OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) Daily Report 249/2020 issued on 19 October 2020

Summary

• Between the evenings of 16 and 18 October, the SMM recorded 22 ceasefire violations in Donetsk region. In the previous reporting period, it recorded nine ceasefire violations in the region.
• Between the evenings of 16 and 18 October, the Mission recorded no ceasefire violations in Luhansk region. In the previous reporting period, it recorded one ceasefire violation in the region.
• An SMM long-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted during evening hours two convoys of trucks, one of which entered and shortly exited Ukraine through a non-government-controlled area of Donetsk region near the border with the Russian Federation where there are no border crossing facilities.
• The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. During daytime hours, an SMM long-range UAV spotted people inside the disengagement area near Zolote.
• The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to localised ceasefires to enable repairs to and the operation of critical civilian infrastructure.
• The SMM continued following up on the situation of civilians amid the COVID-19 pandemic, including at an entry-exit checkpoint and corresponding checkpoint of the armed formations in Luhansk region.
• The SMM observed a calm situation in south-east Kherson region.
• The SMM’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted, including at a checkpoint of the armed formations in Kreminets, Donetsk region.*