Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine, based on information received as of 19:30, 14 July 2016
In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded a higher number of ceasefire violations compared to the previous reporting period, with violence focused around Svitlodarsk, Avdiivka, Yasynuvata, and Shyrokyne. In Luhansk region, however, for the first time in four days, the Mission recorded no ceasefire violations. The SMM followed up on reports of shelling and conducted crater analysis in Horlivka, Vozdvyzhenka, and Novotoshkivske. It facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to essential infrastructure in Shumy, Kirove, and near Pryshyb. The Mission monitored also the withdrawal of weapons, and observed a stockpile of MLRS rockets north of Mariupol. The SMM continued noting long queues at entry-exit checkpoints along the contact line. Its freedom of movement was restricted on four occasions, all in areas outside government control.* The SMM observed the arrival of the new Russian Federation contingent to the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) at a border crossing point in Kharkiv region.
The SMM recorded a higher number of ceasefire violations[1] in Donetsk region compared to the previous reporting period.
While in “DPR”-controlled Donetsk city centre during the early morning hours of 14 July, SMM heard 11 undetermined explosions 5-8km west of its position.
Positioned in government-controlled Svitlodarsk (57km north-east of Donetsk), during the night of 13-14 July, SMM heard 48 explosions assessed as outgoing 82mm mortar rounds, 11 undetermined explosions, three bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire, and 14 bursts of small-arms fire 0.5-5km south-east and south-south-east of its position.
The SMM camera in government-controlled Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol), during the night of 13-14 July, when facing north-east, recorded 29 undetermined explosions, 55 bursts of direct tracer fire from east to west, one burst of direct tracer fire from west to east, and one rocket assisted projectile from south to north-west at a distance between 6-11km. During 11 minutes, the camera recorded multiple undetermined explosions, impacts, air-burst explosions, and exchanges of direct tracer fire.
While in “DPR”-controlled Yasynuvata (16km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard 57 undetermined explosions and 24 explosions assessed as both outgoing rounds and impacts from unknown weapons. The outgoing rounds were assessed as 1-7km north-west of the SMM’s position and the impacts as 2-5km west-south-west and 1-2km west of its position. Additionally, SMM heard six single shots of heavy-machine-gun fire, and 15 bursts (5-6 shots each) and 40 single shots of small-arms fire 0.5-2km west-south-west, west, and north-west of its position.
While in government-controlled Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk), SMM heard at various distances south-east of its position: one explosion assessed as 82mm mortar and three bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire 4-5km; two explosions assessed as outgoing 82mm mortar rounds 6-10km; 43 undetermined explosions, 15 explosions assessed as outgoing rounds of unknown calibre, and 13 impacts of unknown calibre from 7-8km; and three undetermined explosions 10-12km.
In the early morning hours of 14 July, video from the SMM long-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) recorded 6-8 explosions assessed as impacts from indirect fire from a weapons system of less than 100mm calibre. The explosions were recorded within an approximately 1km radius near the industrial zone on the south-eastern outskirts of Avdiivka.
In contrast to the past four days, the SMM recorded no ceasefire violations in Luhansk region.
The SMM followed up on reports of shelling and conducted crater analysis. In the Mykytivka district of “DPR”-controlled Horlivka (39 km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM analysed ten craters resulting from shelling on the night of 9-10 July. The explosions had caused damage to School Number 84 and four nearby houses. The front wall of the school was struck by an artillery round that had collapsed a brick wall, opened a hole two metres in diameter, and damaged windows and doors with the blast and shrapnel. As a result of artillery fire, one house burned down; a second house had its roof completely destroyed; a third house opposite the school had a hole in the wall; and the roof of a two-story building was collapsed. In six of the cases, the SMM assessed that 122mm artillery rounds had been fired from a north-north-westerly direction. One crater, located ten metres from the school building, was assessed as caused by a 120mm mortar round fired from a north-north-easterly direction. In three cases, the calibre of weapon and direction of fire could not be determined because of extensive damage to the buildings.
Near government-controlled Vozdvyzhenka (formerly Krasnyi Pakhar, 66km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM analysed five fresh craters in agricultural fields. Four craters were assessed as caused by 122mm artillery rounds and the fifth as caused by a 152mm artillery round, all fired from a south-south-easterly direction. The analysis was conducted in the presence of Ukrainian Armed Forces JCCC representatives.
The SMM conducted crater analysis at a government checkpoint approximately 2km east of government-controlled Novotoshkivske (53km west of Luhansk). The SMM observed four fresh craters from shelling that allegedly occurred on the night of 13-14 July. Two craters were analysed and assessed as resulting from 82mm mortar rounds that had been fired from a south-south-easterly direction.
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 the respective withdrawal lines, the SMM observed 4km north-west of government-controlled Shchastia (20km north of Luhansk) one tank (T-64) being towed on a flatbed trailer heading north-west. An SMM UAV spotted the presence of seven tanks in “DPR”-controlled Svobodne (49km north-east of Mariupol) on 13 July.
Beyond the respective withdrawal line but outside assigned areas, an SMM UAV spotted the presence of what the SMM assessed as one surface-to-air missile system (SA-8 Osa, 120mm or SA-13 Strela-10, 120mm) near Shevchenko (59km south of Donetsk). The SMM observed near government-controlled Novoaidar (49km north-west of Luhansk) a tank (T-64) being towed by military truck (MAZ) moving towards government-controlled Sievierodonetsk (74km north-west of Luhansk).
The SMM also observed weapons in areas known to the SMM that could not be verified as withdrawn as they do not comply with the criteria set in the 16 October 2015 notification. At Ukrainian Armed Forces areas, the SMM observed a total of 18 self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm), 12 towed mortars (M-120-15, 120mm), and six towed anti-tank guns (MT-12 Rapira, 100mm). An additional six towed anti-tank guns (MT-12 Rapira, 100mm) were observed for the first time. The SMM noted as missing 12 towed anti-tank guns (MT-12 Rapira, 100mm), 18 self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm), 13 towed mortars (2B11 Sani, 120mm), six towed mortars (PM-38, 120mm), and three towed guns (D-48, 85mm) previously recorded in these areas.
The SMM revisited a Ukrainian Armed Forces permanent storage site whose location corresponded with the respective withdrawal lines. Two previously observed tanks (T-72) continued being noted as missing, as first observed on 5 March 2016.
The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles in the security zone. Aerial surveillance imagery available to the SMM revealed the presence on 13 July of seven armoured vehicles near Svitlodarsk (57km north-east of Donetsk).
The SMM observed the presence of multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) ammunition north of government-controlled Mariupol but outside the security zone. At an abandoned farm, the SMM noted 323 MLRS (BM-21 Grad, 122mm) rockets in one of two onsite warehouses. The rockets appeared prepared for loading, with fuses located in boxes near the rockets. Both warehouses were unguarded, while the second one was locked. Fresh tracks from heavy trucks were seen leading to and from the warehouse, indicating this location had been recently used.
The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to essential infrastructure. SMM monitored repairs to the power transmission lines in an area between Shumy (41km north-east of Donetsk) and government-controlled Kirove (44 km north-east of Donetsk). The work began following clearance from a demining team. The SMM observed the employees of the gas company digging trenches to install a gas line serving “LPR”-controlled Pryshyb (33km north-west of Luhansk).
The SMM continued to monitor the situation of civilians living near the contact line. In “DPR”-controlled Kominternove (23km north-east of Mariupol), the SMM observed at the first house on the west side, a summer kitchen in the yard was completely destroyed by direct fire, but neither the calibre of weapon nor direction of fire could be assessed. At the second location, two pieces of unexploded ordnance assessed as PG-7 grenades fired from a rocket-propelled grenade were seen embedded in a garden 40 metres behind an abandoned house; the direction of fire could not be determined.
The SMM followed up on reports of civilian casualties. In government-controlled Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk), the Avdiivka police chief confirmed that a 75-year-old man had died on Lomonosova Street after being hit by a bullet in his yard. The acting head doctor at the Avdiivka hospital said the police had brought the body to the hospital on the evening of 13 July, and the body was transported to the morgue in government-controlled Kostiantynivka (60km north of Donetsk) for an autopsy the morning of 14 July.
While near “LPR”-controlled Novooleksandrivka (65km west of Luhansk), the SMM observed the body of a man near a civilian car. The vehicle had no weapons-related damage and no licence plates were visible. The body was on the ground lying on its back next to the driver’s door. The body appeared to be in a state of severe decomposition. Military-style pants were observed on the body but the SMM could not determine if the man was civilian or not. What appeared to be a large gunshot wound was noted in the upper portion of the left chest. The SMM informed an “LPR” member at a checkpoint between “LPR”-controlled Pervomaisk (58km west of Luhansk) and Popasna who said that he had been informed by a villager about the corpse two days before and had passed the information to his supervisor, but no further actions had been taken.
The SMM continued to observe queues at entry-exit checkpoints along the contact line. In the morning, at the “DPR” checkpoint in Olenivka, the SMM observed 253 civilian cars lined up to proceed towards government-controlled areas and 90 cars were waiting to cross in the opposite direction. At the government checkpoint in Novotroitske, 81 cars, two buses, and approximately 200 pedestrians were observed as waiting to enter government-controlled areas. At the same checkpoint, 20 cars and approximately 100 pedestrians were waiting to travel in the other direction. In the afternoon, when returning to Donetsk city, at the government checkpoint near Marinka, the SMM observed 138 cars waiting to cross into “DPR”-controlled areas. The SMM counted 261 cars and 13 buses waiting to enter government-controlled areas.
In the morning, at the last government checkpoint before the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge (16km north-east of Luhansk), the SMM observed approximately 450-500 people waiting to enter government-controlled areas and 200 people waiting to cross in the opposite direction. The border guard commander told the SMM that 3,560 people had entered the government-controlled areas and 2,600 people had crossed in the opposite direction on 13 July. The SMM observed three registration windows working to process the pedestrians. The SMM spoke to a group of 15-19 people (men and women, different ages) who said that the waiting time at the checkpoint to enter government-controlled areas varied from 1.5-2hrs. The SMM observed 30 persons under a shelter where drinking water was provided and the construction of new shelters. A medical assistant and representatives of the Ministry of Emergency Services (three women, 30-40 years old) told the SMM that 14 people had been attended to between 06:00 and 09:00 for high/low blood pressure, overheating, and heat stroke. The SMM observed one doctor’s assistant and one medical assistant attending to patients. According to them, one ambulance was assigned to the team during the day.
The SMM monitored border areas in government-controlled Demyno-Oleksandrivka and Syrotyne (180 and 182km north-west of Luhansk, respectively). On 13 July, the SMM visited a closed border crossing point between Ukraine and the Russian Federation in government-controlled Demyno-Oleksandrivka (180km north-west of Luhansk). Border guards present said there was no progress regarding opening the crossing point and the village council of Demyno-Oleksandrivka had sent requests to the authorities in Kyiv. The SMM also visited a border crossing point between Ukraine and the Russian Federation in government-controlled Syrotyne (182km north-west of Luhansk), where the SMM was informed by the border guard officer on duty that the border crossing point is open only for Ukrainian citizens and Russian citizens are not allowed to cross into Ukraine.
At the Hoptivka border crossing point (33km north of Kharkiv city), the SMM monitored the border crossing of Russian Federation military personnel arriving for the latest JCCC rotation in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. According to a Ukrainian Armed Forces JCCC officer, one of the 65 Russian Federation military personnel was denied access due to a five-year ban to enter Ukraine.
The SMM observed regional court proceedings. The SMM monitored the Ivano-Frankivsk region Appellate Court session where Ruslan Kotsaba—a journalist who was arrested on 8 February 2015, and sentenced on 11 May 2016 by a lower court to 3.5 years of imprisonment for interfering with the legitimate activities of the Ukrainian Armed Forces during a special period of time—was fully acquitted of all charges and released from custody.
The SMM followed-up on reports of illegal weapons trafficking. On 13 July, the head of city police in Khmelnytskyi (147km north-east of Chernivtsi city) informed SMM that 50 cases of illegal weapons trafficking or illegal weapons possession had been opened during the first half of 2016. On 12 July, a military police unit commander told the SMM about a case of weapons possession by an Anti-Terrorism Operation (ATO) combatant during the past week, when he was found with 60 rounds of ammunition for AK-rifle in his packs at the main Khmelnytskyi train station.
*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 “DPR”-controlled Naberezhne (33km north-east of Mariupol), “DPR” members told the SMM that they could not continue to the western end of the village because there was a “military position” at that location.
- At the “LPR” checkpoint immediately south of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge (16km north-east of Luhansk), the checkpoint “commander” and another armed man stopped the SMM and asked it to present its patrol plan (in the Russian language). When not provided, the SMM was denied access. The SMM informed the JCCC.
- At the “DPR” checkpoint at the western entrance to Kominternove (23km north-east of Mariupol), armed “DPR” members instructed SMM to stay on the main road and not to speak to anyone.
Conditional access:
- At the “DPR” checkpoint in Olenivka (23km south-west of Donetsk), “DPR” members checked an SMM trailer before allowing the patrol to continue towards government-controlled areas.
[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.