News and press releases

On 12 April an SMM patrol consisting of five members and two armoured vehicles was travelling from government-controlled Katerynivka (64km west of Luhansk) to Popasna (69km west of Luhansk), 1.2km west of Zolote/Pervomaisk disengagement area. At 10:07, while driving, the SMM heard one undetermined explosion and saw black smoke in a forested area 200-250m south of its position. Less than a minute later, while the SMM continued driving west for about 100 metres to leave the area, the SMM heard another undetermined explosion at an unknown distance and direction. At 12:35 the patrol safely arrived at its base in Sievierodonetsk. No SMM members were hurt or vehicles damaged...

The SMM observed more ceasefire violations in Donetsk but fewer in Luhansk region compared with the previous 24 hours. The Mission heard small-arms fire assessed as aimed at an SMM unmanned aerial vehicle flying near Staryi Aidar. It followed up on reports of civilian casualties and damage to residences from shelling and gunfire in Dokuchaievsk, Marinka and Khreshchatytske. The SMM monitored the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske, but its access there and elsewhere remained restricted.* The Mission observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. It visited four border areas currently not controlled by the Government. The SMM continued to monitor the status of the blockade of railway routes, noting that obstacles on the railroad tracks near Hirske were no longer present. The Mission monitored the continuation of protests in Poltava, Kyiv and Kharkiv. In Kyiv it also followed up on a media report of an explosion at a cafe...

Kamensk-Shakhtinskiy, Russian Federation. The Observer Mission (OM) continues to operate 24/7 at both Border Crossing Points (BCPs). The overall number of border crossings by persons decreased at both BCPs...

On 11 April an SMM patrol consisting of five monitors and two armoured vehicles was positioned about 2.5km south of government-controlled Staryi Aidar (20km north-west of Luhansk) and about 2km north-west of the contact line.

The SMM observed more ceasefire violations in Donetsk but fewer in Luhansk region compared with the previous 24 hours. The Mission followed up on reports of civilian casualties and damage from gunfire, and shelling in residential areas in Dokuchaievsk, Donetsk city, Khreshchatytske and Donetskyi. The Mission monitored the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske, but its access there and elsewhere remained restricted.

Between the evenings of 7 and 8 April the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. Between the evenings of 8 and 9 April the Mission recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region compared with the previous 24-hour period. The Mission observed fresh impact sites caused by shelling and gunfire inside the disengagement area in Stanytsia Luhanska, as well as in Sokilnyky and Novozvanivka. The Mission monitored the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske, but its access there and elsewhere remained restricted...

On 8 April, an SMM patrol of five monitors in two armoured vehicles was on its way to the government-controlled checkpoint in Maiorsk (45km north-east of Donetsk) to monitor the crossing of the contact line by two Russian Federation Armed Forces representatives of the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC)...