OSCE SMM detects minefield in occupied Donbas

“The Mission observed that a previously spotted transparent plastic bag filled with about 20 anti-personnel mines (assessed as PMN-2-type) lying on the ground about 2km north of Petrivske and about 170m east of road C051532, between Styla (non-government-controlled, 34km south of Donetsk) and Petrivske, was no longer present,” reads the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine daily report issued on 24 November.

Instead, a minefield warning sign appeared in the area.

“Three meters west of the same road, about 2.4 km north of Petrivske, the Mission saw for the first time a red rectangular sign with “Danger Mines” written in Russian and a white skull and crossbones in the centre, marking a known minefield,” the OSCE SMM to Ukraine reports.

The OSCE SMM’s report issued on 10 November indicated that a transparent plastic bag filled with about 20 anti-personnel mines (assessed as PMN-2 type) lying on the ground had been spotted by an SMM mini-UAV in the non-government-controlled area between Styla and Petrivske on 9 November.

Earlier, the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine informed the OSCE about the destruction of more than 3 million prohibited anti-personnel mines within the framework of its obligations under the Ottawa Treaty. In particular, Ukraine destroyed all PMN-2 anti-personnel mines under international supervision by 2011.

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