The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine has spotted a military column entering the Russian-occupied city of Luhansk.

21 November, OSCE Special Monitoring Mission observed a convoy of vehicles consisting of at least six military style trucks, two APCs, a mounted ZU-23 and over 20 civilian cars without registration plates with at least 50 armed men on the road near Debaltseve (Donetsk region). A similar convoy, likely the same was observed later by a different SMM patrol in Vesela Tarasivka (15km west of Luhansk) moving in the direction of Luhansk city.

Also, in Luhansk city the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission observed the presence of military-type vehicles and armed men in the area around the building previously housing the Department of the Ministry of Interior of Ukraine in Luhansk region.

• military-type vehicles and armed men in the area around the building previously housing the Department of the Ministry of Interior of Ukraine in Luhansk

TV broadcast and internet access were reportedly blocked across the city, according to local residents’ postings on social networks.

In the region, there is a situation in which the separatist regime is trying to divide power among themselves.

Given the escalation of the situation in certain districts of Luhansk region, President Petro Poroshenko held an extraordinary meeting of the Military Cabinet of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine.

The Head of State heard the report on the recent developments from the senior military officials, particularly as regards the illegal crossing of the Ukrainian border in Krasnodon district of Luhansk region by Russian tanks, as well as the increasing frequency of provocations by militants.

“Given the increasing number of Russian servicemen and intensification of the mercenaries’ activities, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are ready for any developments to guarantee security of civilians,” Petro Poroshenko emphasized.

The Head of State also instructed the Ukrainian representative in the Joint Control and Coordination Center for the issues of ceasefire and stabilization of the delimitation line to intensify interaction with the OSCE SMM and inform our western allies.