Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine, based on information received as of 19:30, 24 May 2016

This report is for media and the general public.

The SMM observed an increased level of violence in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions as compared to the previous reporting period. The Mission continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons, and noted the presence of armoured combat vehicles and other hardware in the security zone. It continued to monitor the situation of civilians at checkpoints. The Mission facilitated adherence to the ceasefire and monitored the repair of essential infrastructure. Its freedom of movement was restricted three times in areas not controlled by the Government.*

In Donetsk region the SMM recorded an increased number of ceasefire violations[1] compared to the previous reporting period.

Whilst in “DPR”-controlled Donetsk city centre, the SMM over the night of 23 May and early morning hours on 24 May heard 23 undetermined explosions and 22 bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire 4-7km north and north-west of its position. Positioned at the Donetsk central railway station (“DPR”-controlled, 6km north-west of Donetsk city centre), the SMM saw and heard one explosion assessed as impact 3km north-north-west of its position, and heard 13 undetermined explosions, more than 100 single shots and ten bursts of small-arms fire 2-5km north, north-west and west of its position. Whilst at the same position, from 17:30-18:00, the SMM heard 24 undetermined explosions 7-10km north-north-east of its position.

Whilst in “DPR”-controlled Yasynuvata (16km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard 69 undetermined explosions, more than 170 bursts and more than 40 single shots of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, mainly 1-8km west-south-west, west and west-north-west of its position.

Over the night of 23 May, the SMM heard seven undetermined explosions, two explosions assessed as 82mm mortar fire, four 30mm cannon rounds, 14 rounds of recoilless-gun fire (SPG-9), rocket-propelled-grenade or automatic-grenade-launcher fire, all 6-10km north, north-west and west of its position, and heard approximately 150 single shots of small-arms fire 2-3km south-west of its position in “DPR”-controlled Horlivka (39km north-east of Donetsk).

Positioned in government-controlled Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk), the SMM heard three undetermined explosions 4-5km west of its position, one explosion caused by the impact of a 120mm mortar round 5-6km south-east of its position, and four explosions assessed as controlled explosions of unexploded ordnance, 7km south-west of its position. 

The SMM visited two houses in Kominternove (“DPR”‑controlled, 23km north-east of Mariupol) and observed damage assessed as caused by shooting and shelling. At one house near the village centre, the SMM observed a bullet hole in the almost flat corrugated roof, but could not assess the direction of fire. According to an elderly female resident the shooting had occurred after 20:00 on 23 May. No injuries were reported. On the main street approximately 300m east of the “DPR” checkpoint at Kominternove’s western entrance, the SMM observed impact damage on the western facing roof and wall of an unoccupied house. The SMM assessed the damage to have been caused by an undetermined impact from the west. According to residents this shelling happened on 22 May.

The SMM followed up on reports that a property of a civilian in Luhanske village (government-controlled, 59km north-east of Donetsk) had been fired at on 5 May. There, the SMM observed holes and cracks in the garden fence and cracks on the windows and window frames, all on the side of the house facing south-south-east, and assessed it to have been caused by direct and indirect heavy-machine-gun-fire from a south-easterly direction.

Luhansk region remained relatively calm, though the number of observed ceasefire violations increased from the previous day’s single-digit number. While in government-controlled Stanytsia Luhanska (16km north-east of Luhansk) the SMM heard between 23:00-23:48 on 23 May, at least 20 explosions, assessed as mortar and grenade launcher fire, as well as three bursts of small-arms fire, 1.5-3.6km south-south-west of its position. Whilst in “LPR”-controlled Obozne (18km north of Luhansk) the SMM heard ten undetermined explosions approximately 20km north-west of its position.

In relation to the implementation of the Addendum to the Package of Measures, the SMM revisited Ukrainian Armed Forces and “DPR” permanent storage sites whose locations corresponded with the withdrawal lines, and observed that all weapons were present.

The SMM continued to monitor the withdrawal of heavy weapons as foreseen in the Minsk Package of Measures.

The SMM has yet to receive the full information requested in the 16 October 2015 notification. 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 notification.

In government-controlled areas beyond the respective withdrawal lines, the SMM revisited such locations and observed: 31 tanks (T-64), and 18 mortars (2B11, 120mm). The SMM observed nine tanks (T-72) missing from one of the sites.

The SMM observed the presence of armoured combat vehicles and other hardware within the security zone. In government-controlled areas, it observed two armoured reconnaissance vehicles (BRDM-2) near Zolote (60km west of Luhansk), and three armoured personnel carriers (APCs; BTR-70) and one APC (BTR-4) near Voitove (government-controlled, 34km north of Luhansk).

The SMM observed a fixed-wing UAV, of undetermined model, flying west to east 600-700m over Olenivka (“DPR”-controlled, 23km south-west of Donetsk).

The SMM continued to monitor long queues at crossing routes near the contact line. At Ukrainian Armed Forces checkpoints along the H15 highway near government-controlled Marinka (23km south-west of Donetsk) the SMM observed 361 civilian cars, 11 civilian buses and 144 pedestrians queuing to enter government-controlled areas; and 105 civilian cars and 82 pedestrians queuing to travel in the other direction. At a Ukrainian Armed Forces checkpoint in Maiorsk (45km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM observed 260 civilian cars and 100 pedestrians queuing to enter government-controlled areas. At a Ukrainian Armed Forces checkpoint in Pyshchevyk (25km north-east of Mariupol), the SMM observed 82 civilian cars queuing to enter government-controlled areas. At the “DPR” checkpoint in Verkhnioshyrokivske (formerly Oktiabr, 29km north-east of Mariupol), the SMM observed 115 civilian cars queuing to enter government-controlled areas, and few cars queuing to travel in the other direction. At a “DPR” checkpoint in Olenivka, the SMM observed 150 civilian cars queuing to enter government-controlled areas.

At a Ukrainian Armed Forces checkpoint north of the bridge at Stanytsia Luhanska (16km north-east of Luhansk), the SMM observed in the morning approximately 300 pedestrians of mixed ages and gender waiting to enter government-controlled area, and 2 waiting to travel in the other direction. In the afternoon, the SMM observed approximately 20 people waiting to enter government-controlled areas, and 100 waiting to travel in the other direction. Over a 25-minute period, the SMM observed about 100 people entering government-controlled areas.

The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to essential infrastructure. The SMM observed on-going repairs of the water pipeline in government-controlled part of Zolote-4 (60km west of Luhansk). The SMM monitored the repair of the water pipe line in the vicinity of government-controlled Artema (26km north of Luhansk).

The SMM observed a total of four mine hazard signs on both sides of the “DPR” checkpoint on the H‑20 road in Olenivka, as well as two improvised mine signs on the west side of the checkpoint. In the government-controlled part of Zolote, a Ukrainian Armed Forces soldier told the SMM that the land around the cemetery in Zolote had been de-mined, but civilians were not allowed to go there for security reasons.

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:

• An armed “DPR” member refused to allow the SMM to monitor at the “DPR” checkpoint near Olenivka. The SMM informed the JCCC.
• In “LPR”-controlled Kadiivka (formerly Stakhanov, 50km west of Luhansk), armed “LPR” members refused to allow the SMM access to indoor facilities and storage buildings in a military-type compound. The SMM observed 50 armed “LPR” members with Cossack battalion insignia, as well as empty rounds of artillery (D-30, 120mm).

Conditional access:

• In “LPR”-controlled Rovenky (54km south of Luhansk), two men describing themselves as “police” insisted that the SMM leave the town. The SMM informed the JCCC.

[1] Please see the annexed table for a complete breakdown of the ceasefire violations as well as map of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions marked with locations featured in this report.