OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) Daily Report 195/2020 issued on 17 August 2020

Summary

• Between the evenings of 14 and 15 August, the SMM recorded 34 ceasefire violations in Donetsk region (in the previous reporting period, the Mission did not record any ceasefire violations). Between the evenings of 15 and 16 August, the SMM recorded 108 ceasefire violations in the region.
• Between the evenings of 14 and 16 August, the SMM recorded no ceasefire violations in Luhansk region.
• The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. Inside the latter two areas, an SMM long-range unmanned aerial vehicle observed people during evening hours.
• The Mission visited three border crossing points in non-government-controlled areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to localised ceasefires to enable the maintenance and operation of critical civilian infrastructure.
• The Mission continued following up on the situation of civilians amid the COVID-19 outbreak, including at an entry-exit checkpoint in Luhansk region and its corresponding checkpoint.
• The SMM’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted, including at a border crossing point near Voznesenivka, as well as at checkpoints near Shevchenko and Bessarabka, both near the border with the Russian Federation, and near Staromykhailivka, all outside of government control.*