OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) Daily Report 248/2020 issued on 17 October 2020

Summary

• The SMM recorded nine ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and one in Luhansk region. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 60 ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and three in Luhansk region.
• Three men were injured due to the explosion of a device while fighting a wildfire near government-controlled Syze, Luhansk region.
• The Mission lost spatial control of a mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) near the train station in government-controlled Rubizhne due to signal interference. The UAV was recovered undamaged.
• The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. During evening hours, an SMM long-range UAV spotted people inside the disengagement area near Zolote.
• The Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to localised ceasefires to enable repairs to and the operation of critical civilian infrastructure.
• The SMM continued following up on the situation of civilians amid the COVID-19 pandemic. It noted that the entry-exit checkpoint in Luhansk region remained closed.
• The Mission’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted.*