OSCE SMM Spot Report 2/2020: Members of the armed formations denied SMM patrols passage at checkpoints in Donetsk region

On 21 and 22 March, members of the armed formations at checkpoints in Donetsk region denied all SMM patrols travelling from government-controlled areas passage into non-government-controlled areas.

On the morning of 21 March at a checkpoint near Olenivka (non-government-controlled, 23km south-west of Donetsk), an unarmed member of the armed formations denied an SMM patrol – consisting of two vehicles and five members – passage into non-government-controlled areas, citing “instructions from senior members of the armed formations”.

On the same morning at a checkpoint about 600m west of Verkhnoshyrokivske (formerly Oktiabr, non-government-controlled, 85km south of Donetsk), in southern Donetsk region, an armed member of the armed formations denied another SMM patrol – consisting of two vehicles and six members – passage into non-government-controlled areas, citing “the closure of the checkpoint”.

On the morning of 22 March at the same checkpoint west of Verkhnoshyrokivske, an armed member of the armed formations again denied another SMM patrol – consisting of two vehicles and six members – passage into non-government-controlled areas, citing reasons related to “quarantine”.

These denials restricted the SMM’s freedom of movement across the contact line and rendered it unable to access non-government-controlled areas of Donetsk region, thus impeding the implementation of its Mandate throughout the country.