Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine, based on information received as of 19:30, 10 July 2016

This report is for media and the general public.

The SMM recorded a similarly high number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region on 9 July compared to 8 July and fewer ceasefire violations on 10 July, respectively compared to 9 July, with violence focusing around Donetsk city and the Avdiivka/Yasynuvata area. In Luhansk region the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations on both 9 and 10 July, respectively compared to 8 July, noting a sharp increase of violence on the night of 9 July in Stanytsia Luhanska. It followed up on reports of shelling and conducted crater analysis in Marinka, Lebedynske, Sakhanka, Stanytsia Luhanska, and Horlivka. The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable the transfer of the body of a deceased person near Shchastia. Armed “LPR” members repeatedly denied the SMM access to Stanytsia Luhanska bridge.

In Donetsk region the SMM recorded a similarly high number of ceasefire violations[1] including more than 470 explosions recorded on 9 July and fewer ceasefire violations including more than 260 explosions recorded on 10 July as compared respectively to 8 July.

On 9 July, positioned at the “DPR”-controlled Donetsk central railway station (6km north-west of Donetsk city centre), the SMM heard 100 explosions (66 of which were assessed as outgoing rounds), and heard and saw three air bursts at locations ranging from 1.5-5km north-north-west to north-east of its position. The following day, whilst at the same location, the SMM recorded ten explosions (five of which were caused by impacts of undetermined rounds) 3-8km west and north-north-east of its position.

On 9 July, positioned in “DPR”-controlled Yasynuvata (16km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard 313 explosions (84 of which were assessed as outgoing automatic-grenade-launcher rounds) at locations ranging from 1-5km south-west to north-west of its position. On 10 July, whilst in Yasynuvata, the SMM recorded 146 undetermined explosions all 1-4km in a clockwise arc from the south-west to the north-north-west. On the same day, whilst in government-controlled Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk), the SMM heard 66 explosions (15 of which were assessed as outgoing 82mm mortar rounds and 11 of which were assessed as outgoing 73mm recoilless-gun (SPG-9) fire) 1-1.5km south-south-east and south-east of its position.

During the night of 8 July, positioned in “DPR”-controlled Horlivka (39km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM saw the muzzle flashes and heard 20 outgoing explosions, as well as heard 27 undetermined explosions at locations ranging from 7-13km west-south-west to north of its position. On the night of 9 July, whilst at the same location, the SMM heard 14 undetermined explosions 10-12km north-north-west of its position.

On the night of 8 July the SMM camera in Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol), facing north-east, recorded two explosions assessed as impacts and two undetermined explosions. The camera recorded exchanges of direct tracer fire, starting with 12 bursts from north-north-east to south-south-east, and continuing with 50 bursts of fire from south-south-west and south to north-north-east and north, 54 bursts from west to east, and 56 bursts from east to west. During the night of 9 July the camera recorded four explosions assessed as impacts, two undetermined explosions and 72 bursts of direct tracer fire at an undetermined distance north and north-east of its position. Of those bursts, the first 18 were from south-east to north-west, followed by 58 from west to east.

On 9 July, whilst near government-controlled Sopyne (16km east of Mariupol), the SMM, over the course of 16 minutes, heard 330 single shots of small-arms fire 500m north-east of its position and assessed them as live-fire exercise – within the security zone – in violation of the ceasefire regime stipulated in the Package of Measures and of the Trilateral Contact Group Decision on the prohibition of live-fire exercises within the security zone.

In Luhansk region the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations on both 9 and 10 July compared respectively to 8 July, noting a sharp increase of violence on the night of 9 July in Stanytsia Luhanska. During the night of 8 July, positioned in government-controlled Stanytsia Luhanska (16km north-east of Luhansk), the SMM heard approximately 30 undetermined explosions and 20 bursts of small-arms fire 3-5km south of its position. On the night 9 July, positioned at the same location, the SMM recorded 398 undetermined explosions – 390 of them were recorded within a 90-minute period – and more than 2,000 single shots of small-arms fire 1-5km from its location from an undetermined direction.

Whilst in Novooleksandrivka (65km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard 17 explosions assessed as outgoing automatic-grenade-launcher fire and ten bursts of small-arms fire east, south-south-east and west at undetermined distances. Subsequently, a civilian man (aged 53) told the SMM that he had been injured by shrapnel in the back while working in the fields. The SMM saw minor bleeding from the wound and swelling around the wound in his back.

The SMM followed up on reports of shelling. On 9 July, in a residential area of government-controlled Marinka (23km south-west of Donetsk), the SMM saw multiple fresh craters and assessed them as caused by 30mm rounds fired from an east-north-easterly direction. The SMM observed minor damage to the east-facing wall of a barn, the tiles of the roof of another barn and two impacts in a garden. On the same day, near government-controlled Lebedynske (16km north-east of Mariupol), the SMM saw a fresh crater on the north side of the road and assessed it as caused by a 152mm artillery round fired from a north-easterly direction. The SMM also saw the destroyed basement of a concrete pylon for electricity and telecommunication wires. In “DPR”-controlled Sakhanka (24km north-east of Mariupol), the SMM conducted analysis on two fresh craters on a football field next to the school, concluding that they had been caused by 120mm mortar rounds fired from a north-north-westerly direction. The SMM saw broken north-facing windows of the school building, located approximately 50m south of the craters.

On 9 July, at the southernmost Ukrainian Armed Forces checkpoint in Stanytsia Luhanska, the SMM saw a broken window and a hole in the wall – both facing south – of a green container used for checking documents of pedestrians crossing the bridge and assessed as caused by small-arms fire. Further to the south, the SMM observed damage to the barrier of one of the Ukrainian Armed Forces positions, which it assessed as having been caused by automatic-grenade-launcher rounds fired from a south-westerly direction. A Ukrainian Armed Forces soldier told the SMM that two of his colleagues had been injured by shrapnel of automatic-grenade-launcher fire on the night of 7 July while at the forward position. The SMM saw damage to his personal protective equipment, which it assessed as caused by shrapnel of an automatic-grenade-launcher. The SMM also carried out crater analysis on a fresh crater on the road located between the Ukrainian Armed Forces forward position and the broken part of the bridge, concluding it had been caused by a rocket-propelled-grenade (RPG) fired from a south-easterly direction. On 10 July, at the southernmost Ukrainian Armed Forces forward position north of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge the SMM saw a concrete block of the south-facing barrier that had fallen off and assessed this as caused by heavy-machine-gun or rocket-propelled-grenade (RPG) fire.

On 9 July, in “DPR”-controlled Dokuchaievsk (30km south-west of Donetsk), the SMM saw minor damage inside an apartment building and a partially charred frame of the west-facing window, which it assessed as the impact of a bullet. A female resident told the SMM that her apartment had been hit by sniper fire, on 25 June and 7 July, noting an increase in shooting in the evenings and nights. At another location of the town, three residents told the SMM about the presence of “DPR” positions in the residential area. The SMM observed a stationary military-type truck, a camouflaged bus and two men in military-style uniform in the proximity of a residential area.

In the northern part of “DPR”-controlled Horlivka, the SMM conducted analysis on two fresh craters near two houses and assessed that one had been caused by a 122mm artillery round and another had been caused by a 122mm round of undetermined weapon – both fired from a north-north-westerly direction. The SMM saw damage to the west-facing wall of the house, including a window frame that had been completely blown into the interior of the house. At another location, the SMM also found a 122mm artillery shell fragment close to a house, which it assessed the artillery round had been fired from a north-north-westerly direction. The SMM saw damage to the west-facing wall of the house and a burnt out car parked nearby.

The SMM continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons, in implementation of the Package of Measures and its Addendum, as well as the Minsk Memorandum.

In violation of the respective withdrawal lines the SMM observed three self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) in government-controlled Anadol (39km north of Mariupol) on 9 July and one anti-tank gun (MT-12 Rapira, 100mm or D-44, 85mm) with the barrel oriented toward the west near “DPR”-controlled Dokuchaievsk on 9 July.

The SMM observed the presence of armoured combat vehicles in the security zone. In government-controlled areas the SMM saw one stationary armoured personnel carrier (APC; BRDM-2) mounted with a light machine gun near Marinka; one stationary infantry fighting vehicle (IFV; BMP-2) near Krymske (42km north-west of Luhansk), five stationary IFVs (BMP-2s) near Novotoshkivske (53km west of Luhansk), on 9 July; one IFV (BTR-60), one APC (BRDM-2) and three light-armoured vehicles (Kraz Cougar) mounted with a heavy machine-gun – all stationary – near Popasna (69km west of Luhansk), one stationary IFV (BMP-2) near Stanytsia Luhanska, one armoured vehicle heading south near Shchastia (20km north of Luhansk), all on 10 July; two stationary IFVs (BMP-2s) near Nyzhnie (56km north-west of Luhansk); one light-armoured vehicle (Kraz Cougar) mounted with machine-gun near Zolote (60km north-west of Luhansk), both on 9 and 10 July.

At a Ukrainian Armed Forces position in Shchastia, the SMM saw a flag with two horizontal stripes, one red and one black hoisted on a pole and three armed men wearing civilian clothing.

The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor adherence to the ceasefire to enable the transport of the body of a deceased person across the contact line in Shchastia. On 9 July, on the bridge between a Ukrainian Armed Forces checkpoint in Shchastia and an “LPR” checkpoint south-east of Shchastia across the contact line, the SMM observed as the body of a deceased man, according to an “LPR” member of an “LPR” member, was transferred from representatives of the civil-military administration to “LPR” members.

The SMM continued to observe queues at entry-exit checkpoints along the contact line. On the morning of 9 July, at a “DPR” checkpoint in Olenivka (23km south-west of Donetsk) the SMM observed 230 cars and 120 pedestrians waiting to travel towards government-controlled areas, as well as 45 cars queuing in the opposite direction. On 10 July, between the government checkpoint in Maiorsk (45km north-east of Donetsk) and the “DPR” checkpoint north-west of Horlivka, the SMM saw a total of 550-600 cars and 16 buses queuing to travel towards government-controlled areas and 515 cars and 25 buses queuing in the opposite direction. On the morning of 10 July, at the southernmost government checkpoint north of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge, the SMM observed 300-400 people queuing to enter government-controlled areas and no queues in the opposite direction. A pregnant young woman told the SMM that she, living in Luhansk city, crossed into government-controlled areas every two weeks, as she intended to give birth at a Stanytsia Luhanska hospital to receive a government birth certification.

The SMM monitored three border areas not controlled by the Government. The SMM visited border crossing points in “DPR”-controlled Uspenka (73km south-east of Donetsk), Marynivka (78km east of Donetsk) and “LPR”-controlled Izvaryne (52km south-east of Luhansk). Among the visited border crossing points, the highest vehicular traffic was noted in Izvaryne, where the SMM observed 46 civilian cars (38 with Ukrainian and eight with Russian Federation licence plates), four buses and two trucks (all with Ukrainian licence plates) waiting to cross into the Russian Federation. Near Uspenka the SMM observed a car marked with “police” with sirens wailing escorting a black Sport Utility Vehicle bearing Russian Federation licence plates heading towards the border crossing point.

*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 9 July, at the “LPR” checkpoint immediately south of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge, an armed “LPR” member denied the SMM access to the bridge as it did not present its patrol plan (in the Russian language). The SMM informed the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC).
• On 10 July, at the aforementioned checkpoint, an armed “LPR” member again did not allow the SMM to proceed further to the bridge, without giving any explanation. The SMM informed the JCCC.
• On 10 July, at a checkpoint in government-controlled Mykolaivka (57km north of Donetsk), Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel did not allow the SMM to proceed further to the east, citing ongoing shelling further down the road. Whilst in the area, the SMM did not record any ceasefire violations. The SMM informed the JCCC.

Other impediments:

• On 10 July the global positioning system of an SMM long-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was jammed while flying near government-controlled Oleksandro-Kalynove (47km north of Donetsk), Svitlodarsk (57km north-east of Donetsk) and “LPR”-controlled Kalynove-Borshchuvate (61km west of Luhansk).

[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.