LUHANSK. Nov 7 (Interfax) - Monitors from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Special Monitoring Mission (OSCE SMM) in Ukraine recorded small-arms fire aimed at the mission's unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) monitoring the situation in the area of the community of Metalist in Donbas, the OSCE SMM said.
"On 5 November, positioned about 3km south-west of Metalist, while conducting a mini UAV flight, the SMM heard about 100 shots of small-arms fire at an assessed range of 0.8- 1km north-west, assessed as aimed at the UAV, which was flying over areas about 1.3km north-west of its position," the OSCE SMM press service said in a statement.
"The SMM safely landed the UAV and left the area," it said.
The self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) said the Ukrainian government forces were to blame for firing at the OSCE SMM drone.
"Our observation posts monitoring the positions of the 46th Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces stationed near the community of Kondrashevska recorded small-arms fire opened upon an OSCE Mission UAV flying in the area of Metalist," LPR people's militia spokesperson Ivan Filiponenko said.
The Ukrainian government forces obstruct flights of OSCE SMM drones in Donbas to prevent them from spotting their military hardware deployed along the line of contact in violation of the Minsk Agreements, Filiponenko said.