Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine, based on information received as of 19:30, 27 May 2016

This report is for media and the general public.

The SMM observed fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and a similar number of ceasefire violations in Luhansk region compared with the previous day. An SMM foot patrol came under small-arms fire near Yasynuvata. The Mission followed up on allegations of shelling between 24 and 26 May near Stanytsia Luhanska and of casualties. It continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons, and noted armoured combat vehicles and anti-aircraft weapons in the security zone. The Mission’s freedom of movement was restricted on six occasions, including when it lost all communication with its long-range unmanned aerial vehicle near Horlivka.*

In Donetsk region the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations[1] compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM recorded 405 ceasefire violations, the majority of which occurred north and north-east of Donetsk city.

An SMM foot patrol came under small-arms fire north-east of “DPR”-controlled Yasynuvata (16km north-east of Donetsk). Nobody was hurt (see SMM Spot Report 27 May 2016).

Whilst in Yasynuvata, the SMM heard 73 undetermined explosions, 16 bursts and more than 81 single shots of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, mainly 1-4km west of its position, and ten explosions assessed as outgoing mortar rounds (82mm and 120mm) from 1-2km west of its position.

Whilst in “DPR”-controlled Horlivka (39km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard 13 undetermined explosions, 28 bursts and single shots of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, and four explosions assessed as caused by outgoing rocket-propelled grenade rounds and two shots assessed as caused by outgoing recoilless gun (73mm) rounds, 5-7km south-west of its position.

Positioned in government-controlled Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk), the SMM heard five shots from 23mm gun, four shots from an infantry fighting vehicle (BMP-2) gun (30mm), 4km south of its position, as well as small-arms fire, mainly 5-6km south-east of its position.

Whilst in Svitlodarsk (government-controlled, 57km NE of Donetsk), the SMM heard at least 50 undetermined explosions 10km south-west of its position.

The SMM camera in Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) recorded 16 bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire north-east of its location and four rounds of undetermined indirect fire from north-west to south-east, south-west to north-east and west to east, and north-west to south-east, at an unknown distance north of its location.  

The SMM observed a similar level of ceasefire violations in Luhansk region as on the previous day, all during night hours of 26-27 May. Whilst in Stanytsia Luhanska (government-controlled, 16km north-east of Luhansk) the SMM observed an exchange of fire over 3h35min, consisting of 139 explosions (128 automatic grenade launcher (AGS) or other weapon of 30mm calibre and 11 82mm mortar or 73mm gun), nine shots and bursts of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, 2-4km south-south-west of its position.

The SMM followed up on shelling between 24 and 26 May near Stanytsia Luhanska (16km north-east of Luhansk). The SMM observed a large hole (15cm in diameter) in a pipe of the heating system located outside of the district administration building. The SMM assessed the damage as caused by the impact of a projectile fired from a southerly direction. Some 100m from the regional administration building, the SMM observed that one small hole to a gas pipe had been recently repaired. According to a Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) Ukrainian Armed Forces representative, the supply of gas had been interrupted just briefly during the repair works. The SMM observed holes on the southern side of the roof and the ceiling of a private house near the railway bridge: two projectiles had pierced the roof and one had pierced the gable of the attic, and one of the projectiles had also pierced the ceiling of the kitchen. The SMM assessed the damage as caused by impacts of projectiles of 12.7mm calibre weapons fired from a southerly direction.

The SMM followed up on allegations by the Russian Federation Armed Forces Major General at the JCCC of “DPR” members killed and wounded on 26 May south-west of Yasynuvata and of a “DPR” member being injured during a recovery operation on 27 May. At the scene of the alleged incident, the SMM observed from a distance the recovery of three bodies. The head doctor of the Donetsk Traumatology Centre told the SMM that a “DPR” member had been admitted to the centre on 27 May with bullet wounds to his hip and hand. In addition, the head doctor of the reanimation department of Donetsk traumatology centre informed the SMM that the patient had been admitted to the hospital on the 27 May at 00:30. The SMM visited Kalinina hospital in Donetsk city in order to follow up the allegations that one “DPR” member had been injured by a gunshot during the morning trying to recover the bodies and was brought to the hospital. At the hospital, the SMM observed one “DPR” member with wounds to the right arm and chest. The SMM was not able to confirm if this injured “DPR” member was the one that allegedly sustained injuries during the morning while trying to recover the dead bodies.* At the Kalinina morgue the SMM observed the delivered bodies of three men in combat clothes.

The SMM followed up on allegations of wounded Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers at the military hospital in Pokrovsk (formerly Krasnoarmiisk, government-controlled, 55km north-west of Donetsk). The head of the hospital said that nine injured Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers had been brought to the hospital between 00:00 and 02:00 on 23 May 2016 from Avdiivka with shelling‑induced shrapnel injuries. Two had shrapnel injuries to the chest; the others had minor shrapnel injuries to their limbs, the interlocutor said.

In relation to the implementation of the Addendum to the Package of Measures, the SMM revisited Ukrainian Armed Forces permanent storage sites whose locations corresponded with the withdrawal lines, and noted that all previously verified weapons were present. The SMM also observed additional weapons for the first time.

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

In violation of the withdrawal lines, shortly before the SMM lost all contact with it, an SMM long-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted a surface-to-air missile system (9K35 Strela-10, 120mm) mounted on top of a multi-purpose tracked vehicle (MTLB) near “DPR”-controlled Horlivka.

Beyond the withdrawal lines and outside storage sites, the SMM observed the following weapons: one towed howitzer (D-20, 152mm) in government-controlled Kreminna (97km north-west of Luhansk, and four towed howitzers (D-20, 152mm) in government-controlled Rubizhne (84km north-west of Luhansk).

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 ten multi launch rocket systems (MLRS; BM-27 Uragan, 220mm), 18 towed anti-tank guns (2A29/MT-12 Rapira, 100mm), and three anti-tank guns (D-48, 85mm). The SMM further observed four towed mortars (three PM-38, 120mm; and one 2B9 Vasilek, 82mm) for the first time. The SMM also observed that 30 tanks had been moved to a different location. The SMM observed as missing: 31 anti-tank guns (2A29/MT-12 Rapira, 100mm), and twelve self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm).

The SMM observed the presence of armoured combat vehicles, an anti-aircraft weapon, and other hardware in the security zone. In government-controlled areas, the SMM observed one armoured personnel carrier (APC; BTR-70) in Raihorodka (33km north-west of Luhansk); two APCs (one unknown type, one BTR-70) in Trokhizbenka (33km north-west of Luhansk); one APC (BTR-80) in Stanytsia Luhanska (16km north of Luhansk); one 73mm recoilless gun (SPG-9), two APCs (BTR-60 and BTR-4), and one anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23) in Popasna (69km west of Luhansk); one APC (BTR-80) in Marinka (23km south-west of Donetsk).

The SMM facilitated adherence to the ceasefire and monitored repairs to essential infrastructure in Novooleksandrivka (60km west of Luhansk), where electricity repair works were planned, and “LPR”-controlled Kalynove-Borshchuvate (61km west of Luhansk), where demining was planned to ensure safety for the repairs. The electricity infrastructure was damaged in shelling in 2014. The SMM observed that both the repair team and the demining team left the area due to security reasons, as the Ukrainian Armed Forces said that they were not aware about the adherence to the ceasefire for repair works.

The SMM continued to monitor long queues at crossing routes near the contact line. At the Ukrainian Armed Forces checkpoint on H15 there were in total 177 vehicles and five buses queuing to travel west while 174 vehicles were queuing to travel east. In the afternoon, at the same Ukrainian Armed Forces checkpoint the SMM observed in total 125 vehicles (including one bus) waiting to travel east, with 35 vehicles (including three buses) in the opposite direction. At the “DPR” checkpoint 16 vehicles were queuing to travel east and only two west. At the Olenivka (23km south-west of Donetsk) “DPR” checkpoint, the SMM observed around 90 civilian cars waiting to travel towards government-controlled areas. At the government checkpoint in Novotroitske (government-controlled, 36km south-west of Donetsk), the SMM observed a queue of 78 civilian vehicles waiting to exit and 52 civilian vehicles waiting to enter government-controlled areas. The SMM observed 20 pedestrians waiting to exit government-controlled areas and 50 waiting to enter.

The SMM also monitored the extent of follow-up in response to violations previously reports by the Mission. The SMM received no reports of such follow-up from the JCCC or any other interlocutor.

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:

• Armed “DPR” members stopped the SMM 4km north-east of Zaichenko (26km north-east of Mariupol) and did not allow it to proceed towards “DPR”-controlled Khreshchatytske (formerly Krasnoarmiiske, 33km north-east of Mariupol), citing demining activities. The SMM informed the JCCC.
• Armed “LPR” members did not allow the SMM to pass their checkpoint between Zolote-4 and Zolote-5 (60km north-west of Luhansk). The SMM informed the JCCC.
• Armed “DPR” members continue to keep the power supply to SMM’s repeater in Donetsk city disconnected as they have been since 20 May. As a result, SMM remote monitoring equipment at “DPR”-controlled Oktiabr mine and in government-controlled Avdiivka are disabled (see SMM Daily Report 21 May 2016).

Conditional access:

• “DPR” members in an unmarked vehicle stopped the SMM on highway H20 in Olenivka and aggressively questioned the SMM why it had not stopped at the checkpoint it had just passed on H20 (the SMM had been waved through at said checkpoint). The “DPR” members told the SMM to return to the checkpoint, where they searched the SMM vehicles (including personal bags), and took the names and ID numbers of the SMM members, before letting the SMM pass after 15 minutes delay.

Other impediments:

• The SMM lost all communication with its long-range UAV flying over “DPR”-controlled Ozerianivka (35km north-east of Donetsk), on the south-western outskirts of “DPR”-controlled Horlivka (see SMM Spot Report 27 May 2016).
• Medical staff at the Kalinina hospital in Donetsk city told the SMM that for all necessary information required the SMM should address the “administration” representative. The latter asked the SMM to submit a request to the hospital in order to obtain information on cases related to “DPR” members.

[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.