Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine based on information received as of 24 September 2015

This report is for the media and 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 some ceasefire violations and continued spotting heavy weapons both in Luhansk and Donetsk regions. The majority of international humanitarian organizations operating in “LPR”-controlled areas of Luhansk region were told to leave before the weekend. The SMM observed concentrations of tanks at a few training sites in areas not controlled by the government.

The overall security situation in the Donetsk region continued to be relatively calm. Nevertheless, the SMM recorded ceasefire violations involving heavy artillery and multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) fire to the west, south-west, and south-east of Donetsk city[1]. A senior member of the “Donetsk People’s Republic” (“DPR”) claimed that live-fire exercises were conducted during the day in training areas near Donetsk city, involving light weapons, infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs), and main battle tanks (MTBs).

From its position in the Leninksyi district (6km south of Donetsk city centre), the SMM heard and saw a total of 17 explosions caused by incoming fire impacting 1-1.5km to the south-east on a military training range. The SMM assessed two explosions to have been caused by tank fire, nine explosions by MLRS fire, and it was not able to determine the source of the remaining six explosions. From  its position in government-controlled Krasnohorivka (21km west of Donetsk), the SMM recorded another 11 undetermined explosions, consistent with incoming mortar or artillery fire, which it estimated to originate some 10km to the east and north-east of its position.

In “DPR”-controlled Mospyne (22km south-east of Donetsk) the SMM talked with a female resident who said that the roof of her house had been damaged by heavy weapons fire the previous day. She said the damage to her house and other buildings in the town were due to live-fire exercises at a training range in the vicinity.

In government-controlled Mariupol (104km south-west of Donetsk), the SMM spoke with the Archbishop of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC-KP) for Donetsk and Mariupol, who said that a protest had been held on 21 September against the construction of a UOC-KP church in the city. He said that when he had addressed the protesters, some of them had become aggressive, insulted the present priests, and threatened to burn down the church if it was built.

In “DPR”-controlled Makiivka (12km north-east of Donetsk) and Donetsk city, the SMM observed the arrival and the unloading of a total of 42 trucks with Russian registration plates and bearing the marking “Humanitarian Aid from the Russian Federation” – 34 and eight trucks, respectively. The SMM saw in Makiivka the unloading of sacks of grain and sugar, along with boxes marked to contain sunflower oil, as well as the unloading in Donetsk of cans of fish, meat, milk, and tea.

While at the checkpoint near government-controlled Volnovakha (53km south-west of Donetsk), the SMM saw five civilian trucks, which it assessed were carrying humanitarian aid, queuing to cross into the “DPR”-controlled area. The SMM subsequently learned that several humanitarian aid trucks had been turned back at the “DPR” checkpoint.

The SMM continued to observe a relatively calm situation in the Luhansk region, although it recorded some ceasefire violations. In government-controlled Trokhizbenka (33km north-west of Luhansk), the SMM heard 12 bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire, and at least 12 mortar and artillery explosions from a Ukrainian Armed Forces training range located  north of the town.

In Luhansk city, the SMM attended a meeting of international humanitarian organizations operating in the “Lugansk People’s Republic” (“LPR”)-controlled area of Luhansk region. It learned that the “LPR” had told most of the international humanitarian organizations operating locally to leave by 25 September.

In “LPR”-controlled Hannivka (38km south-west of Luhansk), the SMM talked to a group of six residents, who expressed concern over the presence of unexploded ordnance (UXO) in the town. They also pointed out that a large part of the UXO was the result of live-fire exercises on the “LPR” training range located 800m north of the town.

The SMM revisited seven heavy weapons holding areas of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and recorded a total of 14 missing weapons at four of them. Two towed howitzers (2A65 Msta-B, 152mm) were absent at one site, and another howitzer (Msta-B) was missing at the second site – all three of them since 9 July 2015. At the third site, the SMM recorded six MLRS (BM-21 Grad, 122mm) missing, as observed on 12 July 2015. Five MLRS (Grad) were missing from the fourth area: one had been registered absent already on 12 July and another on 15 August 2015 (see SMM Daily Report, 17 August 2015), and three others were found missing during this visit.

In the area of Volnovakha, the SMM observed three multipurpose light-armoured towing vehicles (MT-LB) each towing a 100mm anti-tank gun (MT-12 Rapira), in violation of the respective withdrawal lines. Also in violation of the respective withdrawal lines, the SMM unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted 18 MBTs in the area of “DPR”-controlled Sontseve (56km south-east of Donetsk).

In the area of government-controlled Krymske (43km north-west of Luhansk) the SMM spotted an entrenched self-propelled howitzer (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm), in violation of the respective withdrawal lines.

The SMM visited military training grounds in “LPR”-controlled Myrne (28km south-west of Luhansk), Kruhlyk (31km south-west of Luhansk), and Uspenka (23km south-west of Luhansk). It observed at these locations 22 tanks (T-64), 24 tanks, and eight self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm), respectively.

Beyond the withdrawal lines, an SMM UAV observed a concentration of at least 53 MBTs in a training area south of the “DPR”-controlled Torez (61km east of Donetsk). Similarly, seven MBTs were observed by the SMM UAV in the “DPR”-controlled Komsomolske (43km south-east of Donetsk).

The SMM noted some military movement in the area beyond the respective withdrawal lines near government-controlled Artemivsk (64km north-east of Donetsk). This included a number of convoys: one consisting of eight MBTs (T-64), a second one consisting of three MBTs, a convoy including eight IFVs (BRM-1K and BMP-1) – all moving north, and a fourth convoy of four military trucks transporting troops, moving south-east.

The SMM continued to monitor the situation at the three crossing points to Crimea – Kalanchak, Chaplynka, and Chonhar (95, 90 and 162km south-east of Kherson, respectively) – which was relatively calm and stable. The head of Kalanchak border guards unit told the SMM that an informal co-ordination committee, consisting of the Kherson regional state administration and the local law enforcement agencies assessed on 23 September the practice of protesters checking the trunks of the passenger vehicles and travellers’ belongings (see the SMM Daily Report 24 September 2015) as “wrongful and unlawful”. The SMM did not observe law enforcement preventing protesters from searching vehicles. The SMM observed that protesters continued to check passenger cars on a random basis at the Kalanchak crossing point, even though most of the vehicles could travel unhindered.

On 24 September, the SMM visited the Manevichi district (250km north-east of Lviv) of Volyn region, where it discussed with the head of Manevichi administration and the head of district police the protest organized on 23 September by unauthorised amber diggers. The SMM learned  from the police official that as a result of the unrest that involved at least 600 protesters, the police detained and questioned about 50 of them, after which they were released. He indicated that over 500 law enforcers from five regions were involved in addressing the protests. The SMM saw over 200 police and National Guard officers on its way to the digging area. According to the administration head, the authorities tried to negotiate with the diggers. He said most of protesters came from neighbouring regions, and had complained about lack of jobs.

The SMM continued to monitor the situation in Dnepropetrovsk, Odessa, Chernivtsi, Kharkiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Kyiv.

*Restrictions on SMM monitoring, access and freedom of movement:

The SMM is restrained in fulfilling its monitoring functions by restrictions imposed by the parties and security considerations, including mine threats, 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 some areas not controlled by the government. Members of the “LPR” continue to prevent the SMM from monitoring in some areas close to the border with the Russian Federation.

Interference with the UAV:

• An SMM UAV was subjected to video jamming while flying over “DPR”-controlled Krasnoarmiiske and Vedenske (32 and 33km north-east of Mariupol, respectively).

[1] For a complete breakdown of the ceasefire violations observed, please see the annexed table.