Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 30 March 2017

This report is for the media and the general public.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission followed up on reports of civilian casualties and damage to houses from shelling in Donetsk city, Ivanivka, Chasiv Yar and Popasna. The Mission monitored the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske, but its access there and elsewhere remained restricted.* The SMM assessed impact sites inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. It observed weapons in violation of the withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. The SMM followed up on reports of electricity outage in Avdiivka. The Mission visited five border areas currently not controlled by the Government. The blockade of railway routes continued. The SMM monitored the situation at consulates of the Republic of Poland after an explosion that occurred at the consulate in Lutsk in Volyn region. The Mission observed broken windows at three banks in Lutsk.

In Donetsk region the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations,[1] including about 760 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 520 explosions).

On the night of 29-30 March, while in “DPR”-controlled Donetsk city centre, the SMM heard about 50 undetermined explosions 5-7km north-north-west. During the day on 30 March, in the same location, the SMM heard at least 200 shots of anti-aircraft cannon (type undetermined) fire at unknown distances north. Positioned at the central railway station (6km north-west of Donetsk city centre), the SMM heard 35 undetermined explosions and heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all 3-10km at directions ranging from north-west to north-east.

On the evening of 29 March, the SMM camera at the “DPR”-controlled Oktiabr mine (9km north-west of Donetsk city centre) recorded one projectile in flight from north-west to south-east 7-10km north-east followed by seven undetermined explosions 3-5km north-north-east.

On the night of 29-30 March, the SMM camera in government-controlled Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk) recorded, in sequence, 16 explosions assessed as impacts and 30 tracer rounds in flight from west to east, followed by a total of at least 22 projectiles in flight (two from north-west to south-east, 20 from west to east) and a total of seven explosions (one assessed as an impact and the rest undetermined), all 2-5km east-south-east.

On 30 March, positioned in “DPR”-controlled Yasynuvata (16km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard about 130 undetermined explosions, as well as heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all 2-6km at directions south-west to north-north-west.

On the evening of 29 March, while in “DPR”-controlled Horlivka (39km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard ten explosions assessed as outgoing rounds of undetermined weapons 8-10km south-south-west, as well as two explosions assessed as outgoing recoilless gun (SPG-9, 73mm) rounds, over 50 undetermined explosions, almost 40 shots of infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (BMP-2) cannon (30mm), and heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all 4-14km at south-westerly directions.

The same evening, while in government-controlled Svitlodarsk (57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard 14 undetermined explosions 7-10km north-east and almost 120 undetermined explosions, as well as about 20 bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire, all 5-10km north-west. On the night of 29-30 March, while in “DPR”-controlled Debaltseve (58km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard about 240 undetermined explosions 5-8km west-north-west and north-north-west.

On the evening of 29 March, while in government-controlled Mariupol (102km south of Donetsk), the SMM heard about 30 undetermined explosions at undetermined distances east-north-east and east.

On the night of 29-30 March, the SMM camera in Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) recorded almost 90 tracer rounds and one rocket-assisted projectile in flight from west to east followed by a total of 255 tracer rounds (about 150 from east to west; the rest from west to east), one rocket-assisted projectile from west to east, 16 airbursts, and one undetermined explosion, all at undetermined distances north-north-east.

On 30 March, positioned in government-controlled Vesele (38km north-west of Donetsk), the SMM heard and saw one explosion assessed as an impact of a 122mm artillery round 2km south-east and heard one undetermined explosion 4-5km west.

In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including about 440 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 260 explosions).

On the night of 29-30 March, while in “LPR”-controlled Kadiivka (formerly Stakhanov, 50km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard about 150 explosions assessed as 15 outgoing salvos (ten rockets each) of multiple-launch rocket system (MLRS) (BM-21 Grad, 122mm) fire 5km or more north-west, as well as 44 explosions assessed as rounds of IFV (BMP-1) cannon (73mm), 160 explosions (12 assessed as outgoing rounds, the rest undetermined), and almost 60 bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire, all 4-10km or more at directions ranging from south-west to north-west. On the morning of 30 March, in the same location, the SMM heard four undetermined explosions over 10km west.

Positioned west of government-controlled Dmytrivka (43km north of Luhansk), the SMM heard 20 explosions assessed as outgoing rounds of IFV (BMP-1) cannon and ten bursts of IFV (BMP-2) cannon, all 3km east and assessed as part of a live-fire exercise outside the security zone.

Positioned in “LPR”-controlled Pervomaisk (58km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard 15 undetermined explosions 3-5km west. Positioned in “LPR”-controlled Katerynivka (formerly Yuvileine, 8km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard 40-50 shots of small-arms fire 1km north. Positioned near “LPR”-controlled Myrne (28km south-west of Luhansk), the SMM heard 12 undetermined explosions assessed as artillery rounds in a live-fire exercise 5km south-west, outside the security zone.

The SMM followed up on reports of civilian casualties and damage to houses from shelling. In “DPR”-controlled Donetsk city’s Petrovskyi district, accompanied by Russian officers of the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC), the SMM visited several locations. In a house at 4 Populiarna Street, the SMM saw broken wooden ceiling beams and rubble in a bedroom. A man (aged 56) told the SMM that pieces of the ceiling had fallen on his mother-in-law (aged about 90) while she was sleeping at around 01:00 on 30 March. Later, at a hospital in Donetsk city, medical staff told the SMM that the woman had been treated for eye injuries and transferred to an outpatient hospital. The SMM also saw shrapnel damage on the side of a house at 2 Populiarna.

At 2 Reviakina Street, the SMM saw shrapnel lodged in the interior walls of a school and almost 60 broken windows. The SMM assessed a fresh crater 20-30m in front of the school, in the garden of a building at 17 Reviakina, as caused by a round of an undetermined weapon fired from a west-north-westerly direction.

At 10 Reviakina, the SMM saw a completely burned-out house. An elderly couple and their son told the SMM that they had been in the house at 01:25 on 30 March when several explosions had occurred around the house, followed by an impact on the house that had set it on fire. The SMM was unable to determine a point of impact.

At 9, 11 and 13 Balakyreva Street, the SMM saw three buildings with broken windows, and a fresh crater in the asphalt of the street, assessed as caused by a round of an undetermined weapon fired from a west-north-westerly direction. At 4 Balakyreva, the SMM saw damage on a wall and a bricked-up window.

At 167 Petrovskoho Street, the SMM saw the burnt-out shell of a house. A woman (aged 71) told the SMM that she and her family had been inside when the house had been hit. The SMM was unable to determine a point of impact.

A woman in government-controlled Ivanivka (39km north-west of Donetsk) told the SMM that her son (aged 27) had been killed on 24 March while searching for scrap metal around a nearby shooting range. (See SMM Daily Report 27 March 2017.) The SMM visited the range, about 200m north of town, and saw two signs taped to trees, printed in red on white paper, stating that the area was contaminated with unexploded ordnance (UXO).

Police and the head of the morgue in government-controlled Bakhmut (formerly Artemivsk, 67km north of Donetsk) told the SMM that a man (born in 1966) had died near government-controlled Chasiv Yar (62km north of Donetsk) on 29 March while disassembling a piece of UXO. The head of the morgue showed the SMM a picture of a body he said was of the deceased man.

At 264 and 268 Bakhmutska Street in government-controlled Popasna (69km west of Luhansk), 150-200m north of a Ukrainian Armed Forces position, the SMM saw two houses

with broken windows and shrapnel damage on their south-facing sides. The SMM assessed small holes at a fresh impact site 25-30m south of 264 Bakhmutska as caused by shrapnel from an MLRS (BM-21) rocket fired from a southerly direction that had exploded 2-4m above the ground, probably due to hitting tree branches, which had been severed from the trunk and lay scattered across an area of ten square metres. A group of residents told the SMM that at 03:05 on 30 March they had heard an explosion in the area. They showed the SMM several pieces of shrapnel that the SMM assessed to be the remnants of an MLRS (BM-21) rocket. The SMM also saw two workers repairing fibre-optic cables leading to the damaged houses.

The SMM continued to monitor the disengagement process and to pursue full access to the disengagement areas of Stanytsia Luhanska (16km north-east of Luhansk), Zolote (60km west of Luhansk) and Petrivske (41km south of Donetsk), as foreseen in the Framework Decision of the Trilateral Contact Group relating to disengagement of forces and hardware of 21 September 2016. The SMM’s access remained restricted but the Mission was able to partially monitor them.*

The SMM continued to observe works to reinforce an “LPR” position just south of the bridge to government-controlled Stanytsia Luhanska, inside the disengagement area. (See SMM Daily Report 30 March 2017.) The SMM saw people presenting their passports for inspection through a window of a newly constructed bunker.

An armed “LPR” member showed the SMM eight fresh impact sites near “LPR” positions, all inside the disengagement area. Three were south of the bridge, 30-40m west of the main road. The SMM assessed one as caused by a recoilless gun (SPG-9, 73mm) or IFV (BMP-1) cannon round fired from a north-easterly direction and two caused by automatic-grenade-launcher (AGS-variant) rounds fired from undetermined directions. Two sites were 30-40m west of the forward “LPR” position on the bridge and three were east of the position; the SMM assessed all of these as caused by automatic-grenade-launcher (AGS-variant) rounds fired from undetermined directions. The “LPR” member told the SMM that the impacts had occurred during the night of 29-30 March.

On top of a wall at the Ukrainian Armed Forces forward position north of the bridge, the SMM observed an unexploded rocket-propelled grenade. The SMM assessed that it had been placed there.

On the evening of 29 March, the SMM camera in government-controlled Zolote recorded four undetermined explosions 6-10km south-south-east and south, all assessed as outside the disengagement area. On 30 March, positioned in Zolote, the SMM heard 31 undetermined explosions (one 3-5km north-east and the rest 8-10km south-west), assessed as outside the disengagement area.

The SMM noted a calm situation while present at the disengagement area near “DPR”-controlled Petrivske.

The SMM continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons, in implementation of the Package of Measures, its Addendum, and the Memorandum.[2]

In violation of the respective withdrawal lines, in government-controlled areas the SMM saw 13 self-propelled howitzers (2S3 Akatsiya, 152mm) on train flatcars at the railway station in Kostiantynivka (60km north of Donetsk), 15 self-propelled howitzers (2S3) on flatbed trailers stationary 4.5km east of Bakhmut, and four towed howitzers (D-30 Lyagushka, 122mm) south of Selidove (41km north-west of Donetsk) being towed by trucks heading north.

In non-government-controlled areas, on 29 March an SMM mid-range unmanned aerial vehicle spotted five towed howitzers (D-30) stationary near Stepove (27km west of Luhansk). Aerial imagery revealed the presence on the same day of at least 13 tanks (type undetermined) near Donetsk city, in the same area where imagery had revealed at least 12 tanks on 5 March (see SMM Daily Report 7 March 2017).

Beyond the respective withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites, the SMM saw in government-controlled areas, on 29 March, eight howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) north of Yahidne (72km north of Donetsk) on flatbed trailers heading west, and four towed howitzers (2S1) stationary 1km south of Zaliznianske (79km north of Donetsk). In non-government-controlled areas the SMM saw, on 30 March, six tanks (T-64) in a training area near Myrne (28km south-west of Luhansk).

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles (ACVs) and an anti-aircraft gun,[3] as well as impact sites and tracks of tanks, in the security zone. In government-controlled areas the SMM saw one armoured personnel carrier (APC) (BTR-variant) near Ivanivka, two APCs (BTR-70) heading north near Selidove, one BTR-70 moving south-west near Raihorodka (34km north-west of Luhansk), and one APC (BTR-60), as well as an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23, 23mm) towed by a truck, moving north-west near Heivka (27km north-west of Luhansk).

In non-government-controlled areas, the SMM saw, on 29 March, three APCs (MT-LB) near Azov (formerly Dzerzhynske, 25km north-east of Mariupol) and, on 30 March, an IFV (BMP-1) near Dokuchaievsk (32km south-west of Donetsk).

Aerial imagery revealed the presence on 29 March of 38 ACVs in Donetsk city’s Leninskyi district (4km south of Donetsk city centre) and five ACVs on 30 March in “DPR”-controlled Makiivka (12km north-east of Donetsk).

Aerial imagery also revealed 64 impact sites on 30 March, which had not been observed on 23 March, along highway M-04, including in areas near the Donetsk Water Filtration Station, in Avdiivka’s industrial zone and near the Butovka mine.

The SMM also saw fresh tracks assessed as those of at least two tanks (T-64) west of government-controlled Orikhove-Donetske (44km north-west of Luhansk).

The SMM continued to note the presence of five anti-tank mines in the south-bound lane of a road near the “LPR” checkpoint south of government-controlled Shchastia (20km north of Luhansk). (See SMM Daily Report 24 March 2017.)

The SMM followed up on a report of an electricity outage in Avdiivka. It observed widespread use of generators throughout the town. Seven residents in three separate locations told the SMM that electricity had been out since the evening of 29 March. A Ukrainian officer of the JCCC told the SMM that power lines near the Donetsk Water Filtration Station had been damaged as the result of shelling on 29 March but that repair crews had not yet located the damaged sections.

The SMM followed up on reports that opening hours at entry-exit checkpoints along the contact line had been extended. Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel at a checkpoint near government-controlled Pyshchevyk (25km north-east of Mariupol) told the SMM that the closing time had been extended from 17:00 to 19:30, while personnel at a checkpoint near government-controlled Marinka (23km south-west of Donetsk) said the closing time would change from 18:30 to 19:30 on 4 April. At an “LPR” checkpoint south of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge the SMM observed a sign indicating that the closing time had been extended from 17:00 until 19:30.

The SMM continued to monitor adherence to the ceasefire to facilitate repairs, co-ordinated by the JCCC, to essential infrastructure. Near Pervomaisk, the SMM observed Luhansk Water Company workers conduct routine maintenance on pipelines.

The SMM visited five border areas currently not controlled by the Government. During 30-40 minutes at a border crossing point near Marynivka (78km east of Donetsk), the SMM saw ten passenger vehicles and one covered cargo truck in a queue to exit Ukraine. During the same amount of time at a border crossing point near Uspenka (73km south-east of Donetsk), the SMM saw about ten passenger vehicles and about 60 covered cargo trucks in a queue to exit Ukraine. About half of the vehicles had Ukrainian licence plates, while the other half had “DPR” plates.

At a pedestrian border crossing point near Ulianivske (61km south-east of Donetsk), the SMM saw three women (of various ages) with three children (one baby, one about three years old, and one about five years old) enter Ukraine.

In under half an hour at a border crossing point near Novoazovsk (101km south-east of Donetsk), the SMM saw nine passenger vehicles (seven with Ukrainian licence plates and two with Russian Federation licence plates) exit Ukraine and four passenger vehicles (three with Russian Federation licence plates and one with Ukrainian licence plates) enter. Three pedestrians entered Ukraine and two exited. The Mission also saw 13 covered cargo trucks with Russian Federation licence plates on the side of the road close to the crossing point.

During one hour at a border crossing point near Izvaryne (52km south-east of Luhansk), the SMM saw 24 passenger vehicles (18 with Ukrainian licence plates and six with Russian Federation licence plates) in a queue to exit Ukraine and one vehicle (with Ukrainian licence plates) in the priority lane. The SMM saw two buses (with Ukrainian licence plates) bring about 60 passengers to the crossing point and another two buses (with Ukrainian licence plates) waiting to pick up passengers. The SMM saw 85 vehicles parked in the parking lot and along the road in front of the crossing point (62 with Ukrainian licence plates, 13 with Russian Federation licence plates and ten with “LPR” plates). The SMM also saw 31 covered cargo trucks (23 with Ukrainian licence plates, six with Russian Federation ones and two with Belarusian plates) in a queue to exit Ukraine.

The SMM monitored the continuation of the blockade along railway routes that cross the contact line and noted no changes and a calm situation in government-controlled Hirske (63km west of Luhansk) and Bakhmut.

The SMM monitored the situation at consulates of the Republic of Poland after an explosion that occurred at the consulate in Lutsk in Volyn region. (See SMM Daily Report 30 March 2017). In Kyiv, Lviv, Odessa and Vinnytsia (214km north-east of Chernivtsi), the SMM noted calm situations at the consulates of the Republic of Poland and no increase in law enforcement presence.

In Lutsk, the SMM saw broken windows at three banks (branches of Alfa-Bank, Prominvestbank and Sberbank of Russia). The director of the Sberbank of Russia branch told the SMM that two masked men had thrown stones at the bank’s windows.

The SMM continued monitoring in Kherson, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kharkiv and Dnipro.

*Restrictions of SMM’s freedom of movement or other impediments to fulfilment of its mandate

The SMM’s monitoring and freedom of movement are restricted by security hazards and threats, including risks posed by mines, UXO and other impediments – which vary from day to day. The SMM’s mandate provides for safe and secure access throughout Ukraine. All signatories of the Package of Measures have agreed on the need for this safe and secure access, that restriction of the SMM’s freedom of movement constitutes a violation, and on the need for rapid response to these violations. They have also agreed that the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) should contribute to such response and co-ordinate mine clearance.

Denial of access:

• At the Stanytsia Luhanska a Ukrainian officer of the JCCC told the SMM that its safety still could not be guaranteed in the areas surrounding the main road due to the possible presence of mines and UXO. The SMM informed the JCCC.

• The possible presence of mines and UXO prevented the SMM from travelling further south-east into the Zolote disengagement area from government-controlled Katerynivka (64km west of Luhansk). The Mission informed the JCCC.

• At an “LPR” checkpoint on the edge of the Zolote disengagement area, armed men told the SMM that its safety still could not be guaranteed in the fields and side roads due to the possible presence of mines and UXO. The SMM informed the JCCC.

• The SMM was unable to travel east from government-controlled Bohdanivka (41km south-west of Donetsk) due to the possible presence of mines. The Mission informed the JCCC.

• The SMM still could not travel south of the bridge in government-controlled Shchastia (20km north of Luhansk), as Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel said there were mines on the road south of the bridge. The SMM informed the JCCC.

• The presence of anti-tank obstacles and mine hazard signs on the road prevented the SMM from traveling between Katerynivka and Popasna. Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel present told the SMM that the road was mined and permission from higher-level authorities was needed.

• A Ukrainian Armed Forces officer denied the SMM access to a compound near government-controlled Zolotyi Kolodiaz (72km north-west of Donetsk). The SMM informed the JCCC.

• A Ukrainian Armed Forces officer denied the SMM access to a compound near government-controlled Novoselivka Druha (36km north-east of Mariupol). The SMM informed the JCCC.

• A “DPR” member standing by an Ural truck parked in the road, about 3km south-east of “DPR”-controlled Oleksandrivske(formerly Rozy Liuksemburh, 36km north-east of Mariupol), told the SMM it could not pass. The SMM informed the JCCC.

• The SMM again saw a wooden utility pole blocking the road 1.3km south-west of “LPR”-controlled Hannivka (58km west of Luhansk). On 10 March the SMM had seen four tanks in this area in violation of withdrawal lines (see SMM Daily Report 11 March 2017). The SMM first saw the wooden pole blocking the road on 11 March (see SMM Daily Report 12 March 2017). The SMM informed the JCCC.

Conditional access:

• An armed “DPR” member at a checkpoint in Petrivske made the SMM wait six minutes until another armed man arrived and escorted the Mission to the SMM camera site. The second man remained the entire time the SMM was at the site. The Mission informed the JCCC.

• Delay:
• Two armed “DPR” members at a checkpoint near “DPR”-controlled Verkhnoshyrokivske (formerly Oktiabr, 29km north-east of Mariupol) asked the SMM to show national passports and said they wanted to search the SMM vehicles’ trunks; the Mission refused. After 28 minutes, the SMM was allowed to proceed.

[1] Please see the annexed table for complete breakdown of the ceasefire violations as well as map of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions marked with locations featured in this report.

[2] Despite the joint statement of 1 February by the Trilateral Contact Group and the consent reached on 15 February, the sides have not yet provided the baseline information requested by the SMM related to weapons to be withdrawn and locations of units and formations.

[3] This hardware is not proscribed by the provisions of the Minsk agreements on the withdrawal of weapons.