Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine based on information received as of 13 September 2015
This report is for the media and the general public.
The SMM monitored the implementation of the “Package of measures for the implementation of the Minsk agreements”. Its monitoring was restricted by the parties and security considerations*. The SMM recorded 22 explosions in the Donetsk region and over 50 rounds of small-arms fire in the Luhansk region.
The SMM observed an overall calm situation in the Donetsk region. At the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) observation point at the “Donetsk People’s Republic” (“DPR”)-controlled Donetsk railway station (8km north-west of Donetsk city centre), at 12:20hrs on 12 September, the SMM heard one undetermined explosion which both the Russian Federation Armed Forces and the Ukrainian Armed Forces officer at the JCCC attributed to a controlled detonation approximately 4km north-west[1]. From the same position between 15:15 and 15:35hrs, the SMM heard a total of two airbursts and two bursts of small-arms fire. On 13 September, at the same observation point the SMM heard a total of eight undetermined explosions and multiple bursts of small-arms fire.
The SMM also recorded several ceasefire violations in “DPR”-controlled Khartsyzk (26km east of Donetsk) and “DPR”-controlled Pyatykhatky (31km north-east of Donetsk) on 12 September, and in government-controlled Krasnohorivka (21km west of Donetsk) on 13 September. In Khartsyzk the SMM heard two loud undetermined explosions – incoming and outgoing – 500-1000m north-east of its position. In Pyatykhatky the SMM heard sporadic small-arms fire 2-3km east of its position. Residents present estimated that the sound had been coming from the nearby shooting range. In Krasnohorivka the SMM heard four undetermined explosions occurring at approx. 5-6km east of the SMM position.
On 12 September in front of the former Donetsk regional state administration building, the SMM monitored a demonstration of 200 people (men and women equally, aged from 40 to 70) who expressed their support for Mr. Purgin who, according to media reports, had been removed from the post of “chairman of people’s council” in Donetsk on 4 September. Some 30 “DPR” “police officers” were present. The SMM observed that the demonstration ended peacefully.
On 13 September, in “DPR”-controlled Makiivka (11km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM observed three compounds with high walls in separate locations – one populated area and two industrial areas – which were guarded by armed men with military-type uniform. Due to the high walls the SMM could not confirm the presence of artillery or armoured vehicles inside. At the gate of one compound, the SMM saw the inscription “Vostok Battalion” and a “DPR” flag.
On 12 September, upon visiting a Humanitarian and Logistic Centre, located between the Government checkpoints in government-controlled Zaitseve (50km north-east of Donetsk) and government-controlled Maiorsk (45km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM spoke to several people from “DPR”-controlled areas who complained that they had been waiting to cross the Government checkpoint in Maiorsk from six to eight hours to reach the centre. At the checkpoint, the SMM observed 331 civilian vehicles and 33 buses waiting to cross into government-controlled areas and 341 civilian vehicles waiting to cross into “DPR”-controlled areas. On 13 September in the centre, the general director of the regional utility enterprise, the state-associated organization overseeing and co-ordinating the centre functions, informed the SMM that a new Humanitarian and Logistic Centre would be opened in government-controlled Novotroitske (36km south-west of Donetsk, 67km north of Mariupol) on 18 September.
On 13 September, in Donetsk city the SMM met with four representatives of branches of the protestant church who stated that their leader, a protestant pastor, had been in exile since May 2015 and could not return to Donetsk region for security reasons.
In the Luhansk region, the overall situation observed by the SMM remained calm with one incident involving multiple ceasefire violations recorded in government-controlled Muratove (50km north-west of Luhansk), where on 12 September the SMM heard over 50 semi-automatic and eight bursts of outgoing small-arms fire at distances ranging between 5 and 7km south-east of its position.
On 12 September, in government-controlled Novotoshkivske (52km north-west of Luhansk), two interlocutors (female aged 35 and 55) and a Ukrainian Armed Forces officer present separately informed the SMM about shelling from an easterly direction in the morning of 11 September. The SMM did not see any craters as the interlocutors could not specify the exact location of the shelling.
On 12 September, in government-controlled Krymske (41km north-west of Luhansk), the SMM spoke with a Ukrainian Armed Forces officer who stated that four rounds of 82mm mortar had been fired from a “Lugansk People’s Republic” (“LPR”) controlled area during the night of 10 September. The SMM could not access the alleged impact sites near the Ukrainian Armed Forces military position as according to the interlocutor the area was mined.
On 12 September, in the centre of “LPR”-controlled Luhansk city, the SMM monitored an open-air market in a temporally created traffic-free zone dedicated to the 220th anniversary of Luhansk city. The opening of the market was attended by “LPR” members, some of them armed, and “police officers”. The SMM observed that some 50 sellers were displaying their products on a 300-400m long stretch in the street, with hundreds of people (male and female, different age groups) strolling around.
On 12 September, at a checkpoint in government-controlled Troitske (69km west of Luhansk), a Ukrainian Armed Forces commander told the SMM that due to a mine explosion near the checkpoint on 10 September, two soldiers had been killed and two others seriously injured.
On 12 September, whilst 2km north-west of government-controlled Shchastia (23km north of Luhansk), the SMM observed two aircraft and the contrails of up to seven aircraft flying from the north to the south. The SMM estimated that the aircraft were more than 20km south-east of its position, but could not identify the type or their altitude.
On 12 September, in “LPR”-controlled Kalininskyi (64km south-east of Luhansk), a female resident in her sixties told the SMM that the biggest problem in the village was a rise in prices as a consequence of the new exchange rate of Ukrainian Hryvnia to Russian Roubles. She gave an example that some cookies which had cost 42 Ukrainian Hryvnia should cost around 84 Russian Roubles according to the exchange rate officially announced by “LPR” “administration” earlier, but now they cost 100 Russian Roubles.
On 13 September, the SMM revisited seven Ukrainian Armed Forces heavy weapons holding areas whose locations corresponded with respective withdrawal lines. The SMM observed that at three areas all previously recorded weapons were present. At four areas the following previously recorded weapons were missing. At the first area two towed howitzers (152mm 2A65 Msta-B) were missing. At the second area one towed howitzer (152mm 2A65 Msta-B) was missing. At the third site five multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) (122mm BM-21 Grad) were missing. At the fourth area two MLRS (122mm BM-21 Grad) were missing.
The SMM observed the following weapons’ movements in areas that are in violation of respective withdrawal lines. On 12 September, in government-controlled Troitske (69km west of Luhansk), the SMM observed one anti-tank missile system (9K111 Fagot) and one infantry fighting vehicle (IFV)(BMP-2) with one anti-tank missile system (9K111 Fagot) in separate locations. In “DPR”-controlled Horlivka (38km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM observed one military truck towing one anti-tank gun (100mm 2A19 MT-12 Rapira) on 12 September and four main battle tanks (MBTs) (three T-72 and one T-64) on 13 September.
On 12 September in Kherson, the SMM observed a demonstration of around 25 people (men and women equally, different age groups) with three Svoboda party flags expressing their support of two individuals suspected of the murder of Oles Buzina, a Ukrainian writer known for his pro-Russian views who was shot dead in Kyiv on 16 April. The demonstration, watched by a dozen police officers, ended peacefully.
The SMM continued to monitor the situation in Kharkiv, Dnepropetrovsk, Odessa, Chernivtsi, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv and Kyiv.
*Restrictions to SMM’s freedom of movement or other impediments to the fulfilment of its mandate:
The SMM is restrained in fulfilling its monitoring functions by restrictions imposed by the parties and security considerations, including the presence – and lack of information on the whereabouts – of mines, and damaged infrastructure. The security situation in Donbas is fluid and unpredictable and the ceasefire does not hold everywhere. Self-imposed restrictions on movement into high-risk areas have impinged on SMM patrolling activities, particularly in areas not controlled by the government. Members of the “LPR” continue to prevent the SMM from monitoring most areas close to the border with the Russian Federation.
Denied access:
- On 12 September, at a checkpoint in "LPR"-controlled Donetskyi (49km north-west of Luhansk), the “LPR” “commander” denied the SMM’s access to Zholobok (48km north-west of Luhansk), citing security reasons. The SMM had to turn around.
Delayed access:
- On 11 September, at a checkpoint in Kirovsk (50km north-west of Luhansk), an armed “LPR” member stopped the SMM for 20 minutes, and only allowed the SMM to proceed after he consulted with his “supervisor”.
[1] For a complete breakdown of the ceasefire violations, please see the annexed table.