Daily and spot reports from the Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine

The SMM’s operations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions remained restricted following the fatal incident of 23 April near Pryshyb; these restrictions continued to limit the Mission’s observations. The Mission recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region, including, however, more explosions. In Luhansk region the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations compared with the previous reporting period.

On 20 August at 16:44, as the SMM was landing an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in Novooleksandrivka (65km west of Luhansk) it heard at least five bursts of small-arms fire (possibly AK), from a wooded area approximately 50m to the west. On hearing the gunfire, four monitors operating the UAV, who were standing between the two SMM vehicles (positioned 60m apart), immediately lay flat on the ground and crawled back to the vehicles before rapidly leaving the area (all within a two-minute period). One SMM paramedic remained in one of the vehicles during the incident. No one was injured and no damage was caused to SMM vehicles or the UAV...

The SMM’s operations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions remained restricted following the fatal incident of 23 April near Pryshyb; these restrictions continued to limit the Mission’s observations. The Mission recorded more ceasefire violations, including, however, fewer explosions in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions, compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. Its access remained restricted there and elsewhere.* The Mission monitored two border areas currently not under government control. The SMM monitored public gatherings in Kyiv, Chernivtsi and Kherson...

The SMM’s operations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions remained restricted following the fatal incident of 23 April near Pryshyb; these restrictions continued to limit the Mission’s observations. The Mission recorded more ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions, compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM followed up on reports of shelling and civilian casualties in the Kuibyshevskyi district of “DPR”-controlled Donetsk city and shelling in “DPR”-controlled Bezimenne. The Mission observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. Its access remained restricted there and elsewhere.* The Mission observed public gatherings in Dnipro and Odessa...

The SMM’s operations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions remained restricted following the fatal incident of 23 April near Pryshyb; these restrictions continued to limit the Mission’s observations. The SMM recorded a similar number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. In Donetsk region most ceasefire violations were recorded in areas north-east of Mariupol. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. Its access remained restricted there and elsewhere.* The Mission saw multiple weapons in Donetsk and Luhansk cities, in violation of withdrawal lines. It monitored three border areas currently not under government control. The SMM followed up on a reported civilian casualty and assessed impact sites and damage to residential areas caused by shelling. Outside the security zone the Mission observed parades marking 9 May that largely passed off peacefully...

The SMM’s operations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions remained restricted following the fatal incident of 23 April near Pryshyb; these restrictions continued to limit the Mission’s observations. The Mission recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region but more in Luhansk region, compared with the previous 24-hour period – including the use of a multiple launch rocket system. The Mission continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. Its access remained restricted there and elsewhere.* An armed man discharged his weapon 50m from an SMM patrol in Sosnivske. The SMM monitored a border area currently not under government control. In Kharkiv, Dnipro, Ivano-Frankivsk and Odessa, the Mission observed gatherings marking “Reconciliation and Commemoration Day”...

The SMM’s operations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions remained restricted following the fatal incident of 23 April near Pryshyb; these restrictions continued to limit the Mission’s observations. In Donetsk region the Mission recorded a similar number of ceasefire violations on 6 and on 7 May compared with the previous reporting period. In Luhansk region it recorded more ceasefire violations on 6 May compared with the previous reporting period but fewer on 7 May. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. Its access remained restricted there and elsewhere. The SMM assessed impact sites and damage to residential areas caused by shelling. It observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines, as well as mines and unexploded ordnance, predominantly in non-government-controlled areas. The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable the transfer of bodies to government-controlled areas via the Shchastia bridge, as well as repairs to the Donetsk Water Filtration Station. The Mission monitored two border areas currently not under government control...

The SMM’s operations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions remained restricted following the fatal incident of 23 April near Pryshyb; these restrictions continued to limit the Mission’s observations. The Mission recorded a similar number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. Its access remained restricted there and elsewhere, including in an incident in which an armed man sexually harassed a female patrol member. The SMM assessed impact sites and damage to residential areas caused by shelling. The Mission observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines in non-government controlled areas. The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to a gas pipeline in Zhovte, and power lines in Krasni Partizan and between Mykhailivka and Kadiivka. The SMM monitored one border area currently not under government control...

The SMM’s operations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions remained restricted following the fatal incident of 23 April near Pryshyb; these restrictions continued to limit the Mission’s observations. The Mission recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region but fewer in Luhansk region, compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM followed up on reports of civilian casualties in Avdiivka. The Mission observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. Its access remained restricted there and elsewhere.* The SMM observed demining activity as well as the presence of unexploded ordnance (UXO). The Mission monitored two border areas currently not under government control...

The SMM’s operations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions remained restricted following the fatal incident of 23 April near Pryshyb; these restrictions continued to limit the Mission’s observations. The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region – including, however, fewer explosions – compared with the previous reporting period. It followed up on reports of civilian casualties in Marinka, Dokuchaievsk and Horlivka. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. Its access remained restricted there and elsewhere.* The SMM recorded a ceasefire violation inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. The Mission saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. It facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to a gas pipeline in Zhovte. The SMM monitored a border area currently not under government control. In Kharkiv, the Mission monitored the situation of internally displaced persons. In Odessa it continued to monitor the commemoration of events that took place on 2 May 2014 in the city...