Daily and spot reports from the Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions, including a similar number of explosions, compared with the previous reporting period. It continued monitoring the disengagement areas; it recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote disengagement area. The Mission’s access remained restricted there and elsewhere, including in Siedove, and at a checkpoint in Novoazovsk near the border with the Russian Federation, where armed men stopped the SMM and asked all SMM members to step out of their vehicles.* The SMM continued to monitor the situation of civilians travelling across the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge. It facilitated and monitored the completion of repair works to the Mykhailivka-Almazna high-voltage power lines near Pervomaisk, which supplies electricity to approximately 150,000 people. The SMM monitored three peaceful protests in Kyiv.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. At a government checkpoint near Novotoshkivske, the Mission observed a bullet hole in a Ukrainian Armed Forces vehicle that may have been caused by gunfire shortly beforehand. The Mission followed up on reports of civilian casualties in Donetsk and Luhansk cities and observed damage from shelling in Zolote-4. It continued monitoring the disengagement areas; the Mission’s access remained restricted there and elsewhere, including Mineralne.* The SMM recorded ceasefire violations in the Zolote disengagement area. It continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to the Mykhailivka-Almazna high-voltage power lines near Pervomaisk. The SMM visited two border areas not under government control in Donetsk region. In Kyiv the Mission followed up on reports of an incident at a café and monitored four protests...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and a significant increase in ceasefire violations in Luhansk region compared with the previous 24 hours. The Mission followed up on reports of civilian casualties in Zaitseve and observed a fresh impact site in residential areas of Zolote-5. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas and observed a calm situation. The Mission’s access remained restricted there and elsewhere, including to Nova Marivka.* It continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to the Mykhailivka-Almazna high-voltage power lines near Pervomaisk. The SMM visited one border area not under government control in Donetsk region. In Kyiv the Mission monitored a march by 200-250 participants...

In the morning of 16 October, from several positions in both government-controlled Zolote (60km north-west of Luhansk) and government-controlled Katerynivka (64km west of Luhansk), an SMM patrol composed of five members observed a steady exchange of fire ranging 4-6km east of all positions. The SMM heard over 60 explosions assessed as caused by mortar (82mm and 120mm) rounds, and sporadic bursts of automatic-grenade-launcher (AGS-17, 30mm) and heavy-machine-gun fire for over one hour and a half.

Between the evenings of 7 and 8 July the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including more explosions in Donetsk region compared with the previous reporting period, and no explosions in Luhansk region. Between the evenings of 8 and 9 July the Mission recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including no explosions in Luhansk region, though more explosions in Donetsk region, compared with the previous 24 hours. The SMM assessed a fresh impact site in Pisky. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas; it recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote disengagement area and saw a white signal flare fired south of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge. The SMM’s access remained restricted there and elsewhere, including to a heavy weapons holding area. The Mission observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Novookhtyrka. It visited two border areas not controlled by the Government in Luhansk region...

At 01:12 (EET) on 14 October the security guard at the SMM office located in the centre of Ivano-Frankivsk heard an explosion nearby...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including fewer explosions, in Donetsk region compared with the previous reporting period. In Luhansk city the SMM heard two explosions. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas. The SMM’s access remained restricted there and elsewhere, including in Olenivka and twice near Kreminets where, on one occasion, an armed man pointed a rifle at the SMM and demanded it to wait.* The Mission observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Zaichenko. The SMM visited three border areas not controlled by the Government in Donetsk region...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including more explosions, in Donetsk region, and more ceasefire violations, including a similar number of explosions, in Luhansk region, compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas; it recorded ceasefire violations near the Stanytsia Luhanska and Zolote disengagement areas. The SMM’s access remained restricted there and elsewhere.* In violation of the withdrawal lines, the SMM saw ten multiple launch rocket systems near Khrustalnyi. The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to the Mykhailivka-Almazna high-voltage power lines near Pervomaisk and repair works to water wells in the Stanytsia Luhanska area. The SMM visited one border area not controlled by the Government in Luhansk region...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, although more explosions, in Donetsk region, and a similar number of ceasefire violations in Luhansk region as in the previous reporting period. The Mission followed up on reports of a civilian casualty in Zolote-5. It continued monitoring the disengagement areas and observed a calm situation. The SMM’s access remained restricted there and elsewhere, including again to Novoazovsk – an area close to the border. It observed removal of unexploded ordnance (UXO) south of Stanytsia Luhanska and the presence of other UXO on a road east of Staromarivka. The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to the Mykhailivka-Almazna high-voltage power lines near Pervomaisk...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, although fewer explosions, in Donetsk region, and fewer ceasefire violations overall in Luhansk region compared with the previous 24 hours. The Mission followed up on reports of civilian casualties in Luhansk city and Bakhmut, and observed damage to civilian properties due to gunfire in Yasynuvata. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas and observed a calm situation. The SMM’s access remained restricted there and elsewhere.* The Mission monitored weapons on both sides of the contact line and observed weapons in violation. It observed the restoration of water in Avdiivka and continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to the Mykhailivka-Almazna high-voltage power lines and water wells near Stanytsia Luhanska. The SMM visited two border areas not under government control. The SMM followed up on an incident at a Jewish centre in Lviv. The Mission saw long queues at the administrative boundary line between Kherson and Crimea...