The SMM, together with Australian and Dutch experts, visited the crash site of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17. The convoy comprised 25 vehicles, including a bus and two mobile ambulances. The crossing of territories controlled by Ukrainian government or the so-called "Donetsk People's Republic" ("DPR") or the so-called "Luhansk People's Republic" ("LPR") went smoothly and was well organized. The SMM observed a new checkpoint positioned at Mius (14 km south-east of Debaltseve). At the Ukrainian checkpoint in Debaltseve (70 km north-east of Donetsk), the agreed ceasefire seemed to hold. About 10 kilometres south of Mius, the SMM was met by an "LPR" escort, and drove to the main wreckage site.

The SMM saw several instances of artillery impacts at 7-10 kilometres southwest of the crash site between 13:03-14:19hrs. The expert teams recovered some human remains. The Australian expert team wanted to operate an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in order to access areas such as fields, without damaging them. However, neither the "LPR" nor "DPR" representatives agreed to UAV use. After about five hours, the SMM left the site. The Australian and Dutch expert teams then left for Soledar (98 km northeast of Donetsk), where a forward operating base has been established. This base, closer to the crash site than Donetsk, will now become the main forward hub for investigative activity.

○ MH-17 Joint Dutch/Australian Forward Operating Base in Soledar - Aug. 2, 2014
○ Latest Ukraine Mission News @OSCE SMM twitter

Global Warming - distance between America and Europe is steadily increasing.