Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 1 June 2017

This report is for the media and the general public.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period, following a renewed commitment to ceasefire for 24 hours to mark the “International Day for Protection of Children”. The Mission followed up on allegations of civilian casualties in Avdiivka. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. Its access remained restricted there and elsewhere.* The Mission heard three bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire near Stanytsia Luhanska. The SMM saw for the first time a mine hazard sign near Teplychne. The Mission facilitated and monitored water drilling in Stanytsia Luhanska. The SMM monitored public gatherings in Kyiv and Lviv and a small protest in Kharkiv.

The Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) informed the SMM of renewed commitments by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, “DPR” and “LPR” to ceasefire for 24 hours to mark “International Day for Protection of Children”.

In Donetsk region the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations,[1] including 111 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (124 explosions). About 80 per cent of these violations were recorded before midnight on 31 May-1 June.

Before midnight on 31 May-1 June, while in “DPR”-controlled Donetsk city centre, the SMM heard 21 undetermined explosions 5-7km north-north-west. After midnight on 31 May-1 June no ceasefire violations were recorded.

Before midnight on 31 May-1 June the SMM camera at the “DPR”-controlled Oktiabr mine (9km north-west of Donetsk city centre) recorded, in sequence, 15 undetermined explosions, six projectiles in flight from north-west to south-east, one undetermined explosion, seven projectiles in flight from north-west to south-east, three projectiles in flight from south-east to north-west, followed by aggregated totals of four explosions, three illumination flares in vertical flight and 76 projectiles in flight (68 from north-west to south-east and eight from south-east to north-west). After midnight on 31 May-1 June the camera recorded 22 projectiles in flight from north-west to south-east, all 6-10km north-east.

Before midnight on 31 May-1 June the SMM camera in government-controlled Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk) recorded, in sequence, two undetermined explosions, one projectile in flight from north-east to south-west, one undetermined explosion, six airbursts and 13 undetermined explosions, and after midnight on 31 May-1 June one projectile in flight from west-north-west to east-south-east and five projectiles in flight from north-east to south-west, all 1-6km east-south-east.

On the evening of 31 May, while in “DPR”-controlled Horlivka (39km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard 16 undetermined explosions and about 70 shots of small-arms fire, all 3-10km at directions ranging from south-west to north-west. No ceasefire violations were recorded after midnight on 31 May-1 June.

On the evening of 31 May, while in government-controlled Svitlodarsk (57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard two explosions assessed as outgoing rounds of infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (BMP-1) cannon (73mm) fire and three bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire, all 4-5km east. The following day, the SMM heard two undetermined explosions 8-10km south-east.

Before midnight on 31 May-1 June the SMM camera in Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) recorded, in sequence, two undetermined explosions, 17 tracer rounds in flight from west to east, one tracer round in flight from east to west, followed by aggregated totals of four undetermined explosions, one rocket-assisted projectile in flight from west to east and 206 tracer rounds in flight (135 from east to west, 59 from west to east and 12 from north to the directions ranging from east to west), all at unknown distances north and north-north-east. After midnight on 31 May-1 June the same camera recorded 30 tracer rounds in flight from east to west at unknown distances north, followed by 15 tracer rounds in flight from south to north at unknown distances east-north-east.

In Luhansk region the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations (three bursts), compared with the previous reporting period, all near Stanytsia Luhanska on 1 June. No ceasefire violations were recorded before midnight on 31 May-1 June.

Following up on allegations from the Ukrainian officers of the JCCC of civilian casualties caused by shelling, on 1 June medical staff at Avdiivka hospital told the SMM that they had admitted three civilians (one man and two women) who had been injured as the result of an explosion near a bus stop in central Avdiivka during the evening hours of 30 May and that the patients would continue to be hospitalized for about two weeks. The Avdiivka police also told the SMM that the same night a 44-year-old male had been taken to Avdiivka hospital with shrapnel injuries to his left foot and lower part of right ankle, a 42-year-old woman with shrapnel injuries to her left hip and right knee and a 40-year-old woman with shrapnel injuries to her neck, shoulders and chest.

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 1 June, positioned inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area, the SMM heard three bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire at unknown distances south-east (see above). The SMM was unable to assess whether these violations had occurred inside or outside the disengagement area.

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

Beyond withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites, in government-controlled areas  an SMM mid-range unmanned aerial vehicle spotted two surface-to-air missile systems (9K35 Strela-10, 120mm) near Anadol (65km south of Donetsk) on 30 May.

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles, an anti-aircraft gun[2] and tracks of military-type vehicles in the security zone. In government-controlled areas, the SMM saw an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23, 23mm) mounted on an armoured personnel carrier (APC) (MT-LB) near Novoluhanske (53km north-east of Donetsk). The SMM also saw fresh tracks assessed as those of an APC (MT-LB) variant near Hnutove (20km north-east of Mariupol).

In non-government controlled areas, the SMM saw fresh tracks assessed as those of either APCs (MT-LB) or self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) near “LPR”-controlled Teplychne (8km west of Luhansk).

The SMM saw for the first time a mine hazard sign (a red wooden slate with the word “mines” written in Russian) on top of a one-metre-tall wooden stick on the side of a secondary road 150m south of H-21 road 2.5km north of Teplychne.

The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to essential infrastructure, co-ordinated by the JCCC. On 1 June, the SMM continued to monitor and facilitate access for the drilling of a water well approximately 800m north of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge (inside the disengagement area) and observed the drilling works, which began on 29 May, were completed. The SMM also saw an engineering team coming to the site to clean the well and pump the water. (See SMM Daily Report 1 June 2017.)

On 1 June, the SMM monitored public gatherings in Kyiv and Lviv and the continuation of a small protest in front of the branch of Sberbank of Russia in Kharkiv. In Kyiv the SMM monitored a gathering of about 60 people (mostly male, aged 18-70 years old) in front of City Hall. The participants held red-and-black banners and flags of the Right Sector and Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists, and yellow-and-blue banners and flags of Svoboda, along with Ukrainian national flags. Speakers said that the assembled group sought official recognition from the Kyiv City Council for volunteer battalions that have not been integrated into the Ukrainian Armed Forces and law enforcement agencies, including the National Guard, which would thus entail social benefits for battalion members. Six police officers were present at the event, which ended peacefully.

In Lviv, the SMM again monitored the protest in front of the Lviv regional state administration building. (See SMM Daily Report 1 June 2017.) About 40 people (mostly male, aged 17-35 years old) and 13 tents, along with flags of Svoboda and the National Corps, were present in an area near the building, which was secured by about 150 police officers. The head of the Lviv regional police and the regional council’s public communications officer separately told the SMM that 11 police officers and three civilians had been injured during the events on 30 May. At a press briefing, the council’s chairman said that the body had voted in favour of the protestors’ request to transmit to authorities in Kyiv a manifesto related to, among other things, amnesty for Ukrainian soldiers, Donetsk and Luhansk regions and Crimea.

At 1 Donetz Zakharzhevskoho in Kharkiv, the SMM saw five protesters outside the branch of Sberbank of Russia. No police officers were present. The SMM noticed that the branch office was open. At 46 Volodymyrska Street in Kyiv, the SMM saw that a small protest, which had included four blue tent-booths, 12 blue flags all with National Corps Party logos and a dozen activists (mostly men, aged early 20s), in front of the main branch of Sberbank of Russia was no longer present. (See SMM Daily Report 26 April 2017.)

The SMM continued monitoring in Kherson, Odessa, Ivano-Frankivsk, 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, 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. 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.

Denial of access:

• 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.
• Positioned just north of the Zolote disengagement area, the SMM saw mine signs inside the Zolote disengagement area. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed and informed the JCCC.
• 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. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed and informed the JCCC.
• The SMM could not travel across the bridge in Shchastia 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.
• While attempting to visit a resort house in Mariupol to follow up on allegations of occupation of the house, Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel stopped the SMM at a barrier on Klenova Balka Street and denied its access to the house.

[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.