Spot Report: Explosions occur less than 600m from SMM’s forward patrol base in Popasna

At around 19:15 on 18 December, while at its forward patrol base on the northern edge of government-controlled Popasna (69km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard five undetermined explosions 500-600m north-east, followed by three explosions assessed as outgoing rounds of undetermined weapons within 1.5km south-west.

SMM staff (consisting of five monitoring officers, a paramedic and a language assistant) at the forward patrol base immediately gathered near the base’s basement shelter and remained there the entire evening. At around 19:50, the SMM, via telephone, informed Ukrainian Armed Forces and Russian Federation Armed Forces officers of the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) of the shelling; the latter told the Mission to contact the armed formations directly.

At around 10:00 on 19 December, the SMM left the forward patrol base and subsequently reached government-controlled Sievierodonetsk (74km north-west of Luhansk) safely.

While at the same forward patrol base on 13 December, the SMM heard explosions close to the base and staff entered into the base’s shelter. (See SMM Spot Report 13 December 2017.)