Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 11 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, including, however, fewer explosions in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions, compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. Its access remained restricted there and elsewhere.* The Mission monitored two border areas currently not under government control. The SMM monitored public gatherings in Kyiv, Chernivtsi and Kherson.
In Donetsk region the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations[1], including, however, fewer explosions (about 180), compared with the previous reporting period (about 510 explosions).
On the night of 10-11 May, while in “DPR”-controlled Donetsk city, the SMM heard 17 undetermined explosions 10-12km north-west.
On the evening and night of 10-11 May the SMM camera in government-controlled Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk) recorded, in sequence, one undetermined explosion, two projectiles in flight from west to east, three undetermined explosions, six projectiles in flight from east to west, followed by aggregated totals of one undetermined explosion, ten projectiles in flight (seven east to west, two west to east and one north-west to south-east) and nine illumination flares in vertical flight, all 4-5km east-south-east.
On the evening and night of 10-11 May the SMM camera at the “DPR”-controlled Oktiabr mine (9km north-west of Donetsk city centre) recorded, in sequence, two airbursts, one projectile in flight from north to south, two airbursts, one projectile in flight from north to south, 16 projectiles in flight from south to north, 20 tracer rounds in flight from south to north, eleven projectiles from north to south, five projectiles from south to north, followed by aggregated totals of one undetermined explosion, six airbursts, 88 projectiles in flight (85 from north to south and three from west to east) and 75 tracer rounds in flight (42 north to south, 15 south to north, ten east to west and eight west to east), all 6-8km north-east.
On the evening of 10 May, while in “DPR”-controlled Horlivka (39km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM, in about 90 minutes, heard about 100 undetermined explosions and seven bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire, all 6-8km north-north-west and north-west.
On 11 May, positioned in “DPR”-controlled Yasynuvata (16km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard 20 undetermined explosions and about 60 bursts and 340 shots of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all 1-5km at directions ranging from south-south-west to west. The SMM also heard about ten bursts of small-arms fire 2-3km north-north-west.
On the evening and night of 10-11 May the SMM camera in Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) recorded, in sequence, one undetermined explosion, two airbursts, two rocket-assisted projectiles in flight from west to east, one airburst, one rocket-assisted projectile in flight from west to east, three tracer rounds in flight from west to east, three tracer rounds in flight from east to west, ten tracer rounds in flight from west to east and one undetermined explosion, followed by aggregated totals of nine explosions, three airbursts and over 800 tracer rounds in flight (about 600 from east to west and 200 from west to east), all at unknown distances north-north-east.
In Luhansk region the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including, however, fewer explosions (about 40), compared with the previous reporting period (about 80 explosions).
On 11 May, positioned 1km south-west of government-controlled Novoaidar (49km north-west of Luhansk), the SMM heard and saw about 300 shots of small-arms fire 200m north. Positioned 3km west of government-controlled Oleksiivka (52km north of Luhansk) the SMM heard two undetermined explosions. The SMM assessed both instances as live-fire exercises, outside the security zone.
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.*
On the night of 9-10 May the SMM camera in government-controlled Stanytsia Luhanska recorded, in sequence, one explosion assessed as an outgoing rocket-propelled-grenade-launcher round, one explosion assessed as the impact of an automatic-grenade-launcher round, seven undetermined explosions, one explosion assessed as an outgoing rocket-propelled-grenade-launcher round and three undetermined explosions, all 0.75km-0.9km south and south-south-west. The camera also recorded one shot of infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (BMP-2) cannon (30mm) fire 0.8km south-south-east, followed by one projectile in flight from east to west, one ricocheted tracer round and twelve explosions assessed as impacts of rounds from undetermined weapons, all about 0.75km south-south-west. In the ensuing exchange the camera recorded aggregated totals of 14 explosions (one undetermined, nine assessed as outgoing rounds of undetermined weapons and four assessed as impacts of an automatic grenade launcher round and of rounds from undetermined weapons), seven tracer rounds in flight (four south to north, two south-west to north-east and one north-west to south-west), one projectile in flight from south to north (assessed as a rocket from a portable rocket-launcher (RPO-A Shmel, 93mm)), 14 bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire and 51 shots of IFV (BMP-2) cannon fire, all 0.35km-1.8km at directions ranging from south-east to south-west. All the violations were assessed as inside the disengagement area.
On 11 May, positioned about 100m north of Stanytsia Luhanska bridge, the SMM heard a shot of small-arms fire about 0.5km north-east. Later the same day, positioned about 250m south of Stanytsia Luhanska bridge, the SMM heard five shots of small-arms fire 0.5km north-east. All the violations were assessed as inside the disengagement area.
On the night of 10-11 May the SMM camera in government-controlled Zolote recorded about 80 tracer rounds in vertical flight 3.5km south-south-west and assessed as outside the disengagement area.
On 11 May, positioned in government-controlled Bohdanivka (41km south of Donetsk), the SMM heard an undetermined explosion at an unknown distance east-south-east. The SMM could not assess whether the violation occurred inside or outside the disengagement area.
While the SMM attempted to reach the camera site in Petrivske, an armed “DPR” member at a checkpoint demanded the names and gender of the patrol members and insisted on escorting the SMM. After the SMM refused, the SMM was allowed to proceed without the escort. The SMM informed the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC).
The SMM continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons, in implementation of the Memorandum, the Package of Measures and its Addendum.
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 four towed howitzers (2A65 Msta-B, 152mm) for the first time, and 12 anti-tank guns (MT-12 Rapira, 100mm). The SMM observed that the following weapons continue to be absent: twelve towed howitzers (four 2A65 and eight 2A36 Giatsint-B, 152mm, five of which were observed as missing for the first time) and 15 anti-tank guns (twelve MT-12, six of which were observed as missing for the first time, and three D-48).
The SMM revisited two “LPR” permanent storage sites whose location corresponded with the respective withdrawal lines and continued to observe one tank (T-64) as missing.
The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles[2] in the security zone. In non-government-controlled areas, the SMM saw an armoured personnel carrier (APC) (MT-LB) parked on the side on the T0504 road facing north-east in the south-eastern outskirts of Brianka (46km south-west of Luhansk). In Luhansk city, the SMM saw an armoured recovery vehicle (ARV) (BREM) on a tank (T-72) chassis moving on a trailer towards the city centre.
While in “DPR”-controlled Nyzhnia Krynka (31km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM observed a convoy of five vehicles moving in the direction of Donetsk city. The convoy was led by a silver pickup car with a Victory Day sign, followed by four vehicles (two with Russian Federation licence plates and two with plates with a tricolour (white, red and yellow) flag and “RSO” letters).
The SMM monitored two border areas currently not under government control. At the pedestrian border crossing point in Sievernyi (50km south-east of Luhansk), the SMM saw 18 civilian cars (14 with Ukrainian licence plates, two with Russian Federation licence plates and two with “LPR” plates) parked in the parking lot. While present for about one hour, the SMM saw four pedestrians exit Ukraine, and six pedestrians enter Ukraine. The SMM spoke with a woman (around 55 years old) who said that she crossed the international border every day for work purposes.
At a border crossing point in Dovzhanskyi (84km south-east of Luhansk), in about one hour, the SMM saw 23 civilian cars (15 with Ukrainian licence plates and eight with Russian Federation licence plates), five cargo trucks with Ukrainian licence plates, two buses with Ukrainian licence places (marked “Luhansk-Yalta” and “Rostov-Stakhanov”, carrying about 30 passengers) and eleven pedestrians enter Ukraine. The SMM also observed 26 civilian cars (twelve with Ukrainian, twelve with Russian Federation and two with Georgian licence plates), five pedestrians and two buses with Ukrainian licence plates (marked “Moscow-Donetsk” and “Krasnyi Luch-Rostov”, carrying about 25 passengers) exit Ukraine.
On 11 May, the SMM monitored public gatherings in Kyiv, Chernivtsi and Kherson. In Kyiv the SMM saw about 200 people (mostly men, various ages), about 20 of whom were wearing military-style clothing, in front of the Ministry of Internal Affairs building. The SMM observed flags from groups such as the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) and Right Sector, and some people were holding signs and chanting. About 150 police officers, including some in full riot gear, were present and physically enforced a perimeter between the protestors and the building by pushing protestors back. The SMM did not observe any incidents between the police and the protestors.
In Chernivtsi and Kherson, the SMM monitored events involving the raising of the flags of Ukraine and the European Union. In both locations, there were about 300 participants (primarily men and youth) and 50 and 20 police officers present in Chernivtsi and Kherson, respectively. Public officials made addresses in support of the adoption by the Council of the European Union of a regulation on visa liberalisation for Ukrainian citizens. Both gatherings were peaceful.
The SMM continued monitoring in Odessa, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, 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, 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.
Conditional:
- Armed “DPR” members stopped the SMM at an entry-exit checkpoint south of “DPR”-controlled Petrovskyi district of Donetsk city (15km south-west of Donetsk) and checked the interior of an SMM trailer. After 19 minutes the SMM was allowed to pass. 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.