Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine, based on information received as of 19:30hrs, 7 April 2016

This report is for media and the general public.

In Donetsk region, the SMM observed a slightly higher number of ceasefire violations. In Luhansk region a low number of ceasefire violations were recorded. The Mission continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons, and noted weapons missing from storage sites, as well as weapons in violation. The Mission visited two border crossing points in areas not controlled by the Government, despite denial of access to several border areas. It encountered other of freedom-of-movement restrictions in non-government-controlled areas.* An SMM vehicle was hit by a bullet and an SMM monitor was threatened at gunpoint.           

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded a slightly higher overall number of ceasefire violations compared with the previous day. The vast majority of them were bursts and single shots of anti-aircraft-gun, heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire; fewer explosions were observed.[1] Whilst at the “DPR”-controlled Donetsk central railway station (6km north-west of Donetsk city centre) the SMM heard, between 10:20 and 11:26hrs, four undetermined explosions, two bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire at locations ranging from north to west at locations 3-5km of its position.

Positioned in “DPR”-controlled Yasynuvata (16km north-east of Donetsk), between 10:00 and 14:52hrs, the SMM heard a total of 42 undetermined explosions, 55 explosions caused by automatic grenade launcher,  29 bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire and over 350 mixed single shots and bursts of small-arms fire, mostly 1-5km west of its position. Whilst in government-controlled Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk), the SMM heard one impact of 122mm artillery round, two impacts of 82mm mortar rounds and four bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire 2-6km north-east, east-north-east and south of its position.

Positioned in government-controlled Svitlodarsk (57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard at least 13 undetermined explosions, between 20:10 on 6 April and 00:50hrs on 7 April, 1-5km south of its position. While in “DPR”-controlled Horlivka (39km north-east of Donetsk), during the evening of 6 April, the SMM heard, within 25 minutes, 30 undetermined explosions 10-12km west, heard and saw more than  218 shots of anti-aircraft gun (23mm) fire 3-4km south-east and heard 12 bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire 10-12km west of its position. Whilst in “DPR”-controlled Debaltseve (58km north-east of Donetsk), during the morning hours, the SMM heard 15 undetermined explosions 3-5km west-north-west of its position.

The SMM camera in Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) recorded, between 19:45 and 23:41hrs on 6 April, an intense exchange of fire, multiple bursts and four undetermined explosions at locations north-east.

In the vicinity of “DPR”-controlled Snizhne (72km east of Donetsk), the SMM  noted a 5mm-diameter hole assessed to be  caused by a bullet and a possible bullet exit point (a 15mm-diameter hole) in the trunk window (not bullet-proof). The SMM also observed a small chip (3mm in diameter), possibly caused by the same bullet on the bullet-proof glass dividing the trunk and the passenger cabin of the car. No SMM members were injured (see SMM Spot Report 7 April).

In Luhansk region, the situation remained relatively calm with a low number of ceasefire violations recorded. During the night of 6-7 April, whilst in government-controlled Stanytsia Luhanska (16km north-east of Luhansk), the SMM heard 15 undetermined explosions and three bursts of small-arms fire at an unknown distance south-east of its position.

In relation to the implementation of the Addendum to the Package of Measures, the Mission monitors revisited Ukrainian Armed Forces permanent storage sites whose locations corresponded with the withdrawal lines and noted that 62 tanks (32 T-72 and 30 T-64), four mortars (2B9, 82mm), nine anti-tank guns (D-44, 85mm) were missing.

The monitors also revisited an “LPR” permanent weapons storage site whose location corresponded with the withdrawal lines and observed that all previously verified as withdrawn to that site were present.

Beyond withdrawal lines, but outside storage sites, in government-controlled areas, the SMM observed five mortars (120mm) near Urzuf (40km west of Mariupol).

The SMM continued to monitor the withdrawal of heavy weapons foreseen in the Minsk Package of Measures. The Mission has yet to receive the full information requested in the 16 October 2015 notification. The monitors revisited locations known to the SMM as heavy weapons holding areas, even though they do not comply with the specific criteria set out for permanent storage sites in the 16 October 2015 notification.

In government-controlled areas beyond respective withdrawal lines, the SMM revisited such locations and observed 18 towed howitzers (2A36 Giatsint-B, 152mm), 21 (15 anti-tank guns (15 MT-12 Rapira, 100mm and six T-12 Rapira, 100mm) and ten Addendum-regulated mortars (seven 2B9 Vasilek, 82mm and three 2B11Sani, 120mm).  

In “DPR”-controlled areas beyond respective withdrawal lines, the SMM revisited such locations and observed four towed howitzers (D-30, 122mm) and nine Addendum-regulated mortars (M-38,120mm).

In violation of the respective withdrawal lines the SMM observed three anti-tank guns (MT-12 Rapira, 100mm) in government-controlled Kremenivka (27km north-west of Mariupol) and six self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) near government-controlled Novoaidar (50km north-west of Luhansk).

Beyond withdrawal lines, but outside storage sites, the SMM noted one anti-tank gun (MT-12 Rapira, 100mm) towed by a truck  near government-controlled Yurivka (32km south-west of Mariupol).

The SMM observed the presence of other hardware within the security zone. In government-controlled areas, the SMM observed nine armoured personnel carriers (APCs; BTR-70) near Raihorodka (34km north-west of Luhansk), two APCs (BTR-70 and BTR-80) near Shchastia (20km north of Luhansk),  one APC (BTR-4) near  Mykhailivka (33km north of Luhansk), five barrels of what it assessed as anti-aircraft guns in Peredilske (24km north-west of Luhansk), seven APCs (BTR-70) near Voitove (33km north of Luhansk). In non-government-controlled areas, the SMM observed two infantry fighting vehicles (IFV; BMP-1) near “LPR”-controlled Vesela Hora (16km north of Luhansk).

The SMM continued to observe long queues towards government-controlled areas at checkpoints close to the contact line. At a checkpoint on highway H-15 near government-controlled Marinka (23km south-west of Donetsk), the SMM observed approximately 310 civilian cars, two buses and 150 pedestrians, waiting in a queue, heading west,  and three civilian cars waiting in a queue heading in the opposite direction. At the checkpoint in government-controlled Maiorsk (45km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM observed a queue of 280 civilian cars heading towards government-controlled areas. At a checkpoint in “DPR”-controlled Olenivka (23km south-west of Donetsk), the SMM observed 220 civilian cars waiting to travel towards government-controlled areas. At the government-controlled checkpoint at Stanytsia Luhanska bridge, during the morning hours, the SMM observed 300 people waiting to cross into government-controlled areas and 80 people waiting to cross in the opposite direction. At the same location, in the afternoon, the SMM observed 150 people, waiting in a queue, heading towards government-controlled areas and 80 people waiting in a queue in the opposite direction.

The SMM visited areas close to the border not controlled by the Government. At the Uspenka border crossing point (73km south-east of Donetsk), the SMM observed 16 civilian cars (13 with Ukrainian licence plates and three with Russian Federation licence plates), one bus and 27 trucks (25 with Ukrainian licence plates, one with Russian Federation licence plates and one with Belarusian licence plates) waiting to cross into the Russian Federation. During a 45-minute period, the SMM observed three cargo trucks and one bus (all with Ukrainian licence plates) crossing from the Russian Federation into Ukraine. At the border crossing point in Chervonopartyzansk (67kms south-east of Luhansk), during a 30-minute period the SMM observed ten civilian cars (all with Ukrainian license plates) and six pedestrians crossing from the Russian Federation into Ukraine and two civilian cars crossing (both with Ukrainian license plates) in the opposite direction. Subsequently, an armed “LPR” member approached the SMM and asked it to leave the area*. Whilst in the vicinity of the town, the SMM observed a train including ten carriages loaded with coal heading north-east.

The SMM observed a calm situation at two international border crossing points along the border between Ukraine and Belarus – Novi Yarylovychi and Slavutych (179 and 121km north of Kyiv respectively, Chernihiv region). A border guard at the first crossing point told the SMM that traffic had intensified since 22 March due to the decision of Belarus authorities to redirect cargo traffic from the Slavutych crossing point through that crossing point because of flooding risk. He added that during the last year and the first three months of 2016 there had been no illegal attempts of migrants to enter Ukraine.

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

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

The SMM’s monitoring is restrained by security hazards and threats, including risks posed by mines and unexploded ordnance, and by restrictions of its freedom of movement 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.

Denial of access:

• At a “DPR” checkpoint in Debaltseve (58km north-east of Donetsk), armed men prevented the SMM from proceeding north citing ongoing demining activities in the area. The JCCC was informed.
• In the vicinity of “DPR”-controlled Pervomaiske (68km south-east of Donetsk), armed men prevented the SMM from proceeding further south – to the border area. The JCCC was informed.
• Between Snizhne and “DPR”-controlled Torez (62km east of Donetsk), armed men did not allow the SMM to turn south and travel further south, citing “range-firing activities” in the area.
• In “DPR”-controlled Marynivka, an armed man denied the SMM access to the border crossing point. The JCCC was informed.
• In “DPR”-controlled Bezimenne (30km east of Mariupol), three armed men demanded that SMM leave the area immediately.
• At a checkpoint near “LPR”-controlled Smile (32km north-west of Luhansk), an “LPR” member insisted that the SMM had no right to be in the area. After the SMM explained its freedom of movement as provided by its mandate, another man cocked his automatic rifle and pointed it at one of SMM monitors (see SMM Spot Report 7 April).
• At the border crossing point in Chervonopartyzansk, an armed “LPR” member asked the SMM to leave the area, stating he was not informed about the SMM patrol. 
• At a “DPR” checkpoint on the south-western edge of Kominternove (23km north-east of Mariupol), the SMM encountered a roadblock with a tree trunk, and could not proceed further to Vodiane (19km north-east of Mariupol) (see SMM Daily Report 30 March).

Conditional access:

• At a “DPR” checkpoint near Olenivka (23km south-west of Donetsk), a  “DPR” member demanded to see national passports of SMM monitors and the registration documents of the SMM vehicles, before allowing the SMM to proceed further east. The SMM also contacted the JCCC. The SMM was delayed for 35 minutes.

Delay:

• At a “DPR” checkpoint on the south-eastern edge of Yasynuvata, two armed men delayed the SMM for 20 minutes.  

Other impediments:

• An SMM long-range unmanned aerial vehicle experienced stronger than usual jamming of its Global Positioning System while flying over the area near government-controlled Stepanivka (58km north-east of Donetsk) and had to abort the flight before reaching the contact line.

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