Ukrainian troops attacked OSCE SMM drone in Donbas - LPR
LUHANSK. Oct 18 (Interfax) - The observers from the Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) recorded small-arms fire at one of its unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), which was performing monitoring near the contact line in Donbas, the OSCE SMM press service told Interfax.
"While conducting a mini-UAV flight over areas north of Sentianivka (nongovernment-controlled, formerly Frunze, 44km west of Luhansk), the mission heard 70 shots of small-arms fire at an assessed range of 2.5-3km north-east, in an area where the UAV was flying at the time," the press service said.
The monitors landed the drone safely, it said.
The militia of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic (LPR), in turn, said it had recorded the attack on the OSCE SMM drone near the settlement of Novotoshkovske and said Ukrainian troops were responsible.
"On October 16, our observation posts in the populated locality of Frunze recorded about 80 salvos from an anti-aircraft mount at the unmanned aerial vehicle of the OSCE SMM flying in this area from the positions of the 14th brigade of the armed formations of Ukraine deployed near the populated locality of Novotoshkovske," LPR militia spokesperson Yakov Osadchy told journalists.
The observers were forced to land the UAV and leave the area of monitoring, Osadchy said.
"The fight against OSCE drones is also being conducted by the commander of the 46th brigade, Kotenko, who sent a mobile jamming squad to the line of contact in the area of the populated locality of Bolotene," Osadchy said.