Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 12 June 2017

This report is for the media and the general public.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region, compared with the previous 24 hours. The SMM observed damage to civilian properties in Khrystove. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas; it observed ceasefire violations near Zolote disengagement area. Its access remained restricted there and elsewhere.* The Mission saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines. The SMM observed the presence of multiple pieces of unexploded ordnance of a multiple launch rocket system near Debaltseve. The Mission continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to high voltage power lines between Mykhailivka and Almazna. The SMM monitored two border areas not under government control. The Mission monitored a protest outside the Russian Federation Consulate in Kharkiv.

In Donetsk region the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations,[1] including, however, fewer explosions (about 190), compared with the previous 24 hours (about 280 explosions).

On the evening and night of 11-12 June, while in “DPR”-controlled Donetsk city centre, the SMM heard 38 undetermined explosions 3-6km north-north-west and north.

On the evening and night of 11-12 June the SMM camera in government-controlled Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk) recorded, in sequence, 18 undetermined explosions, 14 projectiles in flight from west to east, 14 projectiles in flight from north to south, one undetermined explosion, one illumination flare in vertical flight, 23 projectiles in flight from west to east, seven projectiles in flight from north to south, three projectiles in flight from east to west, ten projectiles in flight from south to north, followed by aggregated totals of two undetermined explosions, three illumination flares in vertical flight and 40 projectiles in flight from north to south, all 3-6km east and east-south-east. The following day, positioned in Avdiivka for about seven hours, the SMM heard 20 undetermined explosions 3-5km south-east.

On the evening and night of 11-12 June, while in “DPR”-controlled Horlivka (39km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard ten undetermined explosions 8-10km north-north-west, and ten explosions (five assessed as impacts of mortar rounds (82mm) and five as outgoing rounds of infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (BMP-1) cannon (73mm) fire) and 15 bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire 4-6km west-south-west.

On the evening and night of 11-12 June, while in government-controlled Svitlodarsk (57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard an undetermined explosion and over 160 shots of small-arms fire, all about 5km east, and about 20 undetermined explosions about 12km east.

On 12 June, positioned near a water pumping station in “DPR”-controlled Vasylivka (20km north of Donetsk) for about four hours, the SMM heard three undetermined explosions and about 20 bursts and shots of small-arms fire, all 1-3km south-south-west and south-west.

On 12 June, positioned in “DPR”-controlled Yasynuvata (16km north-east of Donetsk) for about seven hours, the SMM heard about 40 undetermined explosions and about 100 bursts and shots of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all 1-6km at directions ranging from west to north-east.

On 12 June, positioned in government-controlled Novoselivka Druha (23km north of Donetsk) for about four hours, the SMM heard nine undetermined explosions 6-7km south-east and south.

On the night of 11-12 June the SMM camera in Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) recorded seven undetermined explosions and a total of 49 tracer rounds in flight from west to east, all at unknown distances north.

On 12 June, positioned in “DPR”-controlled Sakhanka (24km north-east of Mariupol), in about ten minutes the SMM heard nine explosions (eight undetermined, one assessed as an outgoing artillery round of unknown calibre) and about 50 shots of small-arms fire, all at unknown distances south-south-west and west.

In Luhansk region the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including, however, more explosions (about 270), compared with the previous 24 hours (about 180 explosions).

On the evening and night of 11-12 June, while in “LPR”-controlled Kadiivka (formerly Stakhanov, 50km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard about 140 undetermined explosions 8-10km north-north east, and about 80 explosions (about 60 assessed as outgoing rounds of a multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) (BM-21 Grad, 122mm), about ten as outgoing artillery rounds of unknown calibre and the remainder undetermined) 4-7km north-east and north-north-east.

On the night of 11-12 June, while in “LPR”-controlled Luhansk city centre, the SMM heard four explosions assessed as outgoing rounds of MLRS (BM-21) about 12km north-east.

On 12 June, positioned 3km south of government-controlled Muratove (51km north-west of Luhansk), in about 40 minutes the SMM heard ten undetermined explosions 10km south and one undetermined explosion 3-4km south-west. Later the same day, positioned 2km south of Muratove, in about 50 minutes the SMM heard 18 explosions assessed as impacts of artillery rounds of unknown calibre 12-15km south, six explosions assessed as impacts of mortar rounds (82mm) 5-7km south, and four shots of small-arms fire 1km south-west.

The SMM observed damage to civilian properties in residential areas caused by shelling in “LPR”-controlled Khrystove (18km north of Luhansk). On 12 June, the SMM saw a fresh crater in the south-eastern side of the garden of a house 100m north of a bus stop. The owner of the house (woman, aged about 65) told the SMM that she had heard small-arms fire, followed by a loud explosion outside the house, at about 19:30 on 10 June. The SMM assessed that the damage was caused by an 82mm mortar round but could not determine the direction of fire.

Following up on information provided by a Russian officer of the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) and “DPR” members that a house in “DPR”-controlled Kruta Balka (16km north of Donetsk) had caught fire due to shelling on 10 June, the SMM observed smoke coming out of a house in Kruta Balka at about 10:30. The SMM, however, was not able to approach the house for security reasons, nor was it able to communicate with local residents due to a deteriorated telephone network.

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 10-11 June the SMM camera in government-controlled Zolote recorded one projectile in flight from south to north 8-12km east, followed by two explosions (one assessed as an outgoing round of either artillery or mortar (type undetermined), another as an outgoing round of either an automatic-grenade-launcher or rocket (type undetermined)) 3-4km east, all assessed as 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.

In violation of withdrawal lines in non-government-controlled areas, the SMM again saw two self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) near Zaichenko (26km north-east of Mariupol). (See SMM Daily Report 9 June 2017.) On 9 June, an SMM mini unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) again spotted one tank (T-64) near Sokilnyky (38km north-west of Luhansk). (See SMM Daily Report 25 April 2017.)

Beyond withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites, in government-controlled areas the SMM saw three self-propelled howitzers (2S1) in Oleksiievo-Druzhkivka (66km north of Donetsk), and two self-propelled howitzers (2S1) and two towed howitzers (D-30, 122mm) in Druzhkivka (72km north of Donetsk).

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles[2] and tracks of military-type vehicles in the security zone. In government-controlled areas, the SMM saw seven IFVs (BMP-2) loaded on trucks near Toretsk (formerly Dzerzhynsk, 43km north of Donetsk).

On 8 June, an SMM mid-range UAV spotted four IFVs (one BMP-1, one BMP-2 and two BMP-variant), two armoured personnel carriers (APC) (one BRDM-variant and one probable BTR-variant) as well as recently established and occupied positions – trenches, bunkers and firing positions – and a recent impact site of probably 82mm mortar and two recent impact sites of either 120mm mortar or 122mm artillery near Muratove. On 10 June, the same mid-range UAV spotted an IFV (BMP-variant) as well as entrenched positions, road blocks and numerous impact sites near Muratove. On 11 June, an SMM mid-range UAV spotted four IFVs (three BMP-2 and one BMP-variant) as well as recently occupied positions – trenches, bunkers, tents and firing positions – near Hirske (63km west of Luhansk).

In non-government-controlled areas, the SMM saw an APC (MT-LB), an IFV (BMP-variant) and fresh tracks of a tank (T-72) in Pikuzy (formerly Kominternove, 23km north-east of Mariupol) and an APC (MT-LB variant) near Zaichenko. On 8 June an SMM mid-range UAV spotted an APC (MT-LB) near Smile (31km north-west of Luhansk). On 9 June, the mid-range UAV spotted a new trench network reinforced with bunkers every 10m, one IFV (BMP-2) and four additional IFVs (BMP-variant) near Sokilnyky.

The SMM also saw an unmarked UAV flying from east to west about 500m right above government-controlled Orikhove (57km north-west of Luhansk).

The SMM observed the presence of unexploded ordnance (UXO) and mine hazard signs. On 11 June the SMM saw, for the first time, the tail motor of an MLRS (BM-21) rocket sticking out from what used to be the forecourt of a petrol station at the south-eastern edge of “DPR”-controlled Debaltseve (58km north-east of Donetsk) and the tail motor of a 300mm MLRS (BM-30 Smerch) rocket on a side street of 50 Richchia Zhovtnia Street on the north-eastern outskirts of Debaltseve. At the southern edge of Sakhanka, the SMM, for the first time, saw a mine hazard sign (with the word “mines” written in Russian) on an unstaffed concrete barrier on the road 200m south of Sakhanka.

On 12 June, the SMM saw, for the first time, a wooden mine hazard sign (with the words “mines” written in Ukrainian) near a checkpoint on the road between government-controlled Vilkhove (22km north-east of Luhansk) and Valuiske (20km north-east of Luhansk).

The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to essential infrastructure, co-ordinated by the JCCC. The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repair works to the high voltage Mykhailivka-Almazna power lines between “LPR”-controlled Pervomaisk (58km west of Luhansk) and “LPR”-controlled Molodizhne (63km north-west of Luhansk). (See SMM Daily Report 12 June 2017.)

The SMM visited two border areas not under government control. At a border crossing point near Uspenka (73km south-east of Donetsk), in about one hour the SMM saw 37 civilian cars (16 with Ukrainian, 14 with Russian Federation and two with Lithuanian licence plates and five with “LPR” plates) in a queue to exit Ukraine, and six civilian cars and four cargo trucks entering Ukraine (the SMM could not see the licence plates of the cars and trucks).

At the border crossing point in Izvaryne (52km south-east of Luhansk), during one hour and 20 minutes, the SMM saw 48 civilian cars (35 with Ukrainian licence plates and 13 with Russian Federation licence plates), 40 pedestrians and two buses with Ukrainian licence plates (carrying 40-50 passengers) in a queue to exit Ukraine. The SMM also saw twelve civilian cars (eight with Ukrainian licence plates and four with Russian Federation licence plates), about 30 pedestrians and a bus with Ukrainian licence plates (carrying 40-50 passengers) entering Ukraine.

The SMM monitored a protest outside the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Kharkiv. The SMM saw approximately 50 protestors (men, 20-50 years old) carrying flags and symbols of Eastern Corps and National Corps movements. The SMM saw about 200 police officers wearing riot gear in front of the Consulate, which the SMM noticed was closed. The protest lasted for two hours and ended without incidents.

The SMM continued monitoring in Kherson, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, Odessa, 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, 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, including at the disengagement area near Petrivske.

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.
• The SMM could not proceed further east into the Zolote disengagement area from government-controlled Katerynivka (64km west of Luhansk) due to the possible presence of mines and UXO. The SMM informed the JCCC.
• A Russian Federation officer of the JCCC told the SMM that mines were still present at the southern edge of the Zolote disengagement area. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed into the disengagement area. The SMM informed the JCCC and requested that it confirm the removal of the mines in writing.
• 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.

[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.