Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 21 August 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 24 hours. The Mission followed up on a report of a civilian casualty in Yasynuvata. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas and recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in the disengagement areas and elsewhere, including in Novolaspa and Kreminets.* The SMM observed unexploded ordnance near Zolote. The Mission continued to facilitate and monitor repairs and maintenance to a power plant in Shchastia. The Mission visited three border areas not under government control.

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations,[1] including about 80 explosions, compared with the previous 24 hours (almost 330 explosions).

On the night of 20 August, the SMM camera in government-controlled Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk) recorded, in sequence, one explosion assessed as an impact, 17 projectiles in flight from north-west to south-east, one projectile from east to west, and ten projectiles from north-west to south-east, all 3-5km east-south-east. During the day on 21 August, the same camera recorded one explosion assessed as an impact and five undetermined explosions, all 4-6km east-south-east. On the same day, positioned in Avdiivka, the SMM heard 22 undetermined explosions 2-4km south-east and south.

On 21 August, positioned at the railway station in “DPR”-controlled Yasynuvata (16km north‑east of Donetsk), the SMM heard six undetermined explosions 2-8km west-south-west. Positioned in the south-western part of Yasynuvata, the SMM heard one explosion assessed as the impact of a mortar round, 12 undetermined explosions, and one shot of small-arms fire, all 1-8km at directions ranging from south-west to west.

On the night of 20-21 August, the SMM camera at the Donetsk Filtration Station (15km north of Donetsk) recorded, in sequence, 48 projectiles in flight from east to west, one explosion assessed as an impact, six projectiles from east to west, 45 projectiles from west to east, 22 projectiles from east to west, two projectiles from west to east, 35 projectiles from east to west, 43 projectiles from west to east, six projectiles from east to west, and five projectiles from west to east, all 1-3km south.

On the evening of 20 August, while in government-controlled Svitlodarsk (57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard eight explosions assessed as impacts of mortar rounds (six 82mm and two 120mm), as well as automatic-grenade-launcher and heavy-machine-gun fire, all 1.5-3km east.

On the night of 20-21 August, the SMM camera in Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) recorded, in sequence, one undetermined explosion, one rocket-assisted projectile in flight from south-east to north-west, four tracer rounds in flight from south to north, four tracer rounds from east to west, one tracer round from west to east, 13 tracer rounds from east to west, one rocket-assisted projectile from east to west, 12 tracer rounds from east to west, three tracer rounds from south to north, and four tracer rounds from east to west, followed by aggregated totals of four rocket-assisted projectiles from east to west and 74 tracer rounds (50 from east to west, ten from south to north, and 14 from west to east), all at undetermined distances at directions ranging from north to north-east.

On 21 August, positioned 1.5km south-east of government-controlled Lomakyne (15km north-east of Mariupol), the SMM heard ten explosions assessed as impacts and three undetermined explosions, all at undetermined distances east-south-east.

In Luhansk region the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including 76 explosions, compared with the previous 24 hours (over 140 explosions).

In the early morning of 21 August, while on the northern edge of government-controlled Popasna (69km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard 72 explosions assessed as 82mm mortar rounds and two undetermined explosions, as well as 35 bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire, all 5-15km east and north-east.

On the afternoon of 21 August, positioned 1km north of government-controlled Toshkivka (60km north-west of Luhansk), the SMM heard two explosions assessed as impacts of artillery rounds (calibre unknown) 6km south-east.

The SMM followed up on a report of a civilian casualty. At a hospital in Yasynuvata, accompanied by a Russian Federation Armed Forces officer of the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC), the SMM saw a woman (aged 67) with bandages on her neck, which she said had been lacerated when a bullet had penetrated the window of her house at 5 Timiriazieva Street in Yasynuvata at 18:50 on 20 August.

The SMM continued to monitor the disengagement process and to pursue full access to the disengagement areas near 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 19 August, the SMM camera in government-controlled Zolote recorded one undetermined explosion 1.5-3km south-east, which it was unable to assess as inside or outside the disengagement area. In addition, the camera recorded aggregated totals of two undetermined explosions, one explosion assessed as an outgoing mortar or recoilless gun (SPG-9, 73mm) round, 10-20 shots of small-arms fire, four projectiles in flight from north-west to south-east and one illumination flare in vertical flight, all 1.5-5km at directions ranging from east-north-east to south-east and assessed as outside the disengagement area.

On 21 August, positioned at the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska and Zolote, the SMM observed a calm situation.

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

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles (ACVs)[2] in the security zone. In government-controlled areas, on 18 August an SMM mid-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (BMP-1) near Luhanske (59km north-east of Donetsk).

In non-government‑controlled areas the SMM saw an armoured personnel carrier (APC) (BTR-80) near Brianka (46km south-west of Luhansk), and three IFVs (BMP-1) near civilian residences in Novolaspa (50km south of Donetsk). Aerial imagery revealed the presence on 19 August of three ACVs near Bezimenne (30km east of Mariupol).

The SMM continued to observe mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO). Near a checkpoint in Zolote, the SMM saw for the first time the tailfin of an unexploded 82mm mortar round stuck in an asphalt road, assessed as fired from a southerly direction. The Mission also saw a crater on an asphalt road about 20m north-west of the tailfin, and another crater on soft ground about 70m south-west of the tailfin, both assessed as fresh and caused by 82mm mortar rounds fired from a southerly direction.

The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor the ongoing repairs and maintenance, co-ordinated by the JCCC, to the thermal power plant in government-controlled Shchastia (20km north of Luhansk).

The SMM continued to monitor the situation of civilians living near the contact line. On 19 August, an SMM mini UAV spotted significant fire damage to large parts of government-controlled Verkhnotoretske (23km north-east of Donetsk), including houses, shops, barns, gardens, fences, and a cemetery.

The SMM visited three border areas not under government control. At a border crossing point near Izvaryne (52km south-east of Luhansk), in about one hour, the SMM observed 38 cars (30 with Ukrainian and eight with Russian Federation licence plates) and seven pedestrians leaving Ukraine and 13 cars (three with Russian Federation and seven with Ukrainian licence plates, and three with “LPR” plates) and five pedestrians entering Ukraine. The SMM also observed two buses, both with Ukrainian licence plates exiting Ukraine, and three buses (two with Ukrainian and one with Russian Federation licence plates) entering Ukraine.

At a border crossing point near Marynivka (78km east of Donetsk), in about thirty minutes, the SMM observed 14 cars (five with Ukrainian, one with Lithuanian, and seven with Russian Federation licence plates, and one with “DPR” plates) and two mini-buses (both with Ukrainian licence plates) exiting Ukraine, as well as five cars (one with Russian Federation and three with Ukrainian licence plates and one with “DPR” plates) and three pedestrians entering Ukraine.

At a border crossing point near Uspenka (73km south-east of Donetsk), in about thirty minutes, the SMM observed no traffic leaving or entering Ukraine.

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

*Restrictions of the 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.

Denial of access:

• A “DPR” member stopped the SMM at a checkpoint on road H15 near the Kargil plant in “DPR”-controlled Kreminets (16km south-west of Donetsk) and would not grant the SMM passage unless he were permitted to check the SMM patrol’s trailer. The SMM refused, turned back and informed the JCCC.
• In Novolaspa, two “DPR” members in a car prevented the SMM from accessing two roads in the village.

Related to disengagement areas and mines/UXO:

• The SMM was prevented from accessing areas in the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area, with the exception of the main road, due to the possible presence of mines and UXO. A Ukrainian Armed Forces officer of the JCCC told the SMM that no demining activities had taken place during the previous 24 hours in the area. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed and informed the JCCC.
• ​The possible presence of mines and UXO prevented the SMM from accessing secondary roads south of the Zolote disengagement area. Armed “LPR” members positioned on the southern side of the disengagement area told the SMM that no demining activity had been conducted in the area. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed and informed the JCCC.
• The SMM could not travel across the bridge in Shchastia due to the presence of mines. A Ukrainian Armed Forces officer of the JCCC told the SMM that mines on the road south of the bridge were still present. The SMM informed the JCCC.

Other impediments:

• While the SMM was following up on reports of a civilian casualty at a hospital in “DPR”-controlled Horlivka (39km north-east of Donetsk), medical staff refused to provide any information, referring the Mission to “DPR” members in Donetsk city.

[1] Please see the annexed report for a complete breakdown of the ceasefire violations as well as a map of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions marked with locations featured in this report. For a complete breakdown of the ceasefire violations, please see the annexed table. During this reporting period the SMM camera at the Oktiabr mine (Donetsk) remained non-operational.

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