Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 2 May 2017

This report is for the media and the general public.

The SMM’s operations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions remained restricted following the fatal incident of 23 April near Pryshyb; these restrictions continued to limit the Mission’s observations. The Mission recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region, compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. Its access remained restricted there and elsewhere.* The SMM observed a fresh impact site inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. It followed up on reports of civilian casualties in Donetsk city and Yasynuvata. The Mission saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines in Luhansk city. In Odessa and Kherson, the SMM monitored the commemoration of the events that took place on 2 May 2014 in Odessa.

In Donetsk region the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations,[1] including about 320 explosions compared with the previous reporting period (220 explosions). About half of the explosions occurred in areas south-east of Svitlodarsk.

On the night of 1-2 May, while in government-controlled Svitlodarsk (57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard about 115 explosions assessed as the impacts of 120mm mortar rounds 1-4km south-east, six explosions assessed as outgoing recoilless gun (SPG-9, 73mm) fire 1-2.5km south-east, as well as 32 explosions assessed as the impacts of 122mm artillery rounds and seven undetermined explosions 3-4km south-east.

On the night of 1-2 May the SMM camera at the “DPR”-controlled Oktiabr mine (9km north-west of Donetsk city centre) recorded, within two hours, three tracer rounds and two projectiles in flight from west to east, 4-6km north-east. The following afternoon the camera recorded one undetermined explosion 3km north-north-east.

On the night of 1-2 May the SMM camera in government-controlled Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk) recorded three explosions assessed as the impacts of rounds from undetermined weapons followed by six illumination flares in vertical flight 3-6km east-south-east. The following afternoon the same camera recorded six undetermined explosions 3-5km east.

On the day of 2 May, positioned in Avdiivka for about five hours, the SMM heard 86 undetermined explosions 2-5km east, south-east and south. Positioned in “DPR”-controlled Yasynuvata (16km north-east of Donetsk) for about five hours, the SMM heard 42 undetermined explosions and about 80 bursts of small-arms fire 2-5km west-north-west.

On the night of 1-2 May, the SMM camera in Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) recorded 11 tracer rounds in flight from west to east followed by nine others in flight from east to west. This was followed by a total of 312 tracer rounds in flight (16 south-west to north-east, 261 east to west and 35 west to east) and four undetermined explosions, all at an unknown distance north-north-east.

During the day on 2 May, positioned about 2km south-east of government-controlled Lebedynske (16km east of Mariupol) the SMM heard 24 undetermined explosions 3-4km east-north-east and two explosions assessed as outgoing rounds of undetermined weapons and their subsequent impacts, all at undetermined distances north-north-east.

In Luhansk region the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including 12 explosions compared with the previous reporting period (65 explosions).

Positioned in “LPR”-controlled Kalynove (60km west of Luhansk) the SMM heard one explosion assessed as an outgoing round of an unknown weapon and two undetermined explosions 3-5km west-south-west, saw three muzzle flashes and heard three explosions assessed as outgoing rounds of artillery fire 5km north-west and heard the subsequent impacts 8-10km west.

The SMM followed up on reports of civilian casualties. Following reports of the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) that a man was injured on 1 May at a bus station in Petrovskyi district of Donetsk city, the SMM visited Hospital no. 14 in Donetsk. Medical staff at the hospital told the SMM that a man had been admitted on 1 May, but had been released on the same day after receiving first aid. The medical staff also said that on 26 April a couple residing in Chekhova Street in Petrovskyi district in Donetsk had been admitted to the hospital, adding that the man had light fragmentation wounds to his face and throat and had been released after receiving medical treatment, while the wife had suffered multiple and more serious shrapnel injuries and was transferred to Kalinina Hospital in Donetsk for further treatment.

At the Donetsk Trauma Hospital, the SMM saw a 37-year-old man whose left hand had been amputated. Medical staff said that they had removed several metal fragments from his body. The man’s wife was also present and the SMM saw that she had also suffered injuries in her left arm. The couple told the SMM that they were internally displaced persons residing in government-controlled Vuhledar (48km south-west of Donetsk). They added that on 1 May they had visited their residence in 36 Polbina Street in Donetsk city and were in the garden when an explosion had occurred. Both reported shelling near the neighbourhood the night before and during the day of the incident.

At the same hospital, the SMM saw a boy with his left hand amputated, his left eye injured and shrapnel wounds on his left lower leg. The boy said that on 27 April, he had found a bullet in the garden of his house at 2/19 Vatutina Street in Yasynuvata, had picked it up and entered his home where it had exploded. (See SMM Daily Report 29 April 2017).

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 camera in government-controlled Stanytsia Luhanska recorded on the evening of 1 May one undetermined explosion at an unknown distance south-south-west and an illumination flare in vertical flight at un unknown distance south-west.

On 2 May, the SMM observed a fresh impact site on the edge of the tarmac road about 2m south of the Ukrainian Armed Forces position north of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge, inside the disengagement area. The SMM assessed the impact site as having been caused by automatic-grenade-launcher (AGS-17) fire from a south-easterly direction.

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

In violation of withdrawal lines in non-government-controlled areas, the SMM observed six multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS) (BM-21 Grad, 122mm), six self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm), ten towed howitzers (five D-30 Lyagushka, 122mm; and five 2A65 Msta-B, 152mm), six surface-to-air missile systems (9K35 Strela-10, 120mm) and six tanks (T-72) heading south-east in Luhansk city. The SMM again observed seven MLRS (BM-21), seven self-propelled howitzers (2S1), ten towed howitzers (five D-30; and five 2A65), and seven tanks (T-72) at an aerodrome in the south-eastern outskirts of Luhansk city.

The SMM observed weapons that could not be verified as withdrawn, as their storage does not comply with the criteria set in the 16 October 2015 notification. In government-controlled areas the SMM saw six anti-tank guns (MT-12 Rapira, 100mm). The SMM noted that 12 anti-tank guns (MT-12) were again missing.

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles and an anti-aircraft gun[2] in the security zone. In non-government-controlled areas the SMM saw six armoured personnel carriers (APC) (BTR-80) and six infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) (BMP-2) heading south-east in Luhansk city and 12 APCs (five MT-LB and seven BTR-80) and seven IFVs (BMP-2) stationary at an aerodrome in the south-eastern outskirts of Luhansk city. The SMM also saw one APC (MT-LB) mounted with an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23) driving north-east in Debaltseve (58km north-east of Donetsk).

In government-controlled areas the SMM saw again one APC (BTR-4) near Makarove (19km north-east of Luhansk).

The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire, co-ordinated by the JCCC, to enable repairs on a gas pipeline in “LPR”-controlled Zhovte (17km north-west of Luhansk).

The SMM monitored the commemoration of those who lost their lives during the events that took place on 2 May 2014 in Odessa. The SMM monitored events at Kulykove Pole in Odessa where some 300 police and National Guard officers were present at and around the square, which was cordoned off by police tape and vehicular traffic was closed. The SMM observed police officers close the square for about half an hour due to, what they said, was a bomb alarm. At around 14:00 about 400-500 individuals entered the square for a commemoration ceremony. The SMM also observed about 70 individuals – some wearing insignia of and others known to the SMM as different pro-Maidan groups – gathered in small groups outside the square. Some of them said that they were observing and would report any provocations to the police. Throughout the day, the SMM saw a few thousand people (men and women, different age groups) visiting the square. The SMM did not observe any incidents.

The SMM also monitored a ceremony at the corner of Derybasivska and Preobrazhenska Streets in Odessa. The SMM saw about 100 persons (men and women, different age groups), including about 40 people who were wearing clothes or arm-bands with Right Sector insignia. About 40 police and National Guard officers were present in the area. Several speeches were delivered at the event, which concluded peacefully.

In Kherson, the SMM monitored a similar commemoration event at the Heroes Square. The SMM saw about 50 individuals (men and women, different age groups), including 12 individuals who identified themselves as members of the Right Sector and about 15 young men who identified themselves as affiliated with the Azov movement. About 150 police officers were present at and around the square, including groups of riot police in the vicinity.

The SMM continued monitoring in Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Chernivtsi and Kyiv.

*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, unexploded ordnance (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 JCCC should contribute to such response and co-ordinate mine clearance.

Denial of access:

• At the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area, 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.
• 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 could not travel west from “DPR”-controlled Petrivske due to a lack of security guarantees and the possible presence of mines. It informed the JCCC.
• At a checkpoint north of the bridge in government-controlled Shchastia (20km north of Luhansk), Ukrainian Armed Forces officers told the SMM that no demining had taken place during the previous 24 hours and that the road south of the bridge was still mined. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed and informed the JCCC.
• A Ukrainian Armed Forces soldier denied the SMM access to a military compound in government-controlled Kremenivka (27km north-west of Mariupol), saying that he was unable to communicate with his superior to ask whether access should be granted. The SMM informed the JCCC.

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