OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) Daily Report 88/2021 issued on 17 April 2021

Summary

• In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded 199 ceasefire violations. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 1,591 ceasefire violations in the region, 1,528 of which were assessed as a probable live-fire exercise in a non-government-controlled area of Donetsk region.
• In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded no ceasefire violations. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 51 ceasefire violations in the region.
• Small-arms fire was assessed as directed at SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicles on three occasions near government-controlled Verkhnotoretske, and near non-government-controlled Yasne and Syhnalne, Donetsk region.
• The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske.
• The SMM spotted anti-tank mines near Dolomitne, Holmivskyi, Uzhivka, Marinka and Donetsk city, some for the first time.
• The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to localized ceasefires to enable maintenance and operation of critical civilian infrastructure.
• The Mission continued following up on the situation of civilians, including at six entry-exit checkpoints and four corresponding checkpoints of the armed formations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• The Mission saw trucks and cars bearing the logos of an international humanitarian organisation cross the contact line and travel towards non-government-controlled areas near Olenivka, Donetsk region.
• The SMM’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted. Its UAVs again experienced multiple instances of GPS signal interference, assessed as caused by probable jamming and its long-range UAV flight was again cancelled due to dual GPS signal interference, assessed as caused by jamming.*