Spot Report by the Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM): Small-arms fire close to SMM at Donetsk Filtration Station

This report is for the media and the general public.

From 09:40 on 3 August, an SMM patrol consisting of ten members, including four workers contracted by the SMM, and three armoured vehicles was positioned at the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS). The DFS is located between government-controlled Avdiivka and “DPR”-controlled Yasynuvata - about 15km north of Donetsk city (see image). The SMM patrol was monitoring works for the installation of an SMM camera on the roof of the DFS office building by the contracted workers. The Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) had facilitated security guarantees for a ceasefire within a 15km radius in order for the SMM to install the camera.

At 14:44, four SMM members - positioned outside of their armoured vehicles about 40m north-east of the office building - heard bursts of small-arms fire about 1km south-south-west and immediately took cover inside the armoured vehicles. At the same time, the SMM members and the workers who were on the roof heard the hissing sound of bullets flying overhead and took cover inside the building.

The SMM heard at least 15 bursts of small-arms fire within the first ten minutes. At 15:00, while the small-arms fire continued, the SMM informed the JCCC requesting it to assist with rapid response. At 15:30, the firing stopped and at 15:35 the SMM patrol left the area and returned back safely to its base in Donetsk city. The work was not completed. The SMM asked the JCCC to follow up.

On 1 August “DPR” members held the SMM convoy that was transporting the above mentioned camera equipment for the DFS to Donetsk city for more than seven hours at two checkpoints. (See SMM Daily Report 2 August 2017.)