OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine opens Forward Patrol Base in Stanytsia Luhanska

KYIV, 16 January 2016 - The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) today opened a new Forward Patrol Base in the Luhansk region, becoming the Mission’s eighth such Base in the Donbas.

The new Base in Stanytsia Luhanska will extend the monitors’ presence in the areas where most incidents take place, thereby enabling the Mission to follow up on the incidents faster and more efficiently.

“As with the other Forward Patrol Bases established by the SMM earlier, this Base in Stanytsia Luhanska will help us enhance our monitoring and reporting, and contribute to easing tensions in the east,” said Principal Deputy Chief Monitor Alexander Hug.

Forward Patrol Bases differ from SMM offices or hubs as they are located closer to the contact line and accommodate a smaller number of monitors who are rotated on a weekly basis.

Previously the SMM has opened Forward Patrol Bases in the following locations - four in government-controlled areas: Volnovakha, Krasnoarmiisk, Svitlodarsk (Donetsk region) and in Novoaidar (Luhansk region); as well as three in areas outside of government control: in Stakhanov (Luhansk region), and in Horlivka and Debaltseve (Donetsk region).