OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) Daily Report 244/2021 issued on 18 October 2021

Summary

• In Donetsk region, between the evenings of 15 and 17 October, the SMM recorded 734 ceasefire violations, including 139 explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 236 ceasefire violations in the region.
• In Luhansk region, between the evenings of 15 and 17 October, the Mission recorded 78 ceasefire violations, including 13 explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 273 ceasefire violations in the region.
• From 17 to 18 October, members of the armed formations prevented the SMM from leaving its Forward Patrol Base in non-government-controlled Horlivka, Donetsk region.*
• The Mission saw that a gathering in front of the hotel where Mission members reside in non-government-controlled Donetsk city continued, and there was no patrol movement in and out of its premises on 16 and 17 October. The gathering continued on 18 October.*
• The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske.* It recorded ceasefire violations inside the disengagement areas near Zolote and Petrivske.
• The Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to localized ceasefires to enable the operation and construction of critical civilian infrastructure.
• The SMM monitored the security situation along the Black Sea coast.
• The Mission continued following up on the situation of civilians, including at three entry-exit checkpoints and the corresponding checkpoints of the armed formations in Luhansk region.
• The SMM’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted, including at the corresponding checkpoint of the armed formations near Kreminets, Donetsk region and a checkpoint of the armed formations south of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge, Luhansk region. Its unmanned aerial vehicles again experienced multiple instances of jamming.*