Spot Report by OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM): Bullets fly close to SMM patrol in Zolote-5/Mykhailivka

On the morning of 26 February, an SMM patrol consisting of six members and two armoured vehicles was positioned on the western edge of Zolote-5/Mykhailivka (non-government-controlled, 58km west of Luhansk), about 500m east of the eastern edge of the Zolote disengagement area. The patrol was monitoring the security situation in the area to enable repair works to water pipes in Zolote-5/Mykhailivka. Three patrol members were standing next to the vehicles and the others were inside them. Six employees of the Luhansk Water Company were conducting the repair works about 100m west-north-west of the SMM’s position.

Despite security guarantees having been provided, at 12:18, the SMM patrol members who were standing next to their vehicles heard about five shots of small-arms fire approximately 200m west-north-west, followed by the sound of bullets flying about 10m over their heads; subsequently, they heard and saw the bullets hitting at least one tree about 5-10m south-east of the SMM’s position. The three SMM patrol members took cover on the ground and then inside their vehicles and saw the Luhansk Water Company employees taking cover behind a tractor. At 12:20 the SMM patrol and the Luhansk Water Company employees departed the area. No injuries or damage to property were reported. The SMM patrol returned safely to its base in Kadiivka (formerly Stakhanov, non-government-controlled 50km west of Luhansk).