Spot Report by Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM): Explosion occurs 300-500m from SMM patrols, assessed as inside Zolote disengagement area

This report is for the media and the general public.

At 11:04 on 20 May, two SMM patrols consisting of ten members and four armoured vehicles positioned themselves about 20m south of a checkpoint of the armed formations inside the disengagement area near Zolote (government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk) on its southern edge. All patrol members were outside the vehicles, five of whom were speaking with two unarmed members of the armed formations, and saw an additional five to eight members of the armed formations (one armed with an assault rifle (AK-type), the remainder unarmed) walking around the checkpoint inside the disengagement area. At 11:06, the patrol members heard an undetermined explosion 300-500m north (assessed as inside the disengagement area). (The SMM had previously observed an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23, 23mm) about 10m north-west of the abovementioned checkpoint inside the disengagement area. See SMM Daily Report 3 May 2018.)

Both patrols immediately left the area and returned safely to their bases in Sievierodonetsk (government-controlled, 74km north-west of Luhansk) and Kadiivka (formerly Stakhanov, non-government-controlled, 50km west of Luhansk), respectively.