Daily and spot reports from the Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous 24 hours. The SMM again asked armed forces and formations what orders or codes of conduct they had received following the recommitment to cease fire from 25 August, as well as instructions on interaction with the SMM. 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 at a heavy weapons holding area outside government control in Donetsk region.* The SMM saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Anadol. It facilitated and monitored repairs and maintenance to the Horlivka-Toretsk pipeline and a water pipe near Novotoshkivske. It continued to monitor the start of the school year on both sides of the contact line. The Mission visited a border area not under government control. The SMM monitored two gatherings in Kyiv....

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions between the evenings of 1 and 2 September compared with the previous reporting period. Between the evenings of 2 and 3 September the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and a similar number in Luhansk region compared with the previous 24 hours. The SMM asked armed forces and formations what orders or codes of conduct they had received following the recommitment to cease fire from 25 August; none were able to produce copies of such orders or codes of conduct. 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 Verkhnoshyrokivske.* The SMM followed up on reports of a civilian casualty in Stanytsia Luhanska. The Mission visited three border areas not under government control...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region compared with the previous reporting period and no ceasefire violations in Luhansk region. The SMM followed up on reports of a fatality in Hirske. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske and observed a calm situation. Its access remained restricted in the disengagement areas and elsewhere, including in Verkhnoshyrokivske and at a checkpoint in Yasynuvata.* It saw a mortar in violation of the withdrawal lines in Avdiivka. The SMM monitored the start of the school year on both sides of the contact line and observed a calm situation...

The SMM recorded a similar number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations inside the Petrivske area and near the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in the disengagement areas and elsewhere, including near Novoazovsk.* The Mission saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. It facilitated and monitored repairs and maintenance of essential infrastructure in Shchastia, Krasnyi Lyman, Vesela Hora and Zolote. The Mission spoke with teachers on both sides of the contact line ahead of the start of the school year. The SMM followed up on reports that a member of the Kharkiv Regional Council had been attacked...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including more explosions, in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas; it recorded a ceasefire violation near Stanytsia Luhanska. Its access remained restricted in the disengagement areas and elsewhere, including in Horlivka and Rozivka. A “DPR” member again prevented the SMM from flying its unmanned aerial vehicle over the Donetsk Filtration Station. Aerial imagery available to the SMM revealed the presence of four self-propelled howitzers in violation of withdrawal lines near Ternove. The Mission continued to facilitate and monitor repairs and maintenance to infrastructure in Vesela Hora, Shchastia and Krasnyi Lyman. The SMM visited a border area not under government control in Luhansk region. In Poltava region, the Mission monitored four public gatherings...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM followed up on information of a civilian injured by shelling in Lukove. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas and recorded ceasefire violations near the Petrivske, Zolote and Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement areas. Its access remains restricted there and elsewhere, including at a checkpoint in Novoazovsk. An SMM unmanned aerial vehicle spotted weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Kremenivka, Sakhanka, and Bezimenne. The SMM also noted that a previously observed hand grenade and UXO close to civilian infrastructure near Stanytsia Luhanska bridge and Novohryhorivka, respectively, had been removed. The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repairs and maintenance to infrastructure in Zolote, Vesela Hora, Shchastia, and Krasnyi Lyman...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous 24 hours. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas and recorded ceasefire violations in the vicinity of the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area and it saw a grenade fixed to a fence in a passageway used by pedestrians on the south side of the bridge. Its access remains restricted in the disengagement areas and elsewhere, including again in Verkhnoshyrokivske and to a heavy weapons holding area not under government control. An SMM unmanned aerial vehicle spotted weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Oleksandropil and Zelene Pole. The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repairs and maintenance to infrastructure in Zolote and Krasnyi Lyman. The Mission visited three border areas not under government control...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions between the evenings of 25 and 26 August compared with the previous reporting period. Between the evenings of 26 and 27 August, it recorded a similar number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region, but fewer in Luhansk region compared with the previous 24 hours. The Mission followed up on reports of a civilian casualty from Petrovskyi district of Donetsk city. The SMM saw damage to civilian properties caused by shelling in Lukove and assessed impact sites there and in Shyrokyne. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas; its access remains restricted there and elsewhere, including again at a non-government-controlled checkpoint in Verkhnoshyrokivske and to a Ukrainian Armed Forces heavy weapons holding area. The Mission observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. The Mission continued to observe the presence of mine hazard signs along the Berdianske seashore near a group of people. The SMM visited one border area not under government control in Luhansk region...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous 24 hours, following the recommitment to the ceasefire. In government-controlled Arkhanhelske, the Mission heard small-arms fire assessed as targeting its unmanned aerial vehicle.* The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas; its access remained restricted there and elsewhere, including in government-controlled Trokhizbenka and at a weapons permanent storage site in a non-government-controlled area of Donetsk region.* The Mission observed self-propelled howitzers in government-controlled Oleksandropil in violation of withdrawal lines. The SMM observed, for the first time, the presence of 25 anti-tank mines about 600m north-west of the entry-exit checkpoint near Marinka. The Mission continued to facilitate and monitor repairs and maintenance to the power plant in Shchastia. The SMM visited one border area not under government control in Luhansk region. The Mission followed up on reports of explosions in Kyiv. It also monitored a gathering in Odessa...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions between the evenings of 22 and 23 August compared with the previous reporting period. Between the evenings of 23 and 24 August, it recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region, but fewer in Luhansk region compared with the previous 24 hours. The Mission followed up on reports of civilian casualties in Berezove and Raihorodka. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas and recorded ceasefire violations in the Zolote area. Its access remained restricted in the disengagement areas and elsewhere, including in Verkhnoshyrokivske.* The SMM observed damage to civilian properties and infrastructure in Sakhanka, Pervomaisk, Malynove and Orikhove-Donetske. The Mission visited three border areas not under government control. It observed public celebrations in several locations and followed up on reports of an explosion in Kyiv...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission followed up on reports of civilian casualties, including a boy who was critically injured when an unexploded ordnance exploded in Teple and two boys who suffered burns following a gunpowder explosion in Novoaidar. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas and recorded a ceasefire violation inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in the disengagement areas and elsewhere, including in Novoazovsk and Verkhnoshyrokivske.* The Mission observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repairs and maintenance to infrastructure in Shchastia, Artema, Zolote and Pivdenne. The Mission monitored the situation along the administrative boundary line between Kherson and Crimea...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous 24 hours. The Mission followed up on a report of a civilian casualty in Yasynuvata. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas and recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in the disengagement areas and elsewhere, including in Novolaspa and Kreminets.* The SMM observed unexploded ordnance near Zolote. The Mission continued to facilitate and monitor repairs and maintenance to a power plant in Shchastia. The Mission visited three border areas not under government control...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region between the evenings of 18 and 19 August – including, however, fewer explosions – compared with the previous 24 hours. Between the evenings of 19 and 20 August, it recorded more ceasefire violations compared with the previous 24 hours. In Dokuchaievsk, the Mission heard small-arms fire assessed as targeting its unmanned aerial vehicle.* In Luhansk region between the evenings of 18 and 19 August, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations compared with the previous 24 hours. Between the evenings of 19 and 20 August, it recorded more ceasefire violations compared with the previous 24 hours. The Mission followed up on a report of civilian casualties in Petrovskyi district of Donetsk city. It observed damage to residential areas due to shelling in Dokuchaievsk, Yasynuvata and an area of Luhansk city. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas and recorded ceasefire violations assessed as inside the Stanytsia Luhanska area. The Mission resumed permanent presence of monitoring officers in Stanytsia Luhanska. Its access remained restricted in the three disengagement areas and elsewhere, including in Horlivka and Verkhnoshyrokivske.* The Mission observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines in Kalmiuske. It facilitated access for a fire brigade to extinguish a fire in Avdiivka. The SMM visited two border areas not under government control in Luhansk region.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions, however more explosions in Luhansk region, compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM continued monitoring the Zolote and Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement areas and recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote disengagement area. Its access there and elsewhere remained restricted, including in Verkhnoshyrokivske.* The Mission saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines in Stanytsia Luhanska. The SMM observed unexploded ordnance near Staromarivka and in the centre of Pikuzy. It again facilitated and monitored mine and unexploded ordnance clearance, co-ordinated by the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination, enabling the SMM to travel the M03 road between Svitlodarsk and Debaltseve. The Mission continued to facilitate and monitor repairs and maintenance to infrastructure in Shchastia, Popasna and Stanytsia Luhanska. It visited two border areas not under government control in Luhansk region. The SMM monitored a protest in Odessa.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas and recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas.* The SMM observed up to several hundred civilians queuing to walk across the contact line at the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge. The Mission continued to facilitate and monitor repairs and maintenance to infrastructure in Shchastia, Artema, Yashchykove and Zolote.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission followed up further on reports of civilian casualties in Shyrokyi and Sakhanka. It observed damage to residences in Novoluhanske due to shelling. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas and recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote and Petrivske areas. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas – in Petrivske, an armed man required the Mission to end an unmanned aerial vehicle flight – and elsewhere, including in Siedove and Verkhnoshyrokivske.* The SMM observed a mine hazard sign and unexploded ordnance near Nova Marivka. The Mission continued to facilitate and monitor repairs and maintenance to infrastructure in Shchastia and Artema. It monitored a peaceful gathering in Kyiv.

The SMM recorded a similar number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas and recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote disengagement area; its access remained restricted there and elsewhere.* The SMM followed up on reports of civilian casualties in Stanytsia Luhanska and Sakhanka. The Mission facilitated and monitored ongoing repairs to essential infrastructure in Luhansk region.

The SMM recorded a similar number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer ceasefire violations in Luhansk region compared with the previous 24 hours. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote disengagement area. The Mission’s access was restricted in all three disengagement areas.*

Between the evenings of 11 and 12 August the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. Between the evenings of 12 and 13 August the Mission recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region compared with the previous 24 hours. In the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area, an armed man pointed his assault rifle at SMM patrol members and threatened to shoot them.* The Mission followed up on a report of a civilian casualty in Dokuchaievsk; a “DPR” member told the Mission he could not provide detailed information about the incident without the permission of other “DPR” members.*

On 13 August at 09:45, an SMM patrol consisting of four members was on foot immediately south of the broken section of the pedestrian bridge south of government-controlled Stanytsia Luhanska (16km north-east of Luhansk), next to a forward “LPR” position inside the disengagement area...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; its access was restricted there and elsewhere, including in Novoazovsk.* The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines in Luhansk city. The Mission continued to facilitate and monitor repair and maintenance of infrastructure in Shchastia and Zolote. It again facilitated and monitored mine and unexploded ordnance (UXO) clearance, co-ordinated by the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC), enabling the SMM to travel the M03 road between Svitlodarsk and Debaltseve. The Mission visited two border areas not under government control in Luhansk region...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. In Pikuzy, the SMM heard small-arms fire in the area where it was flying an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), assessed as aimed at the UAV whose footage “DPR” members later threatened to “seize”. It continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske where the possible presence of mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) continued to restrict the SMM’s access. Armed men continued to deny the SMM access into Novoazovsk and restricted its freedom of movement in Verkhnoshyrokivske and Staromykhailivka. The Mission visited one border area not under government control in Luhansk region...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM observed bullet impacts to one of its newly installed cameras at the Donetsk Filtration Station which rendered the camera inoperable. Near Vasylivka it heard shots and bursts of small-arms fire in the area where it was flying its unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), assessed as being aimed at the UAV. It continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; its access remained restricted there and elsewhere, including in Novoazovsk, Oleksandrivske and Horlivka.* The Mission saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines in Sievierodonetsk and in Slovianoserbsk. It observed that mines had been placed back on the road between Svitlodarsk and Debaltseve. The SMM visited two border areas not under government control in Luhansk region.

On 8 August, at 20:20 the SMM lost signal of its newly-installed cameras – one thermal and one CCTV – on the roof of the Donetsk Filtration Station’s (DFS) office building (see picture). The DFS is located between government-controlled Avdiivka and “DPR”-controlled Yasynuvata, about 15km north of Donetsk city. On 9 August, an SMM patrol inspected the cameras at the DFS and found out that the thermal camera had been damaged by small-arms fire...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; its access remained restricted there and elsewhere, including in Verkhnoshyrokivske.* It followed up on reports from 2 August of an explosion near non-government controlled Voznesenivka. The Mission saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. It facilitated and monitored repairs to a water pipe in Zolote, the Petrivske pumping station and the Shchastia power plant. It facilitated and monitored mine and unexploded ordnance (UXO) clearance, co-ordinated by the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC), enabling the SMM to pass along the M03 road between Svitlodarsk and Debaltseve. The SMM observed a protest outside the Regional Prosecutor’s office in Lviv.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, but more explosions in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous 24 hours. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas. The SMM camera in the Zolote disengagement area recorded one ceasefire violation on the night of 5 August, assessed as outside the disengagement area. The Mission’s access remained restricted there and elsewhere. Armed “DPR” members impeded the SMM’s access to areas south and east of Novoazovsk near the border with the Russian Federation not under government control. The Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) was unable to facilitate the demining of the Shchastia bridge where the SMM was again denied access and its unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) again spotted anti-tank mines south of the bridge.* The Mission confirmed reports of civilian casualties in Dachne and followed up on reports of shelling in Zaporozhets. The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs of a water pipeline in Zolote. The Mission visited two border areas not under government control*.

Between the evenings of 4 and 5 August the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. Between the evenings of 5 and 6 August, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region compared with the previous 24 hours. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote disengagement area. Its access remained restricted there and in “DPR”-controlled Novoazovsk and Verkhnoshyrokivske.* It facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to a water pipe in Zolote. The SMM monitored two border areas not under government control.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk and in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas. Its access remained restricted there and elsewhere*, including again at an entry-exit checkpoint in Verkhnoshyrokivske, where armed men impeded the SMM from crossing the contact line into areas east of Mariupol for the eighth consecutive day. The SMM observed weapons in violation of the respective withdrawal lines in Kostiantynivka, Muratove and Sofiivka. It observed tanks outside the designated storage sites in Mykolaivka and Ternove. The Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable ongoing repair to infrastructure, including a water pipeline, a pumping station and a power plant in Luhansk region. The SMM monitored two border areas not under government control.

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 recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote disengagement area. Its access remained restricted there and elsewhere*, including at Verkhnoshyrokivske, where armed “DPR” members impeded the SMM’s access to areas east of Mariupol for a seventh consecutive day. SMM personnel and civilian contractors installing an SMM camera at the Donetsk Filtration Station were forced to take shelter when small-arms fire erupted nearby, despite written security guarantees provided by the sides. The Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to infrastructure, including a water pipeline, a pumping station and a power plant in Luhansk region. At a government-controlled checkpoint near Popasna, the SMM observed a mortar explosion 500m from its position; no injuries or damage were reported. The SMM monitored two border areas not under government control...

From 09:40 on 3 August, an SMM patrol consisting of ten members, including four workers contracted by the SMM, and three armoured vehicles was positioned at the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS). The DFS is located between government-controlled Avdiivka and “DPR”-controlled Yasynuvata- about 15km north of Donetsk city. The SMM patrol was monitoring works for the installation of an SMM camera on the roof of the DFS office building by the contracted workers. The Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) had facilitated security guarantees for a ceasefire within a 15km radius in order for the SMM to install the camera...