Spot Report by OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM): Small-arms fire in the vicinity of mini SMM unmanned aerial vehicle near Bohorodychne

This report is for media and the general public.

On 24 September the SMM was operating a mini unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) from a clearing in a densely forested area near government-controlled Bohorodychne (115km north of Donetsk).

The SMM was following-up on a report of military equipment possibly located in the area. At 14:03, the SMM launched the fourth flight of the UAV. At 14:14 the SMM heard the sound of what it assessed to be a flare being fired, followed by five small-arms shots, all within one minute in the general area of the UAV, while the UAV was at a height of 150m and approximately 750m north-west of the launch position. The SMM immediately flew the UAV back to the clearing and landed it. The UAV was undamaged and the SMM left the area. The SMM reviewed the UAV imagery and did not see anything of relevance to the security situation.The SMM informed the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination.