Spot report by the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), 16 December 2014: OSCE SMM Patrol caught up in small arms crossfire

An SMM patrol of two armoured vehicles was caught up in small arms crossfire directed at Ukrainian military vehicles at the Donetsk International Airport. No injuries to SMM personnel or damage to SMM vehicles were caused.

Detail

On 15 December, the SMM monitored the rotation of Ukrainian army personnel based at Donetsk International Airport. The SMM observed two green military trucks carrying 36 Ukrainian soldiers and a third military truck containing food, water and supplies. The trucks were driven by “Donetsk People’s Republic” (“DPR”) members, as previously agreed and arranged by both sides, to the south side of the airport terminal. There, the three military trucks were handed over to the Ukrainian Army, which drove them in a northerly direction to their positions within the airport.

At approximately 16:50hrs, the same three Ukrainian military vehicles were observed by the SMM, driving towards where the SMM had parked its vehicles, on the roadway south of the terminal building. As the three trucks returned southwards, now driven by Ukrainian military personnel, and approached the position where the SMM patrol and the “DPR” vehicles were located, the Ukrainian military vehicles came under automatic rifle fire from a westerly direction. The Ukrainian military vehicles continued to take fire as they passed the SMM patrol and “DPR” vehicles.

There were no injuries or damages sustained by the SMM, Ukrainian military personnel and “DPR” members. The SMM patrol returned safely to base at 17:58hrs.