The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine recorded 391 ceasefire violations in Donbas over the weekend.
"In Donetsk region, between the evenings of April 23 and April 25, the SMM recorded 382 ceasefire violations, including 297 undetermined explosions," the OSCE SMM said in a daily report on April 26, 2021.
It says most of the ceasefire violations, including the majority of explosions, occurred: on the evening of April 23 in areas southeasterly of Avdiyivka (government-controlled, 17km north of Donetsk) and at westerly directions of Donetsk (non-government-controlled); on the morning and evening of April 24 at westerly directions of Horlivka (non-government-controlled, 39km north-east of Donetsk); and during the evenings of April 23 and April 24 at northerly directions of Shyrokyne (government-controlled, 100km south of Donetsk).
In Luhansk region, between the evenings of April 23 and April 25, the Mission recorded nine ceasefire violations, including two undetermined explosions.
Seven ceasefire violations occurred during the nights of April 23-24 and April 24-25 in areas east-south-east of Stanytsia Luhanska (government-controlled, 16km north-east of Luhansk). In the previous reporting period, the Mission recorded two ceasefire violations.
Read alsoDonbas warzone update: One WIA amid nine truce violations on April 26It also reports the Mission's freedom of movement continued to be restricted.
In particular, according to the OSCE SMM's spot report of April 26, members of the armed formations again denied the SMM passage at the checkpoint near the village of Olenivka in Donetsk region.
On the morning of April 26, an SMM patrol travelling from non-government-controlled Donetsk city, consisting of two vehicles, one trailer and five mission members, arrived at the checkpoint of the armed formations near Olenivka (non-government-controlled, 23km south-west of Donetsk) to conduct an exchange of trailers with a second SMM patrol arriving from government-controlled areas. At 10:35, while at the checkpoint, a member of the armed formations approached the first patrol and asked the SMM to open the doors and trunks of the SMM vehicles for a visual inspection. The patrol refused the request and remained stationary at the checkpoint.
At 11:05, members of the armed formations requested that each mission member fill out a "declaration of goods" indicating everything in the SMM vehicles and the trailer. The patrol refused to do so.
"At 12:50, members of the armed formations handed over a document to the patrol stating that the Mission cannot cross the checkpoint. At 13:30, the patrol left the checkpoint and returned to Donetsk city," the report says.
Since March 1, the Mission has faced similar denials in Donetsk region six times: three times at the same checkpoint of the armed formations near Olenivka, on March 1, March 15, and April 17; and three times at the checkpoint near Oleksandrivka (non-government-controlled, 20km south-west of Donetsk), on March 31, April 2, and April 8.
