OSCE SMM Spot Report 20/2020: Members of the armed formations continued to deny SMM patrols passage at checkpoints in Donetsk and Luhansk regions and significantly delayed an SMM patrol at a checkpoint in Donetsk region

On 30 April and 1, 2, 3 and 4 May, members of the armed formations again denied SMM attempts to cross into non-government-controlled areas along official crossing routes: five times in Donetsk region and twice in Luhansk region, while further attempts to cross into government-controlled areas were also denied, twice in Donetsk region and three times in Luhansk region. Additionally, on 30 April, members of the armed formations significantly delayed an SMM attempt to cross into government-controlled areas along an official crossing route in Donetsk region.

On 30 April, at a checkpoint east of Kreminets (non-government-controlled, 16km south-west of Donetsk), members of the armed formations prevented an SMM patrol from proceeding towards government-controlled areas for more than six hours, stating that the SMM did not have permission to pass. The SMM was eventually allowed to proceed to the most forward checkpoint of the armed formations near Oleksandrivka (non-government-controlled, 20km south-west of Donetsk) where one member of the SMM proceeded, on foot, towards government-controlled areas.

On 30 April and 1, 2, 3 and 4 May, at a checkpoint south of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge (15km north-east of Luhansk), members of the armed formations again denied SMM patrols passage towards government-controlled areas on three occasions and passage towards non-government-controlled areas on two occasions, referring to the closure of the checkpoint due to COVID-19.

On 1 and 3 May, at a checkpoint near Olenivka (non-government-controlled, 23km south-west of Donetsk), members of the armed formations again denied SMM patrols passage towards government-controlled areas on two occasions, stating that the SMM did not have permission to pass, and denied passage towards non-government-controlled areas on two occasions, referring to quarantine restrictions due to COVID-19.

On 2 and 4 May, at a checkpoint near Horlivka (non-government-controlled, 39km north-east of Donetsk), an SMM patrol again waited to no avail for members of the armed formations to remove a road barrier to allow the SMM passage towards non-government-controlled areas.

On 2 May, at a checkpoint 600m west of Verkhnoshyrokivkse (formerly Oktiabr, non-government-controlled, 85km south of Donetsk), an SMM patrol was again unable to proceed towards non-government-controlled areas due to the presence of three anti-tank mines on a wooden plank near the checkpoint, in the middle of the road leading towards Verkhnoshyrokivske. A member of the armed formations declined to speak to the SMM.

The Mission began facing repeated denials when attempting to cross into non-government-controlled areas at checkpoints of the armed formations in Donetsk region on 21 March and Luhansk region on 23 March (see previous SMM Spot Reports). They restrict the SMM’s freedom of movement across the contact line, thus impeding the implementation of its mandate throughout the country.

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With regard to COVID-19, the SMM has introduced a number of stringent mitigation measures into its operational procedures. These include strict adherence to social distancing rules both internally and with external interlocutors, daily temperature checks, use of PPE and minimizing the number of personnel in vehicles.