployment follows an official invitation from the Ukrainian authorities...

The SMM monitored the implementation of the “Package of measures for the implementation of the Minsk agreements”. Its monitoring was restricted by the parties and security considerations*. The SMM observed few ceasefire violations in Donetsk region, and none in Luhansk.

The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine welcomes the new impetus for peace provided by the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) that the Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Ambassador Martin Sajdik, announced last week in Minsk, said the SMM’s Chief Monitor, Ambassador Ertugrul Apakan, today.

On 31 August beginning at 09:00hrs, the SMM monitored protests in front of the national Parliament (Verkhovna Rada) building in Kyiv. Some 3,000 persons (male and female of all ages) carrying “Svoboda”, “Radical Party” and “Ukrop” flags were protesting against constitutional amendments that were being voted on inside the Parliament. The event was initially peaceful and orderly with no signs of unrest...

The SMM monitored the implementation of the “Package of measures for the implementation of the Minsk agreements”. Its monitoring was restricted by the parties and security considerations*. The SMM noted a marked decrease in fighting in Donetsk and in Luhansk over 29 and 30 August. On both sides of the contact line the SMM observed schools being repaired in preparation for the start of the school year.

VIENNA, 31 August 2015 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today expressed concern about an incident near the Ukrainian Parliament in Kyiv, in which several journalists were injured...