Daily and spot reports from the Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine

At about 08:00 on the morning of 18 February in non-government-controlled Donetsk city, while standing in front of the Mission’s residence on Pushkina Boulevard, two SMM staff members heard at least two explosions approximately 100-150 metres south-south-east. Other SMM personnel were in the residence. Nobody was injured...

Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region. The SMM observed damage in Kruta Hora and Pikuzy as a result of shelling. The Mission saw weapons in violation of the withdrawal lines near non-government-controlled Khoroshe, Lobacheve and Pervomaisk. The Mission recorded ceasefire violations inside and near the Zolote disengagement area. It observed damage as a result of shelling in residential areas near the Zolote disengagement area. Members of the armed formations fired 10m away from an SMM patrol at an SMM UAV flying over the Zolote disengagement area. The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable the operation of essential civilian infrastructure in Donetsk region. Restrictions of the SMM’s access continued in all three disengagement areas and again near non-government-controlled Novoazovsk, Oleksandrivske and Verkhnoshyrokivske.

• Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. • The Mission saw weapons in violation of the withdrawal lines near government-controlled Krasnohorivka and Kapitanove. • The Mission recorded a ceasefire violation near the Zolote disengagement area. • The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repair works to and operation of essential civilian infrastructure in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. • Restrictions of the SMM’s access continued in all three disengagement areas and again near non-government-controlled Verkhnoshyrokivske and Zaichenko...

• Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region. • The Mission followed up on reports of a man who died at a checkpoint in Kreminets. • An SMM unmanned aerial vehicle spotted recent impact craters in non-government-controlled Sokilnyky and government-controlled Travneve. • The Mission saw weapons in violation of the withdrawal lines in Khrustalnyi and near Sofiivka and Molodizhne. • The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repair works to and the operation of essential civilian infrastructure in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. • The Mission followed up on reports of graffiti on a church in Zaporizhzhia. • Restrictions of the SMM’s access continued in all three disengagement areas and near Zaichenko.*

• Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region. • The Mission observed craters assessed as caused by mortar rounds in residential areas in Pervomaisk and fresh craters inside the Zolote disengagement area. • The Mission saw weapons in violation on both sides of the contact line. • It facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repair works to essential civilian infrastructure in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. • Restrictions of the Mission’s access continued in all three disengagement areas.*

Compared with the previous 24 hours, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. A man reportedly died of natural causes while waiting at a checkpoint of the armed formations near Horlivka to travel to government-controlled areas. The Mission observed gunfire damage at a school in Zolote-5/Mykhailivka and inhabited houses in Pervomaisk, as well as fresh impact craters in Slovianoserbsk. The Mission recorded ceasefire violations inside and near the Zolote disengagement area and near the Petrivske disengagement area. It facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repair works to essential civilian infrastructure in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Restrictions of the Mission’s access continued in all three disengagement areas. Its access was also denied in Dovzhanske, close to the border with the Russian Federation, as well as at a heavy weapons holding area in a government-controlled area of Luhansk region.

• Compared with the previous reporting period, between the evenings of 8 and 9 February, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. • Compared with the previous 24 hours, between the evenings of 9 and 10 February, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. • In Kadiivka, the Mission saw gunfire damage to a truck that was reportedly collecting coal as part of humanitarian aid. • The SMM saw fresh mortar impact craters near residential houses in Kriakivka and near the checkpoint of the armed formations on the southern edge of the disengagement area near Zolote. • The Mission recorded ceasefire violations inside and near the Zolote disengagement area. • It facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repair works to essential civilian infrastructure in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. • Restrictions of the Mission’s access continued in all three disengagement areas. It was also restricted in Khlibodarivka, near Verkhnoshyrokivske, near Izvaryne and Novoazovsk, close to the border with the Russian Federation, as well as at a permanent storage site in a non-government-controlled area of Donetsk region. • The Mission learned of a reported temporary school closure due to shelling in Zolote-5/Mykhailivka.