OSCE mini drone comes under fire in LPR-controlled area
A mini unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) belonging to the OSCE’s Special Monitoring Mission came under fire near Kalynove, an area controlled by the so-called Luhansk People’s Republic, according to a report released by the OSCE.
“The SMM heard four shots which it assessed as being fired from an assault rifle targeting the UAV. At the time of the incident, the UAV was flying 800 meters south-west of the launch site. The shots were fired from a location assessed as less than one kilometer west of the SMM’s position,” the report stated.
Just over an hour later, while attempting to conduct another observation flight with the same UAV near Kadiivka, the aerial vehicle again came under fire. The OSCE stated that 8 shots from what was assessed to be a pistol were fired at the UAV.
“As the SMM was leaving the scene, it saw two armed men coming out of a wooded area. Earlier that day, the SMM observed tracks consistent with either a self-propelled howitzer (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) or an armored personnel carrier (MT-LB) leading to the wooded area,” the report added.
Later on Monday night, a long-range UAV belonging to the SMM crashed in government-controlled Avdiivka, approximately 600 meters from the contact line. Ukrainian soldiers located the crash site and retrieved the UAV.