News and press releases

Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Gunfire occurred in close vicinity of SMM patrol members at the Zolote disengagement area. The SMM saw fresh damage due to shelling in Patriotychne, Azov, Marinka and craters in Pikuzy. It also observed fresh craters near Sakhanka and in Novoluhanske, as well as damaged and destroyed buildings and ongoing fires in and near Pikuzy and Vodiane. Inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area, the SMM saw that concrete blocks near the former forward position of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were no longer present; it also observed workers cutting trees and grass along the road north of the bridge. The Mission recorded ceasefire violations inside the disengagement area near Zolote. The Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to facilitate repairs and the operations of critical civilian infrastructure. Restrictions of the SMM’s access continued, including in non-government-controlled Hryhorivka and Horlivka...

On 4 July, an SMM patrol consisting of four members and two armoured vehicles was positioned at the checkpoint of the armed formations on the southern edge of the Zolote disengagement area (60km west of Luhansk) preparing to conduct a mini-unmanned aerial vehicle flight. At 11:55, the SMM patrol members, two of whom were outside and two inside the vehicles, with doors open, heard 30-40 bursts of heavy-machine gun and 20-30 shots of small-arms fire, all assessed as originating 1-2km north-north-west of their position. The SMM members heard bullets flying 10-15m above their heads and also heard and saw bullets impacting electricity poles 10-15m south-west of their position...

VIENNA, 4 July 2019 – The disengagement of forces and hardware near Stanytsia Luhanska, recently facilitated and monitored by the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine is a commendable step towards wider disengagement along the contact line, the SMM’s Chief Monitor Ambassador Yaşar Halit Çevik said in his first address to the OSCE Permanent Council today in Vienna...

Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region. A man was killed by an explosive device in Horlivka. The SMM saw fresh craters and damage due to shelling to buildings in Khreshchatytske and Pikuzy and a fresh crater in Maiorove. Small-arms fire as assessed as directed at an SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle near Debaltseve. The SMM saw deminers and the dismantling of the former forward position of the Ukrainian Armed Forces inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. The Mission recorded projectiles in flight inside the disengagement area near Zolote. The SMM saw unexploded ordnance near Molodizhne. The Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to facilitate repairs and the operations of critical civilian infrastructure. Restrictions of the SMM’s access continued in the disengagement areas and elsewhere. Its freedom of movement was also denied in non-government-controlled Maiorove...

Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region. A woman was injured in Donetsk city and two men were injured in Vesele and near Pervomaisk from shelling and gunfire. The SMM saw damage to houses due to shelling in Khreshchatytske and Zolote-4/Rodina. Small-arms fire was assessed as aimed at an SMM unmanned aerial vehicle in Zernove. The SMM continued to monitor activities related to disengagement at Stanytsia Luhanska. The SMM saw again the presence of anti-tank mines near the Petrivske disengagement area. The Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to facilitate repairs and the operations of critical civilian infrastructure. Restrictions of the SMM’s access continued in the disengagement areas and elsewhere. Its freedom of movement was also denied near non-government-controlled Staropetrivske...

Compared with the previous 24 hours, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region. The SMM saw damage to houses due to shelling in Pikuzy and in Avdiivka. Small arms fired in direction of SMM unmanned aerial vehicle in Khreshchatytske. The SMM continued to monitor activities related to disengagement at Stanytsia Luhanska. The SMM recorded ceasefire violations inside the Zolote disengagement area. The Mission saw weapons in violations of withdrawal lines in government-controlled areas of Luhansk region and in non-government-controlled areas of Donetsk region. The Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to facilitate repairs and the operations of critical civilian infrastructure. Restrictions of the SMM’s access continued in all three disengagement areas and elsewhere. Its freedom of movement was also denied near non-government-controlled Shevchenko, Sosnivske and Tavrycheske...

The SMM continued to monitor activities related to the disengagement process at Stanytsia Luhanska. Inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area, the Mission saw that the most forward position of the Ukrainian Armed Forces remained empty; it saw two men in military-type clothing present at the most forward position of the armed formations. The SMM also continued to observe representatives of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine conducting demining activities, as well as members of the armed formations dismantling parts of facilities next to their checkpoint. Compared with the previous reporting period, between the evenings of 28 and 29 June, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Between the evenings of 29 and 30 June, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions, compared with the previous 24 hours. The SMM followed up on reports of a man injured due to shelling in the Trudivski area of Donetsk city’s Petrovskyi district and observed fresh craters there. The SMM saw damage caused by small-arms fire to a residential building in Zolote-5/Mykhailivka. The SMM recorded ceasefire violations inside the Zolote disengagement area. Small-arms fire was assessed as aimed at an SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flying over the Zolote disengagement area. The Mission saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines in a government-controlled area of Luhansk region. Restrictions to the SMM’s access continued in the disengagement areas. Its freedom of movement was also denied near non-government-controlled Veselohorivka and Oleksandrivske...