Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 21 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 between the evenings of 19 and 20 May compared with the previous reporting period. Between the evenings of 20 and 21 May the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region compared with the previous 24-hour period. The SMM followed up on reports of several civilian casualties, including a fatality, in Kruta Balka, Krasnyi Yar and Donetsk city; in Luhansk city medical staff refused to provide information to the SMM.* It observed damage caused by shelling to houses in Makiivka and to a shop in Pikuzy and followed up on reports of a tractor coming into contact with a mine in Talakivka. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. Its access remained restricted there and elsewhere.* The SMM heard small-arms fire assessed as having occurred inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area and saw again a piece of unexploded ordnance also inside the area. It saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines in Zaichenko. The SMM continued to observe the presence of mines and UXO. In Kyiv the Mission followed up on reports of an explosion at the office of a political party. It also monitored a commemoration event in Lviv.

In Donetsk region the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations[1] between the evenings of 19 and 20 May, including about 550 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 310 explosions), and fewer between the evenings of 20 and 21 May, including about 370 explosions, compared with the previous 24-hour period. Most of the explosions were recorded in the Donetsk airport-Avdiivka-Yasynuvata area and in areas east and west of Svitlodarsk.

On the night of 19-20 May, while in “DPR”-controlled Donetsk city, the SMM heard 25 undetermined explosions 5-7km north-north-west.

On the evening of 19 May the SMM camera at the “DPR”-controlled Oktiabr mine (9km north-west of Donetsk city centre) recorded ten undetermined explosions 4-5km north-north-east. On the evening and night of 20-21 May, the same camera recorded seven explosions assessed as impacts followed by one airburst, all 4-6km north-east. This was followed by aggregated totals of 15 undetermined explosions, 84 projectiles in flight (64 west-north-west to east-south-east and 20 east-south-east to west-north-west) and three tracer rounds in flight from west-north-west to east-south-east, all 6-10km north-east.

On the evening and night of 19-20 May the SMM camera in government-controlled Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk) recorded 38 undetermined explosions and 14 projectiles in flight from west to east, all 2-5km east-south-east. On the afternoon of 20 May, the camera recorded 43 explosions assessed as impacts and two airbursts, all 3-5km east-south-east and south-east. On the same day, positioned in Avdiivka for about five hours, the SMM heard 77 undetermined explosions 1-3km at directions ranging from east to south.

On the evening and night of 19-20 May, while in government-controlled Svitlodarsk (57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard about 230 undetermined explosions and about 240 bursts and 95 shots of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all 3-7km south-east, as well as 106 undetermined explosions 5-12km west.

On the evening of 19 May the SMM camera in Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) recorded, in sequence, 14 rocket-assisted projectiles in flight from west to east, 17 tracer rounds in flight from west to east and six south-west to north-east, an undetermined explosion and seven tracer rounds in flight from east to west, all at undetermined distances north and north-north-east. On the evening and night of 20-21 May, the same camera recorded, in sequence, two rocket-assisted projectiles in flight from west to east and their subsequent impacts, three tracer rounds in flight from west to east and three from east to west. In the ensuing exchange the camera recorded aggregated totals of 48 tracer rounds in flight from west to east and about 120 east to west, two rocket-assisted projectiles in flight from west to east and five east to west, as well as an undetermined explosion and at least 100 tracer rounds in vertical flight, all at undetermined distances north. On 21 May, the camera recorded two explosions assessed as impacts at an unknown distance north-east.

On 20 May, positioned in “DPR”-controlled Yasynuvata (16km north-east of Donetsk) for about five hours, the SMM heard 12 undetermined explosions 3-6km west-south-west and west. The following day, positioned in Yasynuvata the SMM heard 33 explosions assessed as outgoing mortar fire 2-4km north-north-west, as well as about 180 undetermined explosions and more than 80 bursts and 80 shots of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all 1-5km at directions ranging from south-west to north.

On the evening and night of 20-21 May, the SMM camera in Avdiivka recorded about 70 undetermined explosions and a projectile in flight from south-west to north-east, all 4-6km east-south-east. On the afternoon of 21 May, the same camera recorded 30 undetermined explosions and two airbursts 4-5km east and east-south-east. Positioned in Avdiivka for about five hours during the same day, the SMM heard 23 undetermined explosions 3-5km east.

In Luhansk region the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations between the evenings of 19 and 20 May, including 46 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (five explosions) and more between the evenings of 20 and 21 May, including 86 explosions.

In the evening of 19 May, while in “LPR”-controlled Kadiivka (formerly Stakhanov, 50km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard 44 undetermined explosions 10-12km west-south-west. On 20 May, positioned 3km north of “LPR”-controlled Pervomaisk (58km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard 180 shots of small-arms fire 3-5km east and an undetermined explosion 8-10km north-north-west, all assessed as outside the Zolote disengagement area.

On 21 May, positioned in “LPR”-controlled Molodizhne (63km north-west of Luhansk) the SMM heard, within half an hour, 84 undetermined explosions and about 50 bursts and shots of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all 3km at directions ranging from south-east to south-west.

On 20 May, the SMM returned to “DPR”-controlled Zernove (33km south of Donetsk) following information from the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) that “DPR” members would assist the SMM to recover a mini unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) which had lost power and descended 1.5km south-east of Zernove. (See SMM Daily Report 20 May 2017.) At the location the SMM noted that the UAV had been moved from the field and left on the side of the road. No “DPR” members were present in the area. The SMM retrieved the UAV which had no apparent physical damage.

The SMM continued to follow up on reports of civilian casualties and damage caused by shelling. On 18 May at the Yasynuvata Railway Hospital medical staff told the SMM that a 34-year-old man, resident of “DPR”-controlled Kruta Balka (16km north of Donetsk) had been admitted to the hospital on 17 May with multiple shrapnel wounds to his limbs and the upper body, assessed as caused by mortar fire. On the same day, at the morgue in Yasynuvata medical staff told the SMM that the body of a 56-year-old woman, also a resident of Kruta Balka, had been brought on the evening of 17 May with fatal shrapnel wounds, assessed as caused by mortar fire. On 20 May, a “DPR” member told the SMM that, according to their records, the two victims had been outside the woman’s house at 4 Shyroka Street in Kruta Balka when they were hit by shrapnel.

On 18 May, following up on a report of a mine explosion in “LPR”-controlled Krasnyi Yar (32km south of Luhansk), medical staff in a local medical clinic told the SMM that on 16 May a 60-70-year-old man had sustained injuries as a result of an explosion. Medical staff added that they had amputated a lower limb and had transferred the man to the Regional Hospital in Luhansk city.  On 21 May, two female residents from Krasnyi Yar also told the SMM that the victim had been sent to the Regional Hospital in Luhansk city soon after the incident.

On 21 May, following up on reports of shelling at a bus station in “DPR”-controlled Trudovskyi district (19km south-west of Donetsk city centre) the day before, the SMM visited Hospital no. 14 in Petrovskyi district of Donetsk city. Medical staff told the SMM that a 61-year-old man had driven himself to the hospital with shrapnel wounds to his head, adding that he had been released on the same day. The SMM spoke over the phone with the man who said that he had been at the bus station in Trudovskyi when he was injured. Medical staff told the SMM that another 54-year-old man had been brought to the hospital by ambulance, with shrapnel wounds in his right shin. The SMM visited the man at his apartment in Petrovskyi district and saw that his right leg was bandaged. The man said he had been at the same bus station when he had heard four explosions and was injured when a projectile impacted at the parking lot at around 16:00. A male shopkeeper at the bus station and a “DPR” member separately told the SMM that a 21-year-old woman had also been injured by shrapnel at the same location.

At the Trudovskyi bus station the SMM saw three fresh impact sites, within a 50m diameter, and saw shrapnel assessed as consistent with VOG-type grenades. One - a 20cm hole - was in the eastern side of the roof of a building. The SMM noted that the roof had also sustained shrapnel damage. Another was on a concrete-tiled pavement and the third impact site was on the asphalt surface of the parking lot. The SMM assessed the last two impact sites as caused by automatic grenade launcher fire from a north-easterly direction. Splinter grooves and visible soot around both impact sites had formed semicircles of about 0.9-1m in diameter extending from south-east to north-west.

In “DPR”-controlled Makiivka (12km north-east of Donetsk) the SMM saw that the south-facing windows of houses at 29 and 31 Chyzhevskoho Street were broken. Three male residents told the SMM that they had heard five explosions in the afternoon on 20 May when rounds had impacted in the back gardens of their houses. The SMM was not able to see the impact sites from a safe location. The SMM saw, however, 30m from the two houses, a two-storey building with sandbags stacked up against the first floor windows. According to a banner at the front door the building was a “DPR” recruitment office.

Following up on reports of shelling in “DPR”-controlled Pikuzy (formerly Kominternove, 23km north-east of Mariupol) on the night of 18-19 May, the SMM observed four fresh impact sites assessed as caused by 122mm artillery rounds fired from a west-north-westerly direction. One of the impact sites was on the ground north of the memorial statue in the village centre. Another was next to a shop on Peremohy Street. The SMM saw that the roof and south-facing wall of the shop had been pierced by shrapnel, and one display cabinet was broken. The two other impact sites were in soft soil on the edge of the road 60m north-east of the shop.

On 21 May, following a report of a tractor coming into contact with a mine in government-controlled Talakivka (17km north-east of Mariupol) in the morning, the SMM visited the area and saw a fresh crater in a field 2m from a road leading east from Talakivka to Pikuzy. The SMM spoke over the phone with the 34-year-old driver of the tractor who said that he had not suffered any injuries. The manager of the company – employer of the driver – said that the tractor had been lightly damaged and was being repaired. He added that the field had been used for growing sunflowers the year before and, assuming that the area was safe, it was being prepared for cultivation also for this year.

On 21 May, the SMM visited the City Hospital No. 2 in Luhansk city to follow up on reports of a civilian casualty allegedly registered in “LPR”-controlled Obozne (18km north of Luhansk). Medical staff said that the SMM would need a written permission from “LPR” members to follow up on the case.*

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 20 May, positioned near an “LPR” checkpoint 500m south of the bridge to government-controlled Stanytsia Luhanska, inside the disengagement area, the SMM heard two shots of small-arms fire assessed as impacts of sniper rifle fire about 50m east, inside the disengagement area.

The SMM noted a calm situation while monitoring the disengagement areas near government-controlled Zolote and “DPR”-controlled Petrivske. At the southern edge of the Zolote disengagement area, the SMM observed, however, a new trench about 400m west of an “LPR” checkpoint located on the edge of the area.

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 the SMM saw three stationary self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) about 3km north-east of “DPR”-controlled Zaichenko (26km north-east of Mariupol).

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 observed eight mortars (six M-120-15 Molot, 120mm and two 2B11 Sani, 120mm) present for the first time. The SMM noted that eight mortars (six M-120 and two 2B11) and six towed howitzers (D-30 Lyagushka, 122mm) were missing, as observed before, while five mortars (2B11) were missing for the first time.

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles[2] in the security zone. In government-controlled areas the SMM saw, on 20 May, an armoured vehicle (Kraz Cougar) mounted with a machine-gun, heading north in Stanytsia Luhanska. In areas not under government control the SMM saw an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (BMP-2) towed by a military-type truck and heading south-east in Donetsk city, on 20 May.

In Avdiivka the SMM saw fresh caterpillar tracks, assessed as from a tank chassis vehicle, on an asphalt road leading east. In government-controlled Fedorivka (87km north of Donetsk), the SMM saw people in military uniforms in the yards of five houses. In government-controlled Krynychne (67km north-east of Donetsk) the SMM saw camouflage nets and sandbags in front of the entrance of some houses.

On 21 May, the SMM observed a train with ten empty cargo cars moving from south-east to west in the north-eastern edge of “LPR”-controlled Uralo-Kavkaz (46km south-east of Luhansk).

The SMM continued to note the presence of mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO). On 20 May, the SMM saw again the tail fin of a rocket, from a multiple launch rocket system, on the road in “LPR”-controlled parts of the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area.

On 21 May, the SMM observed again eight anti-vehicle mines placed on a wooden pallet next to the road in the area of a checkpoint in “DPR”-controlled Verkhnoshyrokivske (formerly Oktiabr, 29km north-east of Mariupol). A Russian officer of the JCCC had told the SMM on 20 May that the mines had been removed.

On 21 May the SMM followed up on media reports of an explosion in Kyiv on the evening of 20 May. At a central office belonging to the Congress of Ukrainian Nationalists political party at 3B Antonovycha Street, the SMM saw damage from a small explosion in the stairwell near the door of the ground-floor office, including a small crater 50cm from the door and shattered tiles in the floor, as well as shrapnel pockmarks and black scorching on the lower part of the wall. The office was not open while the SMM was there. According to a police report, the damage had been caused by a hand grenade (RGD-5) thrown towards the office door. No injuries were reported while an investigation had been launched, the police report stated.

On 21 May in Lviv, the SMM monitored an event in memory of the victims of political repression under the Communist regime. The SMM observed about 200 people (men and women between 35 and 75 years old), including representatives of local authorities and law enforcement agencies, participating in a commemoration event where speeches were held commemorating victims of political repression. At the end of the event, flowers and candles were placed at the foot of the monument of the Victims of Communist Crimes and a memorial service was conducted by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The SMM saw four police officers present. The event was peaceful.

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

*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 JCCC should contribute to such response and co-ordinate mine clearance.

Denial of access:

• On both 20 and 21 May, a Ukrainian officer of the JCCC told the SMM that no demining activities had taken place during the previous 24 hours in the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area and that, with the exception of the main road, the Mission’s safety could not be guaranteed in the surrounding areas due to the possible presence of mines and UXO. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed and informed the JCCC on both occasions.
• On 20 and 21 May, armed “LPR” members told the SMM that they could not guarantee the safety of the Mission in the Zolote disengagement area due to the possible presence of mines and UXO, as no demining activity had taken place. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed and informed the JCCC both times.
• On 20 and 21 May, the SMM could not travel across the bridge in government-controlled Shchastia (20km north of Luhansk) as Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel said no demining had taken place and that the road south of the bridge remained mined. The Mission informed the JCCC both times.
• On 20 May, the SMM could not access a Ukrainian Armed Forces heavy weapons holding area as the door was locked and the site was not guarded.

Other impediments:

• On 21 May, the SMM visited the City Hospital No. 2 in Luhansk city to follow up on reports of a civilian casualty registered in Obozne. Medical staff told the SMM that it would need a written permission from “LPR” members to follow up on the case.

[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.