Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine, based on information received as of 19:30hrs, 13 April 2016

This report is for media and the geenral public.

The SMM observed fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region compared with the previous day. In Luhansk the SMM observed a higher number of ceasefire violations compared with the previous day. The SMM noted that weapons were absent from storage sites and observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines. The Mission monitored the retrieval of bodies from unmarked gravesites. It observed the presences of mines. The SMM noted long lines at checkpoints along the contact line. The SMM monitored one border crossing point not controlled by the Government. Armed men restricted the SMM’s movement in areas not controlled by the Government in several instances and the SMM was restricted in one instance in a government-controlled area.*

The SMM observed a lower number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region compared to the previous day[1]. On the night of 12-13 April, the SMM heard 54 undetermined explosions at locations 7-10km north and north-west of its position in Donetsk city centre. From a position at the Donetsk railway station (“DPR”-controlled, 6km north-west of Donetsk city centre) on 12 April, the SMM heard 74 undetermined explosions and 32 bursts and 30 single shots of small-arms fire at locations 2-5km west, north-west and north-north-west of its position.

From its position in “DPR”-controlled Horlivka (39km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard, in just over one hour on the evening of 12 April, at least 69 explosions attributed to mortar rounds (82 and 120mm) and seven bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire at locations 9-10km north-north-west of its position. Whilst in government-controlled Svitlodarsk (57km north-east of Donetsk) the SMM heard, during the night of 12-13 April, ten explosions of automatic-grenade-launcher fire and one mortar round explosion 3-5km south-east of its position. Whilst in the same location, the SMM registered three mortar round explosions, saw and heard seven outgoing rounds of infantry fighting vehicle cannon (IFV; BMP-1, 73mm), saw and heard 36 undetermined airbursts and heard thirty bursts of small-arms fire at locations 2-5km south-west of its position.

Positioned near “DPR”-controlled Yasynuvata (17km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard 79 undetermined and eight outgoing explosions, four impacts of which three were assessed as caused by mortar rounds, 94 bursts and 137 shots of small-arms fire, and four explosions of automatic-grenade-launcher fire at locations 1-12km north, west-south-west, west, west-north-west, and north-north-west of its location. While in government-controlled Avdiivka (17km north-west of Donetsk), the SMM heard ten undetermined explosions and one airburst 6-7km south-east and eight undetermined explosions 2-5km south-west of its position.

Between 21:36 and 22:33hrs on 12 April, while flying over Avdiivka, an SMM long-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted at least seven people who fired eight rounds from two mortars. It also recorded four explosions caused by impacts in the industrial zone in Avdiivka and an unknown UAV flying from Yasynuvata in the direction of the industrial zone in Avdiivka.

In Luhansk region the SMM recorded a higher number of ceasefire violations compared with the previous day. Positioned in government-controlled Stanytsia Luhanska (16km north-east of Luhansk) during the night of 12 April, the SMM heard 86 mortar explosions, both impacts and outgoing, and over 380 shots of small-arms and heavy-machine-gun fire at positions 3-6km south of its location.  Whilst in government-controlled Kudriashivka (83km north-west of Luhansk), the SMM heard seven undetermined explosions and at least 50 shots of small-arms fire 3km south-east. Positioned in government-controlled Zolote-4 (60km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard two undetermined explosions 8-10km east and three shots of small-arms fire 1km east of its position.

In relation to the implementation of the Addendum to the Package of Measures, the SMM revisited a Ukrainian Armed Forces permanent storage site whose location corresponded with the withdrawal lines and observed that all weapons previously verified as withdrawn to the site were present.

The SMM revisited permanent storage sites in “DPR”-controlled areas whose locations corresponded with the withdrawal lines and observed that all weapons previously verified as withdrawn to the sites were present.

In violation of the respective withdrawal lines the SMM observed seven tanks (T-72) in Luhansk city. Also, an SMM long-range UAV spotted the presence of two mortars in Avdiivka on 12 April.

Beyond withdrawal lines but outside of storage sites, near government-controlled Novookhtyrka (50km north-west of Luhansk) the SMM saw two mortars (PM-38, 120mm) approximately 300m apart, lying on the ground.   Also, an SMM long-range UAV spotted the presence of ten tanks in government-controlled Pravdivka (36km north-west of Donetsk) on 12 April.

The SMM continued to monitor the withdrawal of heavy weapons foreseen in the Minsk Package of Measures. The SMM has yet to receive the full information requested in the 16 October 2015 notification.

In violation of the respective withdrawal lines the SMM observed: five self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) near “DPR”-controlled Yasynivka (19km north-east of Donetsk); ten towed howitzers (five 2A65 Msta-B, 152mm and five D-30 Lyagushka, 122mm), seven self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) and seven multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS; BM-21 Grad, 122mm) in Luhansk city; and six towed howitzers (2A36 Giatsint-B, 152mm) north of government-controlled Mariupol (102km south of Donetsk). Also in violation of the respective withdrawal lines, on 12 April the long-range SMM UAV spotted five self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) near Yasynivka and one surface-to-air missile system in Pravdivka. On 13 April, at the same location near Yasynivka, an SMM small-range UAV also spotted five self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm).

Also in violation of withdrawal lines, aerial surveillance imagery available to the SMM revealed the presence on 10 April of one MLRS in “DPR”-controlled Debaltseve (58km north-east of Donetsk).

The SMM 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 the respective withdrawal lines, the SMM revisited such locations and observed 18 anti-tank guns (MT-12 Rapira, 100mm), and noted that 35 tanks (T-64, 125mm) were absent (31 as observed as of 1 March and four as observed as of 11 February).

The SMM observed the presence of armoured combat vehicles and other hardware in the security zone. Near Yasynuvata the SMM heard a UAV circling overhead that arrived from the north and flew off to the south-west. The SMM also observed: an IFV (BMP-1) in the “DPR”-controlled part of Zaitseve (50km north-east of Donetsk); an armoured personnel carrier (APC; BTR-60) near government-controlled Karlivka (25km north-west of Donetsk); 150 armed men in formation near “LPR”-controlled  Zhovte (17km north-west of Luhansk); an IFV (BMP-2) near government-controlled Krasnohorivka (21km west of Donetsk); an IFV (BMP-2) on a military trailer near government-controlled Plotyna (28km north-east of Luhansk); an APC (BTR-70) near government-controlled Petrivka (27km north of Luhansk); and seven APCs (BTR-70) near government-controlled Voitove (34km north of Luhansk).

Aerial surveillance imagery available to the SMM revealed the presence on 10 April of six armoured vehicles near “DPR”-controlled Yakovlivka (8km north of Donetsk), nine armoured vehicles near Debaltseve, and 32 armoured vehicles between Svitlodarsk and “DPR”-controlled Lozove (54km north-east of Donetsk). An SMM long-range UAV spotted three APCs near Avdiivka, one APC near Yasynivka, and six APCs near “DPR”-controlled Mineralne (10km north of Donetsk).

The SMM monitored the retrieval of bodies from unmarked gravesites. The SMM observed Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel retrieve five bodies from unmarked gravesites 50m east of road T-1302 near government-controlled Spirne (96km north of Donetsk). A senior Ukrainian Armed Forces official onsite told the SMM that they had been informed about the existence of the graves by local residents in December 2015 but only confirmed the presence of bodies in February 2016; he expected the team to retrieve two other bodies from the area. There were no objects or insignia to identify the bodies, he said, and they would be transported to a forensic laboratory in Dnepropetrovsk for analysis and possible identification.

The SMM continued to observe the presence of mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO). The SMM observed eight mines near a Ukrainian Armed Forces checkpoint in Marinka (23km south-west of Donetsk). The SMM also observed three anti-tank mines for the first time near road H-15 between a government checkpoint in Marinka and a “DPR” checkpoint near Oleksandrivka (20km south-west of Donetsk), near the site of a mine explosion that destroyed a minivan and killed and injured several civilians on 10 February (see SMM Daily 11 February). An armed “LPR” member at a checkpoint in “LPR”-controlled Slovianoserbsk (28km north-west of Luhansk) told the SMM that new mines had been laid along the road in the area.

The SMM observed the marking of mined areas. In government-controlled Zolote-4 (60km north-west of Luhansk), the SMM observed a civilian work crew installing at least eight mine hazard signs every 50m for approximately 300-400m along the side of the road near a Ukrainian Armed Forces checkpoint. The SMM also noted a white mine hazard sign on the wall of an abandoned hotel for the first time in government-controlled Pervomaiske (17km north-west of Donetsk).

The SMM continued to monitor the situation of civilians at checkpoints close to the contact line and observed long lines waiting to travel towards government-controlled areas. At two checkpoints on highway H-15 near Marinka the SMM observed a total of 526 civilian cars and approximately 150 pedestrians (mostly women) queuing to enter government-controlled area, whereas a total of 116 civilian vehicles and around 30 pedestrians were queued in the opposite direction. The SMM observed a westbound queue of 320 vehicles and three buses at the “DPR”-controlled checkpoint near Olenivka (23km south-west of Luhansk). At the government-controlled checkpoint near Pyshchevyk (25km north-east of Mariupol) the SMM noted 100 civilian vehicles queuing to cross into government-controlled areas. The SMM continued to monitor the closed civilian crossing point at the bridge in government-controlled Stanytsia Luhanska (16km north-east of Luhansk), and observed no civilians onsite.

The SMM monitored one border crossing point not controlled by the Government. The SMM observed low traffic and five pedestrians crossing into the Russian Federation from Ukraine at the Dovzhanskyi border crossing point (85km south-east of Luhansk).

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

*Restrictions to SMM’s freedom of movement or 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:

• In Debaltseve the SMM was denied access to a humanitarian aid distribution centre by a guard, who – upon the SMM’s approach – retrieved an assault rifle from inside the building and told the patrol to leave. A second, unarmed guard also told the SMM to leave.
• An armed man denied the SMM access near “LPR”-controlled Zhovte (17km north-west of Luhansk) after the SMM refused to hand over its patrol plan. He said his unit was independent of the “people's militia” and that instructions from them did not apply to his group.
• At a checkpoint south of “DPR”-controlled Olenivka, “DPR” members requested to see the SMM patrol’s national passports and car documentation. The SMM did not produce the national passports and returned to Donetsk.

Conditional access:

• “DPR” members stopped the SMM at a checkpoint south-west of Yasynuvata and then escorted the SMM in the area for approximately one hour until it reached government-controlled Pisky (11km north-west of Donetsk).

Delay:

• Ukrainian Armed Forces checkpoint personnel stopped the SMM at a checkpoint near Novotroitske (36km south-west of Donetsk), citing the need for their commander’s approval for the SMM to pass through the checkpoint outside of official opening hours. The SMM notified the Joint Centre for Command and Co-ordination. The Mission monitors were delayed for 20 minutes.

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