Daily and spot reports from the Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine

From 24 February, the Mission continues to observe a sharp deterioration of the security situation throughout its area of operations, with continued fighting in northern, north-eastern, and southern areas of Ukraine and ongoing reported attacks on key infrastructure sites and military bases throughout the country...

On 24 February, starting in the early morning and continuing throughout the day, the Mission observed a sharp deterioration of the security situation throughout its area of operations, characterized by heavy exchanges of fire along the full length of the contact line, and attacks in areas with key infrastructure and bases throughout the country...

On the morning of 23 February, an SMM patrol was conducting a pre-announced SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flight to monitor the security situation north of Rodakove (non-government-controlled, 22km west of Luhansk), about 10km south of the contact line, when it was approached by two armed members of the armed formations...

On the morning of 16 February, while the SMM was on patrol at a training area of the armed formations near Shymshynivka (non-government-controlled, 27km south-west of Luhansk), an unarmed member of the armed formations requested the Mission to leave the area, stating that the Mission’s presence was not allowed during live-fire exercises and that it should seek prior authorization from those in control...

On the morning of 11 February, while on patrol at the border crossing point near Dovzhanske (non-government-controlled, 84km south-east of Luhansk), the SMM was approached by a member of the armed formations who asked the patrol to state its task...

On the morning of 4 February, the armed formations in Luhansk region denied the Mission passage to non-government-controlled areas. The SMM patrol was travelling from government-controlled areas...

On the morning of 3 February, the armed formations in Luhansk region denied the Mission’s passage to non-government-controlled areas. The SMM patrol was travelling from government-controlled areas...

At 12:03 on 2 February, while positioned about 2km south-east of Chasiv Yar (government-controlled, 62km north of Donetsk) and conducting a pre-announced mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flight, an SMM patrol was approached by a soldier of the Ukrainian Armed Forces who said the patrol could not to fly the UAV at this location. He added that he had not received any information about planned SMM UAV flights. Soon after, a second soldier of the Ukrainian Armed Forces approached the patrol and requested the patrol to land the UAV, adding that any further SMM UAVs launched from the location would be shot down. The Mission landed the UAV and left the area...

On the morning of 9 January, the armed formations in Luhansk region denied the Mission’s passage to government-controlled areas...

On 31 December, the armed formations in Luhansk region twice denied the Mission’s passage to government-controlled areas from non-government-controlled areas. The first denial occurred at 09:10 at the checkpoint of the armed formations near the southern edge of the disengagement area near Zolote.