Spot Report by OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM): Four incidents involving the SMM within last 36 hours

On 1 May, the SMM was not allowed access to its observation post located 4km north-west of Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) where members of the battalion on the ground took position (See SMM Daily Report 2 May, 2015).

On 2 May, at 11:55hrs, en route to Shyrokyne, approximately 1km west of the entrance of the village, the SMM heard a burst of small-arms fire originating from north-west of its position. The SMM armoured vehicle sustained a direct hit to its rear right corner from a single 5.45mm bullet fired in the burst. The SMM patrol did not sustain casualties as a result of the attack.

On 2 May, at 14:45hrs, while monitoring at a Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) observation post in Pisky (government-controlled, 13km north-west of Donetsk), four 82mm mortar shells impacted 100m from the SMM’s location. The SMM patrol did not sustain casualties. The SMM took shelter and retreated from the area as soon as it was possible.

On 2 May, at 16:05hrs, the same SMM patrol visited the JCCC patrol base in Avdiivka (government-controlled, 15km north-west of Donetsk). Whilst there, the SMM observed what it assessed to be shelling by 152mm artillery. The SMM took cover in a nearby underground shelter and was only able to depart from the location following the implementation of a five-minute local ceasefire. The SMM patrol did not sustain casualties.

The SMM continues to review and revise its security measures in response to events on the ground.