OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) Daily Report 196/2020 issued on 18 August 2020

Summary

• The SMM recorded no ceasefire violations in Donetsk region (compared with 108 in the previous 24 hours) and three in Luhansk region (compared with none in the previous 24 hours).
• The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. Inside the disengagement area near Zolote, an SMM long-range unmanned aerial vehicle observed a person during evening hours.
• The Mission visited two border crossing points in non-government-controlled areas of Luhansk region.
• 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 entry-exit checkpoints and corresponding checkpoints in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• The SMM’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted, including at a border crossing point near non-government controlled Izvaryne.*