Daily and spot reports from the Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine

The SMM observed a high number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region, mostly in the Yasynuvata-Avdiivka area. In Luhansk region the situation remained relatively calm, with a low number of ceasefire violations recorded. The SMM observed the marking of mined areas in the security zone. It facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs of essential infrastructure. The Mission reached one border crossing point in areas not controlled by the Government. The SMM was restricted in its freedom of movement in areas not controlled by the Government*...

The SMM observed a high number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region, mostly in the Yasynuvata-Avdiivka area. In Luhansk region the situation remained relatively calm and a low number of ceasefire violations was recorded. The Mission continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons. The SMM observed the marking of mined areas in the security zone. It facilitated and monitored the retrieval of the body of a Ukrainian Armed Forces serviceman. The Mission reached four border crossing points in areas not controlled by the Government. The SMM encountered freedom of movement restrictions in areas not controlled by the Government.* In Kyiv, Kharkiv, Lviv and Odessa the SMM observed public demonstrations...

The SMM observed an increase in ceasefire violations around Donetsk city and in the Yasynuvata-Avdiivka area compared with 25 March. The situation in Luhansk region remained calm with no ceasefire violations recorded. The Mission observed the presence of mines and unexploded ordnance, and the marking off of mined areas in the security zone. It reached three border crossing points not controlled by the Government. The SMM faced a number of restrictions of its freedom of movement on both sides of the contact line...

The SMM observed a significant decrease in ceasefire violations in Donetsk region compared with the previous day, and several ceasefire violations in Luhansk region. The Mission continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons. It observed the presence of mines, marking off of mined areas and demining in the security zone. It reached border crossing points not controlled by the Government. The SMM faced a high number of restrictions of its freedom of movement, all in areas not controlled by the Government, including border areas...

The SMM continued to observe a tense situation around Donetsk city and Svitlodarsk, while the situation in Luhansk region remained stable. The Mission continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons and facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to essential infrastructure. It reached two border crossing points not controlled by the Government. The SMM faced restrictions of its freedom of movement in areas not controlled by the Government. Long queues of vehicles were observed at a checkpoint near the contact line. In Kyiv, the Mission monitored events related to the General Prosecutor’s Office...

The SMM observed a similarly high level of explosions in Donetsk region and an equally low level of ceasefire violations in Luhansk region compared to the previous day. The Mission continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons. It reached one border crossing point not controlled by the Government. Long queues of vehicles were observed at checkpoints near the contact line. The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to essential infrastructure. In Odessa, the Mission monitored a protest in support of Nadiya Savchenko...

On 17 April, at 18:30hrs, an SMM team, composed of eight staff from the Head Office and the Mariupol Hub and led by the SMM Deputy Chief Monitor, replaced the SMM team that was in the village since 06:40hrs the same day. The SMM located a suitable site to monitor the ceasefire as foreseen in the Minsk package. The SMM parked its two armoured vehicles close to a shelter which the team could use if needed. The SMM marked its location with large OSCE flags which could be illuminated in case of emergency. Throughout the night the OSCE SMM Unmanned/Unarmed Aerial Vehicle (UAV) hovered over Shyrokyne and environs, updating the SMM team in real-time about the situation in the area...

The SMM observed an increase in the number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region compared to the previous day. In Luhansk region the number of violations observed was similar to the previous day. The Mission continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons. It reached a border crossing point not controlled by the Government. Long queues of vehicles were observed at checkpoints near the contact line. The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to essential infrastructure. The SMM followed up on the situation affecting pensioners in areas close to the contact line. In Kyiv and Kharkiv, the Mission monitored public gatherings.

Following the escalation of violence in Shyrokyne (22km east of Mariupol) over the Orthodox Easter weekend, SMM Deputy Chief Monitor Alexander Hug and his team travelled to Mariupol on 13 April to spearhead efforts for a localised ceasefire. Since 13 April the SMM has visited Shyrokyne on a daily basis, engaging the two sides in a dialogue aiming at the cessation of hostilities. The SMM directly negotiated with the actors on the ground in an effort to gain unrestricted access to the village. Consequently, the SMM conducted a humanitarian assessment of the location, which included personal interaction with over 35 of the civilians left in the conflict-torn village.

The SMM observed a decrease in the number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region compared to previous days. The situation in Luhansk region remained stable. The Mission continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons. It observed a calm situation at border areas not controlled by the Government, and elsewhere faced restrictions to its freedom of movement*. The SMM monitored the humanitarian situation and freedom of movement for civilians near the contact line, and observed public gatherings in Kyiv and Kharkiv...