OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) analyzed crater from shells in Sartana and concluded that the majority of them are caused by shelling from the east.
“In government-controlled Sartana (15km north-east of Mariupol), the SMM observed and carried out analysis on 11 craters, concluding that either 122 or 152mm artillery rounds – mostly fired from the east – had caused thed,” reads the mission’s repor as of 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 17.
In addition, while flying over government-controlled Lebedynske (16km east of Mariupol), Lomakyne (16km north-east of Mariupol), Sartana and Talakivka (17km north-east of Mariupol), the SMM UAVs observed many fresh shelling craters both in fields and in inhabited areas.
In militants-controlled areas, SMM UAVs spotted nine main battle tanks (MBT) in Starolaspa (60km north-east of Mariupol), one MBT in Novolaspa (60km north-east-north of Mariupol), three artillery pieces in Oktiabr (30km north-east of Mariupol) and four towed artillery pieces covered by camouflage netting in Zaichenko (26km north-east of Mariupol).
In government-controlled areas, SMM UAVs spotted: one MBT in Hranitne (48km north-east of Mariupol), five self-propelled howitzers and one command vehicle in Pryovrazhne (20km north-east of Mariupol) and two heavy artillery pieces in Aslanove (15km north-east of Mariupol).
