OSCE SMM Spot Report 19/2021: A member of the armed formations threatened to shoot down one of the SMM’s mini-unmanned aerial vehicles near Staromykhailivka

At 10:00 on 31 July, an SMM patrol arrived at a checkpoint in the eastern part of Staromykhailivka (non-government-controlled, 15km west of Donetsk) in order to conduct an announced mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flight to follow up on allegations of a damaged civilian property in the area. A member of the armed formations asked the patrol about its intentions and then told the patrol that he had no approval to let the Mission conduct the flight. The patrol asked him to check with his superiors. After about five minutes, he approached the patrol again and repeated that he was unaware of any planned flights in the area and added that if the SMM did fly the UAV, it would be shot down. At 10:40, the Mission left the area. At 12:06, the SMM returned to the same checkpoint, where the same member of the armed formations said that he had now received the approval for the Mission to conduct the UAV flight. The SMM conducted the UAV flight from a location near the checkpoint, after which it left the area without further incident.

The SMM’s again notes that technical assets are an inseparable part of the Mission’s operational infrastructure; as such they are included in the specification of OSCE Permanent Council Decision No. 1117 that the SMM shall have safe and secure access throughout Ukraine. Unrestricted and unconditional access to all areas, including by technical means, is essential to ensure effective monitoring and reporting of the security situation, as well as other mandated tasks. The mandate also tasks the Mission to report on any restrictions of its freedom of movement or other impediments to fulfilment of its mandate.