On Patrol

With dozens of OSCE SMM patrols going out every day all across Ukraine, many in high-risk areas in the east, On Patrol offers a remarkable insight not only into the work of the biggest OSCE mission on the ground – and the men and women who serve it and the wider cause of peace – but also into some of the people and issues that define Ukraine and the crisis it endures.

A view from above

It is a Wednesday morning at the SMM Patrol Hub in Sievierodonetsk, Luhansk region. A technical monitoring team, having just had a briefing on the security situation along the contact line, is almost ready to move. Marzena is loading the last of the gear into an armoured vehicle. As she finishes, Ian, the patrol leader, gathers the small group together to make sure everyone is on the same page. “Today we’ll conduct two flights with mini and mid-range UAVs, and weather permitting, maybe more,” he says. “We move in 10 minutes.”

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Making Connections on the Contact Line

The COVID-19 pandemic has limited SMM patrols in eastern Ukraine, but for Mariupol-based monitor Lejla Helic, one priority remains unchanged: interacting with people in Donbas, listening and responding to, and reporting on their concerns as they go about their lives on the contact line.

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The Long Road Home

The three-vehicle patrol turns right after exiting the Kramatorsk hub. In the second vehicle, Steve is at the wheel, accompanied by two colleagues; Liudmyla from Ukraine and Paulo from Italy. “Until we get close to the contact line, the greatest danger we face is the road,” he says.

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Delta 9 Patrol: Olenivka Checkpoint

For Elena, patrol leader for Delta 9, the day begins with a morning briefing at 7:30 at the SMM’s Donetsk patrol hub, where she receives the latest operational instructions as well as a security update.

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