OSCE patrol comes under fire near Zolote – report

A patrol of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) came under fire near the village of Zolote-5 (non-government-controlled, 58km west of Luhansk), according to a report published by SMM on February 26.

“On the morning of 26 February, an SMM patrol consisting of six members and two armoured vehicles was positioned on the western edge of Zolote-5. Three patrol members were standing next to the vehicles and the others were inside them. Despite security guarantees having been provided, at 12:18, the SMM patrol members who were standing next to their vehicles heard about five shots of small-arms fire approximately 200m west-north-west, followed by the sound of bullets flying about 10m over their heads;” the report says.

It is noted that the SMM patrol was monitoring the security situation in the area to enable repair works to water pipes in Zolote-5/Mykhailivka. Six employees of the Luhansk Water Company were conducting the repair works about 100m west-north-west of the SMM’s position.

“The three SMM patrol members took cover on the ground and then inside their vehicles and saw the Luhansk Water Company employees taking cover behind a tractor,” the report says.

The SMM patrol and the Luhansk Water Company employees departed the area at 12:20. No injuries or damage to property were reported.

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