Spot Report by the Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM): Shots fired near SMM mini unmanned aerial vehicle in Luhansk city

This report is for the general public and the media.

Around 14:00 of 5 April, the SMM observed, in violation of the respective withdrawal line, heavy weapons moving in the vicinity of an aerodrome in Luhansk – 1.2km north of the road M04. (For example, at 14:47, the SMM observed one multiple-launch rocket system (MLRS) (BM-21 Grad, 122 mm) heading south-east on the road M04.)

At 16:30, an SMM patrol of four monitors in two armoured vehicles arrived at a location 200m west of the aerodrome, in the south-eastern outskirts of “LPR”-controlled Luhansk city, to conduct a flight of its mini unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in the area.

At 16:40, the SMM launched its mini-UAV. At around 16:42, while the UAV was about 650m east of the patrol’s position, the SMM heard two bursts of small-arms fire (a total of 10-20 shots in the duration of 30 seconds), 1km east of the patrol’s position. The SMM immediately flew the UAV back, and at 16:44 the UAV landed normally, without any evident damage. Shortly after, the SMM left the area. No SMM members were injured or UAV damaged. The SMM informed the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination about the incident and requested that it follow up.

During its flight in the area, the UAV spotted three MLRS (BM-21 Grad, 122mm), five towed howitzers (2A65 Msta-B, 152mm), seven self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm), seven tanks (T-72) – all in violation of the respective withdrawal lines - as well as seven infantry fighting vehicles (BMP-2), 13 armoured personnel carriers (five BTR-70, one BTR-80, seven MTLB, one of those mounted with anti-aircraft gun), six military-type trucks, and at least 35 men in military-style clothes. (See Annex for imagery of some of the aforementioned weapons.)