Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine, based on information received as of 19:30hrs, 12 October 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 revisited three Ukrainian Armed Forces and two “DPR” heavy weapons holding areas. Verification of withdrawal stipulated in the Addendum to the Package of measures was not scheduled for the reporting period.

The SMM observed a generally calm situation in Donetsk region. It heard, however, one explosion of an undetermined nature 2-4km north-west of its position at the “Donetsk People’s Republic” (“DPR”)-controlled Donetsk railway station (6km north-west of Donetsk).

In government-controlled Opytne (12km north-west of Donetsk), three female residents told the SMM that approximately 70 people remained in the town, as opposed to 850 before the conflict. The said that most of the residents lived in basements without electricity, water or gas. Despite this, they said an unspecified number of people had recently returned because of the improved security situation.

In government-controlled Hranitne (47km north-east of Mariupol), the head of the village council told the SMM that 150 people had returned to the village in the previous two months. Approximately 1,000 people had left the village since the start of the conflict, he added. Approximately 600 houses had been partially damaged, he said, ten completely destroyed. An international non-governmental organisation has supplied some construction material. The presence of explosive devices in the village posed a continuing risk, he said.

In government-controlled Shchastia (20km north of Luhansk), the SMM heard an explosion 6-10km to the south, possibly emanating from a “Lugansk People’s Republic” (“LPR”) shooting range in "LPR"-controlled Oleksandrivsk (9km west of Luhansk).

One kilometre south-east of government-controlled Katerynivka (62km north-west of Luhansk), the SMM heard two rounds of small-arms within a minute of each other.

At an “LPR”-controlled crossing point into the Russian Federation in “LPR”-controlled Dovzhanske (84km south-east of Luhansk), the SMM observed approximately 50 trucks (with both Ukrainian and Russian Federation licence plates), most loaded with coal, waiting to cross into the Russian Federation. The SMM noted two coal-laden trucks pass into the Russian Federation.

In government-controlled Valuiske (20km north-east of Luhansk), the head of the village council told the SMM that 1,012 houses had been damaged in fighting since the start of the conflict in Valuiske and surrounding villages, 30 of them in August. Eighteen civilians had been killed, and 70 injured, he added.

In “LPR”-controlled Novobulakhivka (34km south-west of Luhansk), a farmer told the SMM that it was possible to find markets in “LPR”-controlled areas for certain products, such as sunflowers, wheat and buckwheat. He said it was almost impossible to sell in government-controlled areas due to checkpoint controls, and in the Russian Federation as the necessary certificates were currently unavailable in “LPR”-controlled areas.

The SMM revisited two “DPR” heavy weapons holding areas whose locations corresponded with respective withdrawal lines. At one “DPR” site, an armed “DPR” member denied access to the SMM*. At the second “DPR” site, six mortars (120mm, PM-38) were missing.

The SMM revisited three Ukrainian Armed Forces heavy weapons holding areas whose locations corresponded with respective withdrawal lines. At two of the Ukrainian Armed Forces sites, the SMM noted that all previously-recorded weapons were present. The SMM found that the third Ukrainian Armed Forces holding area was empty, as has been the case since 15 May. Prior to then, the SMM had recorded two howitzers (122mm D-30) there.

In violation of the respective withdrawal lines, the SMM saw two main battle tanks (MBTs – T-72) in the area of “DPR-controlled Yasynuvata (15km north-east of Donetsk). SMM unmanned aerial vehicles also spotted an MBT in the area of government-controlled Pervomaiske (19km north-west of Donetsk); an MBT in the area of “DPR”-controlled Donetsk airport (9km north-west of Donetsk); two MBTs in the area of “DPR”-controlled Bezimenne (30km east of Mariupol); and, a 122mm self-propelled howitzer (2S1 Gvozdika) in the area of “DPR”-controlled Petrivske (77km north-east of Mariupol).

In areas beyond the respective withdrawal lines, the SMM observed 12 self-propelled howitzers (2S1), 24 MBTs (T-64s), and 21 MBTs (both T-64s and T-72s) at “LPR” training grounds close to the "LPR"-controlled towns of Uspenka, Myrne and Kruhlyk, respectively (25, 28 and 31km  south-west of Luhansk, respectively).

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

*Restrictions to SMM’s freedom of movement or other impediments to fulfilment of its mandate

The SMM is restrained in fulfilling its monitoring functions by restrictions imposed by the parties and security considerations, including mine threats, damaged infrastructure, and the unpredictability of the situation in Donbas. Armed individuals continue to prevent the SMM from monitoring most areas close to the border with the Russian Federation in parts of Luhansk region not controlled by the Government.

Denied access:

• In government-controlled Hranitne (47km north-east of Mariupol), a Ukrainian Armed Forces soldier refused to allow the SMM access to a bridge leading to the nearby government-controlled village of Staromarivka (46km north-east of Mariupol). The deputy commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces command post in the centre of Hranitne told the SMM that only residents of Staromarivka were allowed to cross the bridge for what he described as humanitarian reasons.
• In “LPR”-controlled Dovzhanske (84km south-east of Luhansk), the “LPR” “border guard shift commander” told the SMM to leave the area. He said that a letter from the “LPR” “border guard” in Luhansk city – “authorising” access to the “LPR”-controlled areas alongside the Ukraine-Russian Federation border – was required.
• At a “DPR” heavy weapons holding area, an armed “DPR” member denied access to the SMM, saying he had been ordered by his superiors not to allow anyone inside.

Delayed access:

• Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel at a checkpoint close to government-controlled Pervomaiske (17km north-west of Donetsk) delayed the SMM for 32 minutes. They explained that they had not expected the specific SMM vehicles in that area. The SMM was allowed to proceed after the personnel received clearance from their superiors.

1] For a complete breakdown of incidents, please see the annexed table

* Please see the section at the end of this report entitled “Restrictions to SMM’s freedom of movement or other impediments to fulfilment of its mandate”.