OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) Daily Report 172/2020 issued on 21 July 2020

Summary

• Compared with the previous 24 hours, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• An explosion occurred near an SMM patrol close to Zalizne.
• The Mission lost spatial control of one of its mini-unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), due to signal interference, while flying over the disengagement area near Zolote.
• Small-arms fire was assessed as directed at SMM mini-UAVs near Chermalyk and Pishchane, Donetsk region.
• The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. In the evening hours, it saw people within former positions inside the disengagement areas near Zolote and Petrivske.
• The SMM saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines in non-government-controlled areas of Donetsk region.
• The Mission continued following up on the situation of civilians amid the COVID-19 outbreak, including at entry-exit checkpoints and corresponding checkpoints in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• The SMM’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted, including at a checkpoint near non-government-controlled Kreminets, Donetsk region.*