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The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in the disengagement areas and elsewhere, including at a checkpoint near Verkhnoshyrokivske.* The SMM saw damage to civilian properties from shelling near the Chervonyi Yar area of Luhansk city’s Zhovtnevyi district. It facilitated and monitored repairs and maintenance of essential infrastructure near Berezove, Vesela Hora and Artema. The SMM visited two border areas outside of government control.
In Donetsk region the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations,[1] including about 560 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 200 explosions).
On the evening and night of 7-8 December, the SMM camera at the Donetsk Filtration Station (15km north of Donetsk) recorded, in sequence, a projectile in flight from east to west, an undetermined explosion, a projectile from north-east to south-west, six projectiles from east to west and a projectile from north-west to south-east, followed by a total of 27 undetermined explosions, an airburst and 109 projectiles (61 from east to west and 48 from west to east), all 0.5-1.5km south. In the late afternoon of 8 December, the same camera recorded 12 undetermined explosions and 37 projectiles in flight from east to west, all 0.5-1.5km south.
During the day on 8 December, positioned at the railway station in “DPR”-controlled Yasynuvata (16km north-east of Donetsk) for two hours, the SMM heard 15 undetermined explosions and about 90 bursts and shots of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all 1-8km at directions ranging from south-west to north. The same day, positioned on the south-western edge of Yasynuvata for about four hours, the SMM heard about 160 undetermined explosions and about 330 bursts and shots of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all 1-7km at directions ranging from south-west to north, as well as about ten undetermined explosions 8-10km north-north-west.
On the evening of 7 December, the SMM camera in government-controlled Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk) recorded a projectile in flight from north to south, followed by nine projectiles from south to north, all 3-5km east-south-east. The following day, positioned on the south-western edge of Avdiivka for about five hours, the SMM heard about 40 undetermined explosions and about 20 bursts of small-arms fire, all 2-4km at directions ranging from east to south. Positioned at the same location, the SMM heard 13 undetermined explosions and a total of 30 minutes of uncountable overlapping bursts and shots of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all 5-7km west and assessed as live-fire training inside the security zone, in violation of the decision of the Trilateral Contact Group of 3 March 2016 that prohibits the conduct of live-fire training (exercises) in the security zone.
On the morning of 8 December, positioned in “DPR”-controlled Oleksandrivka (20km south-west of Donetsk), the SMM heard 20 undetermined explosions 6-8km north-west, and small-arms fire 2-3km west-north-west. In the afternoon, positioned at the central railway station in “DPR”-controlled Donetsk city (6km north-west of city centre), the SMM heard an undetermined explosion 5-7km north-north-east; and five undetermined explosions and about ten bursts and shots of small-arms fire, all 2-6km west-north-west.
On the evening of 7 December, while in “DPR”-controlled Horlivka (39km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard 14 explosions – four assessed as outgoing rounds of recoilless-gun (SPG-9, 73mm) and infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (BMP-1) cannon (73mm) fire, five as impacts of rocket-propelled grenades (RPG-7) and the remainder undetermined – and about 140 bursts and shots of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all 4-6km at directions ranging from south-west to north-west. The following day, positioned on the western edge of Horlivka, the SMM heard 13 undetermined explosions 2-4km south-west.
During the day on 8 December, while in government-controlled Svitlodarsk (57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard about 20 undetermined explosions 3-5km south-east and about 70 undetermined explosions and heavy-machine-gun fire, all 3-5km south-west. The same day, positioned 2.3km north-west of “DPR”-controlled Debaltseve (58km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard about 90 undetermined explosions and about ten bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire, all 7-20km north-west and west-north-west; and about ten shots of small-arms fire 2-3km west.
On the morning of 8 December, positioned 1km north-north-west of government-controlled Pyshchevyk (25km north-east of Mariupol), the SMM heard 22 undetermined explosions at least 5km west, and ten undetermined explosions at least 5km north-west. In the afternoon, positioned 2km south of “DPR”-controlled Sakhanka (24km north-east of Mariupol), the SMM heard four undetermined explosions at unknown distances west-north-west and about 50 bursts and shots of small-arms fire 0.5-1km west. It also heard about 70 shots and bursts of small-arms fire 0.5-1km east, assessed as live-fire training inside the security zone, in violation of the decision of the Trilateral Contact Group of 3 March 2016 that prohibits the conduct of live-fire training (exercises) in the security zone.
In Luhansk region the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including, however, fewer explosions (about 70), compared with the previous reporting period (about 120 explosions).
During the day on 8 December, while in “LPR”-controlled Luhansk city centre, the SMM heard three explosions assessed as impacts of artillery or mortar rounds 10-15km north-west.
The same day, positioned in “LPR”-controlled Vesela Hora (16km north of Luhansk), the SMM heard seven explosions assessed as mortar (120mm) rounds 5-6km west and eight explosions assessed as mortar (120mm) rounds 5-7km north.
Positioned 2.5km south-west of “LPR”-controlled Obozne (18km north of Luhansk), the SMM heard six explosions assessed as outgoing rounds 10-15km north-north-west and their subsequent impacts 10-15km north-north-east.