Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine, based on information received as of 19:30, 3 July 2016
This report is for media and the general public.
In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations on 2 July compared to the previous day, followed by a decrease in recorded ceasefire violations on 3 July. In Luhansk region, the SMM observed fewer ceasefire violations over the weekend compared to the previous day. The SMM followed up on reports of shelling and conducted crater analysis on both sides of the contact line, in Myronivskyi and Dokuchaievsk. It continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons and the situation at Stanytsia Luhanska bridge. The SMM facilitated repairs to a power plant and the transfer of the body of a deceased person near Shchastia. The Mission monitored a border area not controlled by the Government. The Mission’s freedom of movement was restricted on five occasions, four times in areas not controlled by the Government.* In Kyiv, the SMM observed a demonstration against the pre-trial detention measure of a member of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
The SMM observed more ceasefire violations[1] in Donetsk region on 2 July compared to 1 July. The SMM observed fewer ceasefire violations on 3 July than on 2 July.
Over the course of the day on 2 July, whilst at the “DPR”-controlled Donetsk central railway station (6km north-west of Donetsk city centre), the SMM heard nearly 300 undetermined explosions 2-7km north and north-north-east. On 3 July, whilst at the same position, the SMM heard approximately 80 undetermined explosions 3-10km north and north-north-east.
On 3 July, whilst in “DPR”-controlled Yasynuvata (16km north-east of Donetsk ), the SMM heard over 100 explosions, including at least 80 undetermined explosions, mainly 400 metres to 7km west, 18 explosions assessed as outgoing, mainly 3-4km north-north-west, and 13 assessed as impacts 4-5km west-south-west. Whilst in government-controlled Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk) on 2 July, the SMM heard 14 undetermined explosions and eight explosions assessed as outgoing mortar rounds (undetermined calibre), all at undetermined distances south-east and east; as well as three explosions assessed as 82mm mortar round impacts 4km south-east. On 3 July, whilst at the same position, the SMM heard nine explosions assessed as outgoing 82mm mortar rounds, two assessed as 82mm mortar round impacts and 20 undetermined explosions, all 2-6km south-east.
Whilst in “DPR”-controlled Horlivka (39km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard approximately 100 explosions during the reporting period, all occurring north-west of its position on the night of 1 July: 57 assessed as outgoing 120mm mortar rounds, 12 as 152mm artillery impacts, and nine as 82mm mortar impacts, with the remaining 23 undetermined.
Whilst in government-controlled Svitlodarsk (57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard five explosions assessed as 82mm mortar round impacts 3-6km south-south-east on the afternoon of 2 July.
On the night of 2 July, the SMM camera in Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) recorded seven explosions assessed as impacts and 14 undetermined explosions. The camera recorded exchanges of direct tracer fire, starting with 14 bursts of fire from west to east and continuing with over 150 bursts of fire from the west, south-west and south to the east and north-east, and over 50 bursts of fire from east to west.
In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations on both 2 and 3 July combined compared to 1 July. Whilst at the “LPR” checkpoint south of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge (16km north-east of Luhansk) on the afternoon of 3 July, the SMM heard one explosion assessed as an impact of an automatic grenade launcher or rocket-propelled grenade round approximately 500 metres north-east of its position and one undetermined explosion approximately 150 metres north-north-east.
Whilst in government-controlled Troitske (69km west of Luhansk) on 3 July, the SMM heard three explosions assessed as mortar round impacts 5km south-west of its position.
The SMM followed up on reports of shelling and damage to houses on both sides of the contact line. Near government-controlled Myronivskyi (62km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM observed ten fresh craters in an agriculture field approximately 500 metres north of the settlement. The SMM analysed six of the craters and assessed that they had been caused by 152mm artillery rounds fired from a southerly direction. In the settlement, the SMM observed that the roof, door and windows of a service building between a power station and a water reservoir had been completely destroyed. The SMM assessed that the fire which had destroyed the roof had come from a southerly direction. Ukrainian Armed Forces representatives from the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) and the Ukrainian military were present at the sites.
In the south-west of “DPR”-controlled Dokuchaievsk (30km south-west of Donetsk), the SMM observed impact marks on the pavement of a road and observed an unexploded projectile which it assessed as being a round from an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV; BMP-1) cannon (73mm) fired from a westerly direction. At a second site, the SMM observed that a projectile had penetrated the southern part of the flat roof of an abandoned house and exploded, causing shrapnel damage to a room in the building. The SMM observed the fin section of a 73mm round on the roof. According to a neighbour, the house was hit at 20:30 on 1 July. A Russian Federation Armed Forces representative at the JCCC was present at both sites.
The SMM continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons, in accordance with the Package of Measures and its Addendum, as well as the Minsk Memorandum.
In violation of respective withdrawal lines, the SMM saw in government-controlled areas: six towed howitzers (2A65 Msta-B, 152mm) and three anti-tank guns (2A29 MT-12 Rapira, 100mm) in Vodiane (42km south-west of Donetsk), 12 self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) in Bohoiavlenka (46km south-west of Donetsk), two groups of three howitzers (2A65, Msta-B 152mm) each being transported south, near government-controlled Bakhmut (formerly Artemivsk, 67km north of Donetsk), all on 3 July.
Beyond the withdrawal lines, but outside assigned areas, the SMM observed one tank (T-64) at a training site in “LPR”-controlled Myrne (28km south-west of Luhansk). In government-controlled areas, the SMM observed four towed howitzers (2A36 Giatsint-B, 155mm) and three self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) near government-controlled Rubizhne (84km north-west of Luhansk).
The SMM also observed heavy weapons missing from areas which do not comply with the criteria set in the 16 October 2015 notification. In government-controlled areas beyond the respective withdrawal lines, the SMM observed two areas which continued to be abandoned and two areas which were observed as abandoned for the first time. The SMM noted, as observed previously, that six self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) and 18 towed howitzers (2A65 Msta-B, 152mm) were still missing; and noted for the first time that 12 towed howitzers (D-30 Lyagushka, 122mm) and six mortars (2B11 Sani, 120mm) were missing.
The SMM revisited permanent storage sites whose locations corresponded with the withdrawal lines. In government-controlled areas, the SMM noted that 40 tanks (T-64) and nine mortars (2B9 Vasilek, 82mm) continued to be missing. In “LPR”-controlled areas, the SMM noted as missing five towed howitzers (D-30 Lyagushka, 122mm).
The SMM observed the presence of armoured combat vehicles, an anti-aircraft gun, and other hardware in the security zone. In government-controlled areas the SMM observed one IFV (BMP-2) near Orikhove (57km north-west of Luhansk); one IFV (BTR-4) and four armoured personnel carriers (APC; three BTR-60s and one BRDM-2) near Popasna (69km west of Luhansk), one APC (BTR) near Troitske; one APC (BRDM-2) near Novotoshkivske (53km west of Luhansk); seven IFVs (BMP-2) near Nyzhnie (56km north-west of Luhansk); one armoured vehicle (Kraz Cougar) mounted with a heavy machine-gun and an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23) in government-controlled parts of Zolote (60km west of Luhansk); and at least three APCs (two BTR-80s and one Spartan), three armoured vehicles (Humvee) mounted with heavy machine-guns near the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge. On 3 July, an SMM mini unmanned aerial vehicle spotted eight APCs near Shchastia (20km north of Luhansk).
In “DPR”-controlled areas, the SMM saw a large, flatbed vehicle, with improvised armour and camouflage, towing two trailers which it assessed as being filled with large-calibre-ammunition crates in Donetsk city’s Kuibyshevskyi district (5km west of Donetsk city centre) and two military-type, command-and-control trucks with exposed antennas travelling toward the contact line in Yasynuvata.
The SMM continued to monitor the security situation at the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge (16km north-east of Luhansk). The SMM followed up on reports of a woman (34 years old) being wounded at the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge on 1 July. Two sources connected with medical services informed the SMM that they had treated a woman who had been wounded on the bridge on 1 July. On the morning of 1 July, the SMM had heard three explosions assessed as impacts of automatic grenade launcher (AGS-17) rounds near Stanytsia Luhanska bridge. Afterwards, the SMM observed blood stains near the “LPR” position north of the bridge. On 3 July, the SMM saw a queue of approximately 300 people at the “LPR” checkpoint south of the Siverskyi Donets river waiting to walk towards government-controlled areas and 250 people waiting to walk in the same direction at the government-controlled checkpoint.
The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to essential infrastructure and the transport of the body of a deceased person across the contact line. On 2 July, the SMM continued to facilitate and monitor adherence to the ceasefire to enable workers to conduct maintenance work for the turbines of the Shchastia power plant. Later in the day, the SMM observed as the body of a deceased man, according to a representative of the civil-military-administration of an “LPR” member, was brought across Shchastia bridge from “LPR”-controlled areas to areas controlled by the Government. The bridge was cleared of mines by “LPR” members before the transport took place. The transfer was co-ordinated by the JCCC, Ukrainian Armed Forces and “LPR”. The body was transported in a vehicle marked as belonging to the Afghan Veteran’s Association of Ukraine which later returned to “LPR”-controlled areas.
The SMM monitored a border area not controlled by the Government. The SMM visited the border crossing point near “DPR”-controlled Ulianivske (61km south-east of Donetsk) and observed four civilian vehicles parked near the crossing point.
On 2 July in and around a courthouse in Kyiv, the SMM observed a demonstration against a court decision taken (according to media) on the night of 1 July ordering pre-trial detention of the former chief of staff of the Aidar volunteer battalion and current member of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. In the courtroom, the SMM observed approximately 30 men wearing uniforms or shirts associated with current and former volunteer battalions and civil society organizations. The men stated that they would not allow the suspect to be transferred to a pre-trial detention facility. Supporters of the suspect placed tyres in the yard of the courthouse and the entrance to the court was blocked by a black SUV. Approximately 120 men (30-40 years old) wearing military-style clothing and shirts of volunteer battalions and civil society groups were standing near the courthouse. Ten police buses and approximately 300 law enforcement officers were lined up on a street near the courthouse and 20 members of the National Guard were present in the yard of the court. Law enforcement officials blocked off part of Khreshchatyk street near the building. Up to 30 men (mainly in military-style uniforms) erected a large military-style tent and an improvised desk to recruit volunteers (including a call to participate in a vehicle convoy to the President’s residence) in the middle of Khreshchatyk street. Shortly after 17:00 a convoy of up to ten vehicles left the location. Later, the Prosecutor General arrived in the courtroom and stated that he supported the replacement of pre-trial detention with a softer restraint measure. The Appellate Court of the City of Kyiv released the suspect for the pre-trial period via video conference under personal guarantees from four Parliamentarians. At approximately 23:00, the SMM observed law enforcement officials leaving the site and the protestors dismantling the tent, removing the tyres and dispersing.
*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:
- On 2 July, armed men at the “LPR” checkpoint immediately south of Stanytsia Luhanska bridge, denied the SMM access to the bridge and refused to engage with the SMM any further. The SMM informed the JCCC and left the area after approximately one hour and a half.
- On 2 July, four armed men stopped the SMM at the entrance of “LPR”-controlled Veselohorivka (64km west of Luhansk). One man showed his pistol and then covered it with the palm of his hand. Another armed man told the SMM to leave the area immediately. The SMM informed the JCCC and left the area after approximately 40 minutes.
- On 3 July, an armed “LPR” member refused to allow the SMM to pass the checkpoint immediately south of Stanytsia Luhanska bridge. The SMM notified the JCCC and left the area after approximately two hours.
- On 3 July, while speaking with residents in “DPR”-controlled Kominternove (23km north-east of Mariupol), an armed man approached the SMM and told the patrol to end the conversation and leave the area immediately. The SMM left the area and informed the JCCC.
Delayed access:
- A member of the Ukrainian Armed Forces stopped the SMM at a checkpoint near Valuiske (20km north-east of Luhansk) on 3 July and delayed the passage of the SMM for 15 minutes.
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.