News and press releases

Kamensk-Shakhtinskiy, Russian Federation. The Observer Mission (OM) continues to operate 24/7 at both Border Crossing Points (BCPs). The overall number of border crossings by persons increased at both BCPs compared to the previous week.

Heavy machine-gun fired in the direction of an SMM long-range unmanned aerial vehicle flying near non-government-controlled Dovhe. The UAV was not damaged. Compared with the previous 24 hours, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The SMM saw fresh damage to a residential house due to shelling in Zolote-5/Mykhailivka. The Mission recorded ceasefire violations inside the Zolote disengagement area. It observed weapons in violation of the withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to essential civilian infrastructure and an assessment of residential houses damaged by shelling in Luhansk region. Restrictions of the SMM’s access continued in all three disengagement areas and elsewhere, including at checkpoints near Zaichenko and in Horlivka...

Compared with the previous reporting period, between the evenings of 22 and 23 March, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Compared with the previous 24 hours, between the evenings of 23 and 24 March, the Mission recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region. The SMM saw fresh damage to residential houses due to shelling in Pikuzy. The Mission recorded ceasefire violations inside the Stanytsia Luhanska and Zolote disengagement areas. The SMM followed up on the announcement by the Ukrainian authorities that they would open the entry-exit checkpoint near Zolote for civilian passage on 24 March. It saw that vegetation surrounding the checkpoint had been burned and mine hazard signs removed at the checkpoint of the armed formations on the southern edge of the disengagement area. The SMM did not see any civilians crossing the checkpoint. The SMM observed weapons in violation of the withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line.

Compared with the previous reporting period, the Mission recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The SMM observed damage to functioning schools in Holmivskyi and Donetsk city. The Mission recorded ceasefire violations inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. The SMM observed weapons in violation of the withdrawal lines in government-controlled areas. It facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to essential civilian infrastructure in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The Mission observed long queues of people, up to 1,500, at the entry-exit checkpoint north of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge. Restrictions of the SMM’s access continued in Zolote and Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement areas and elsewhere, including near non-government-controlled Zaichenko.

Compared with the previous reporting period, the Mission recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region. The SMM recorded ceasefire violations and saw military hardware, fresh craters, unmanned aerial vehicles and mines seen for the first time inside the Zolote disengagement area; it also saw military hardware inside the Petrivske disengagement area. The Mission observed weapons in violation of the withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. It facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to essential civilian infrastructure in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Restrictions of the SMM’s access continued in all three disengagement areas, in Voznesenivka, close to the border with the Russian Federation, and elsewhere near non-government-controlled Verkhnoshyrokivske and Staropetrivske.

ERGNETI, 22 March 2019- On 22 March 2019, the 92nd meeting under the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) was held in Ergneti. The gathering was conducted in an open and constructive atmosphere.

Compared with the previous reporting period, the Mission recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region. The SMM observed military presence in the Petrivske disengagement area and again saw anti-tank mines and military presence in the Zolote disengagement area. It facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to essential civilian infrastructure in Donetsk and Luhansk regions including repairs to the wooden ramps in the broken section of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge. The Mission facilitated and monitored a transfer of persons convicted before the conflict from non-government- to government-controlled areas in Luhansk region. Restrictions of the SMM’s access continued in all three disengagement areas and at a checkpoint of the armed formations near Zaichenko, Donetsk region...