Daily and spot reports from the Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine

On 17 March five SMM members were positioned – outside two of its vehicles – 15km north of Donetsk on the eastern side of highway H20, where it intersects with a secondary road leading east to Donetsk Water Filtration Station, (located between government-controlled Avdiivka and “DPR”-controlled Yasynuvata) to monitor adherence to the ceasefire for demining at and around the filtration station as well as the restoration of water supply to both sides of the contact line...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region between the evenings of 3 and 4 November compared with the previous 24 hours. Between the evenings of 4 and 5 November, the Mission recorded fewer ceasefire violations – including, however, an outgoing salvo of a multiple launch rocket system south-south-west of Horlivka – in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region compared with the previous 24 hours. It followed up on a report of a civilian casualty in the Trudivski area of Donetsk city’s Petrovskyi district and observed damage to civilian residences from shelling and gunfire in Staromykhailivka and Pryshyb. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas and recorded ceasefire violations in the Petrivske disengagement area and near the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere.* The Mission saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Kurakhove. It facilitated and monitored repairs and maintenance to essential infrastructure near Artema and Novozvanivka. The SMM continued to monitor the situation of civilians walking across the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge. It visited four border areas not under government control...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations both in Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous 24 hours. The Mission confirmed five civilian casualties from Donetsk city, including one fatality. It observed multiple impact sites near civilian residences in the Kyivskyi district of Donetsk city, assessed as caused by artillery rounds, and to essential infrastructure at the Donetsk Filtration Station and a water reservoir near Yasynuvata, including damage assessed as caused by a rocket from a multiple launch rocket system. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas, its access remained restricted there and elsewhere, including at a heavy weapons holding area and in Vasylivka.* The Mission saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Oleksandropil, Khriashchuvate and Novoamvrosiivske. It facilitated and monitored repairs and maintenance to high-voltage lines near Novozvanivka, and a water pipeline near Zolote and Popasna.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations near the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in the disengagement areas and elsewhere, including near Khrustalnyi.* The Mission saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Khrustalnyi. The SMM followed up on reports that the electricity supply had been cut to a pumping station causing water shortages in parts of Luhansk region. It facilitated and monitored repairs and maintenance of essential infrastructure to power lines near Novozvanivka, to the power plant in Shchastia and to the water pipeline between Zolote and Popasna. The Mission visited a border crossing area not under government control. It monitored a gathering of some 2,000 people outside the Parliament in Kyiv...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. In Pikuzy, a man in military-style clothing fired shots in the air within 50m of the Mission. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas; it recorded ceasefire violations in the Petrivske disengagement area and near the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in the disengagement areas and elsewhere, including near Kreminets and at two heavy weapons holding areas.* The Mission saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Sievierodonetsk. It facilitated and monitored repairs and maintenance of essential infrastructure near Shchastia, Novozvanivka, Artema, and Stanytsia Luhanska. The SMM visited a border area not under government control. It continued to monitor a gathering outside the Parliament in Kyiv...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM followed up on reports of persons injured and killed from the explosion of hand grenades in Khartsyzk and Makiivka, and observed damage caused by shelling in residential areas of Sakhanka. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas; it recorded ceasefire violations inside the Petrivske disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in the disengagement areas and elsewhere, including at two permanent storage sites, a heavy weapons holding area, and a compound, all in areas outside government control.* It facilitated and monitored repairs and maintenance of essential infrastructure near Shchastia, Novozvanivka, Yuzhna-Lomuvatka, Artema, and Zalizne...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas; it heard small-arms fire near the area where it was flying an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) near the Petrivske disengagement area, assessed as aimed at the UAV*, and spotted military presence inside the Petrivske disengagement area, as well as previously seen mines. Its access remained restricted in the disengagement areas and elsewhere, including near Horlivka and at five heavy weapons holding areas.* The Mission saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Dovhe, Marianivka and Novooleksandrivka. The SMM facilitated and monitored repairs and maintenance of essential infrastructure near Shchastia, Novozvanivka, Stanytsia Luhanska and Zalizne. It visited a border area not under government control...

At 12:10 on 24 March, an SMM patrol of four mission members in two armoured vehicles stopped at an abandoned bus stop about 800m west of “LPR”-controlled Znamianka (36km north-west of Luhansk) to monitor the ceasefire. On disembarking the SMM heard eight single shots of small-arms fire approximately 1km south...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region between the evenings of 10 and 11 November compared with the previous reporting period and fewer between the evenings of 11 and 12 November compared with the previous 24 hours. In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations between the evenings of 10 and 11 November compared with the previous reporting period but more between the evenings of 11 and 12 November compared with the previous 24 hours. The Mission observed damage to civilian properties from shelling in residential areas in Pikuzy. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas; it recorded ceasefire violations inside the Petrivske disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in the disengagement areas and elsewhere, including to a compound in Kadiivka, and in Siedove near the border with the Russian Federation.* The SMM facilitated and monitored repairs and maintenance of essential infrastructure near Novozvanivka, Artema and Zalizne. It visited three border areas not under government control. In Kyiv, the SMM monitored a march...

At 12:45 on 26 March, an SMM patrol of four mission members in two armoured vehicles stopped 500m north-east of government-controlled Orikhove-Donetske (44km north-west of Luhansk). At about 13:10, a couple minutes after launching a mid-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the SMM observed another UAV almost directly above the patrol’s position, approaching from the south-south-west at a height of approximately 100 metres. The UAV was slightly larger than the SMM UAV and darker in colour, with a larger wingspan and vertical wingtips. It sounded like it had an electric motor. The SMM immediately began the landing procedure for its own UAV. The other UAV flew over the SMM patrol’s position, circled three times – steadily gaining altitude – and then departed to the west...