Contents tagged with Donbas

  • OSCE calls on all parties to ensure the safety of SMM observers

    The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) stated that there are "threats and use of force against the observers" in the conflict zone in eastern Ukraine, according to the joint statement made by the Foreign Ministers of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Serbia, Ivica Dačićта and Sebastia Kurz from Austria, which was published on the organization’s website on Tuesday, April 12th. Germany currently chairs the organization previously chaired by the Serbian representative; the …

  • Pro-Russian separatists fired on Ukrainian positions while OSCE monitors were in the vicinity

    Pro-Russian separatists opened fire on the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Avdiivka in the vicinity of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission, the Ukrainian Armed Force’s headquarters stated. Deputy Chief Monitor Alexander Hug was reportedly visiting Avdiivka at the time.

    "On April 15th, during the visit of First Deputy Head of the Special OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, Alexander Hug, fighters of illegally armed groups fired on ATO [Ukrainian] positions at the filter …

  • Putin agrees to the deployment of armed OSCE mission to the Donbas

    Russian President Vladimir Putin supported the idea of a deployment of an armed OSCE mission along the contact line. "Recently I had a conversation with Petro Poroshenko: he proposed to strengthen the presence of the OSCE and that the OSCE observers on the contact line should be armed in order to achieve the ceasefire. I think it is the right position, we support it," Putin stated at an open press conference on Thursday, 14 April, as reported by the Ukrainian news.

    According to the Russian …

  • Ukrainian positions fired on 50 times on Thursday

    As of 18:00 local time on Thursday, Ukrainian positions had been fired on 50 times throughout the day by pro-Russian separatists in the Donbas, according to the Ukrainian Armed Force’s Facebook page.

    “At night the enemy fired on Avdiivka nine times using small arms and rock-propelled grenades. Since 6:00 am illegally armed groups three times fired from 82mm mortars near Zaitseve, once [fired] on the positions of Avdiivka [and once on] the Butovka mine. Later, 120mm were used by them [ …

  • Ukrainian Intelligence: Russia allocates budget funds to support separatists in Donbas

    Ukrainian Intelligence stated that Russia continues to allocate funds from the state budget to support separatists in the occupied part of Ukraine.

    "It has been established that in the beginning of April, occupied territories received about 800 million rubles from the Russian budget. Of these, 775 million was allocated for the administrative apparatus and the security forces of the so-called DPR and LPR, where local residents are under the control of the Russian occupying power," the press …

  • JCCC: Separatists attempt to intimidate OSCE Observers

    The Ukrainian representative of Joint Center on Control and Coordination for issues related to the ceasefire and the stabilization of the contact line, stated that Russian-backed separatists are trying to intimidate OSCE SMM observers.

    “The shelling of OSCE representatives is nothing more than another attempt by the militants to intimidate the OSCE SMM observers and force them to abandon the practice of mirror patrolling proposed by the Ukrainian representatives in the JCCC,” the press-officer …

  • OSCE mission came under fire in the Donetsk region

    On Saturday, April 9th, OSCE observers came under fire on territory controlled by the Ukrainian authorities in Zaitseve (Donetsk region), according to the Special Monitoring Mission’s report. No one was injured in the attack.

    The patrol, consisting of five OSCE monitors in two armored vehicles, as well as the Ukrainian representative of the Joint Center for Control and Coordination of the Ceasefire (STSKK), heard an explosion at 12:52 pm, most likely caused by an 82-mm mortar or gun, at a …

  • Ukrainian Foreign Ministry condemns attacks against OSCE monitors

    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine demands that Russia stop provocations against the Special Monitoring Mission of the OSCE and ensure safe and unhindered access to the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

    "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine strongly condemns the shelling of a car of the Special Monitoring Mission, which was carried out by militants on April 7, 2016, near Snizhne. We believe this was another daring attempt to intimidate the observers of the OSCE SMM. We emphasize that …

  • Strelkov: Russian media is silent about the losses near Yasynuvata and Avdiivka

    The former military chief of the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic Igor Girkin (aka Igor Strelkov), said that Russian military losses in the Donbas far exceed those of the Ukrainian military, and can only be compared to the casualties experienced last year during the battles of Debaltseve and Chernukhino, Tekhno SOTNYA reported.

    On his LiveJournal page, Strelkov posted a comment in which he explained his resentment towards the Russian media, stating that it does not publicize information …

  • OSCE has not decided on police mission in the Donbas

    According to Radio Svoboda, the special representative for the organization in the Trilateral Contact Group on the settlement of conflict in Donbas, Martin Sajdik, stated that as a result of the meeting of the Contact Group in Minsk, the parties discussed the proposal of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to provide the police mission during the coming election in Donbas.“Security issues during the elections were not discussed. But unfortunately, the secretariat and the German Government …