Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine, based on information received as of 19:30, 7 August 2016

This report is for media and the general public.

In Donetsk region the SMM recorded a similar number of ceasefire violations during the daytime of 6 August and a lower number of violations during the night of that day, compared to the respective time period of 5 August. An increase in the number of recorded violations was noted during the daytime of 7 August with almost triple the number of explosions as compared to the previous period. In Luhansk region the SMM recorded a similar number of ceasefire violations in the daytime of 6 August compared to the day before. No violations were recorded during the night of 6 August and the whole day of 7 August. The Mission followed up on civilian casualties in Avdiivka, Donetsk city’s Petrovskyi district and Yasynuvata, and conducted crater analysis in Petrovskyi district, Pikuzy (formerly Kominternove) and Sakhanka. It faced six freedom-of-movement restrictions, all but one in areas not controlled by the Government. The SMM followed up on media reports about the closure of the three crossing points at the administrative boundary line between Kherson region and Crimea. On the morning of 6 August, the SMM heard an explosion 3.9km east of its location in Luhansk city and saw a severely damaged vehicle at the scene. On the late morning of 7 August, the SMM experienced an earthquake whilst in its location in Mariupol.

In Donetsk region the SMM recorded a similar number of ceasefire violations [1] during the daytime of 6 August and a lower number of violations during the night of that day, compared to the respective time period of 5 August. An increase in the number of recorded violations was noted during the daytime of 7 August with triple the number of explosions as compared to the previous day.

On the night of 6 August, whilst in Donetsk city centre the SMM heard 17 undetermined explosions 8-10km north-west of its position. On 7 August, positioned at the “DPR”-controlled Donetsk central railway station (6km north-west of Donetsk city centre), the SMM heard 82 undetermined explosions all at locations 3-10km ranging from north to north-east of its position.

On 6 August, positioned in “DPR”-controlled Yasynuvata (16km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard 82 undetermined explosions, all 1-5km west of its position. Positioned in government-controlled Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk), the SMM recorded 38 explosions (eight of which were assessed as impacts of 82mm mortar rounds) all but one 3-4km south-east of its position. The following day, positioned in Yasynuvata, the SMM recorded 175 explosions (eight of which were assessed as impacts of mortar rounds) mostly 1-5km west-south-west and west of its position. The most intense violence was noted between 14:55 and 15:06, when the SMM recorded 113 undetermined explosions, accompanied by more than 150 bursts and at least 200 shots of heavy-machine-gun and small arms fire 2-5km west-south-west of its position. Positioned in Avdiivka, the SMM heard 62 explosions (six of which were assessed as impacts of 82mm mortar rounds) all 3-4km south-south-east of its position.

On the night of 6-7 August, whilst in government-controlled Svitlodarsk (57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard, between 22:40 and 00:30, five explosions assessed as outgoing 122mm artillery rounds 5-7km west, five explosions assessed as outgoing recoilless-gun (SPG-9, 73mm) fire 1.5km south-east and three undetermined explosions 1km south of its position.  

On the night of 6 August the SMM camera in Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol), within a one-minute period, recorded 20 undetermined explosions at an unknown distance north-north-east of its position. Subsequently, the camera recorded, facing north-east, two undetermined explosions and, facing east-north-east, one burst of tracer fired from south-west to north-east. The following day, positioned in government-controlled Sopyne (16km east of Mariupol), the SMM heard, within a 20-minute period, 73 undetermined explosions accompanied by numerous bursts and single shots of small-arms fire 3-5km north-north-east of its position.

In Luhansk region the SMM recorded a similar number of ceasefire violations in the daytime of 6 August compared to the day before. No violations were recorded during the night of 6 August and the whole day of 7 August. On 6 August, positioned in government-controlled Popasna (69km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard one undetermined explosion 5km east-south-east of its position. While positioned 2km north-west of “LPR”-controlled Hannivka (58km west of Luhansk) the same day, the SMM heard, within a five-minute period, 50 single shots of small-arms (AK-47) fire 2km east of its position – and assessed them as a live-fire exercise at the location of a known shooting range – within the security zone – in violation of the ceasefire and of the Trilateral Contact Group decision of 3 March 2016 on the prohibition of live-fire exercises within the security zone.

At 07:51 on 6 August, the SMM heard an explosion 3.9km east of its location in Luhansk city (see SMM Spot Report 6 August 2016). At the site from where it had heard the explosion, the SMM saw a black sport utility vehicle (SUV) severely damaged with windows shattered. “LPR” “police” members present told the SMM that there were two casualties. At a checkpoint near “LPR”-controlled Smile (31km north-west of Luhansk) later that day, two armed “LPR” members stated that they were on high alert because of the attempted assassination of Mr. Plotnytskyi in Luhansk city.

The SMM followed up on reports of civilian casualties and conducted crater analysis. On 6 August medical personnel at a hospital in Avdiivka told the SMM that a man, living close to the Avdiivka industrial zone, had been admitted to the hospital with a light gunshot wound in the forearm. The officer in charge at the Avdiivka police station confirmed to the SMM that the incident had happened at 20:00 on 5 August while he was close to a window at his residence. At the hospital No.14 in Donetsk city, medical personnel told the SMM that a female civilian had been admitted, who had received shrapnel wounds in the left forearm and back during shelling that occurred the night of 5 August in Donetsk city’s Petrovskyi district (15km south-west of Donets city centre). On 7 August, at the hospital No.2 in Makiivka (“DPR”-controlled, 12km north-east of Donetsk), a resident of Yasynuvata (a man aged 52) told the SMM that he had been injured in the back during shelling in Yasynuvata earlier that day.

On 6 August the SMM observed two houses damaged by shelling in Petrovskyi district, which the accompanying Russian Federation Armed Forces officers at the JCCC and “DPR” members said had taken place during the night of 5 August. At the first site, the SMM saw that the roof of a detached house had partially collapsed, shrapnel had lacerated surrounding walls and shrapnel had lacerated and penetrated a metal fence and a small car parked nearby. It assessed that a round of 122mm artillery or a 100mm anti-tank gun hit the detached house. At the second site, it observed a totally destroyed detached outdoor garage (north-eastern side) and assessed that it had been hit by an unidentified shell.

On 7 August, in “DPR”-controlled Pikuzy (formerly Kominternove, 23km north-east of Mariupol), the SMM, accompanied by Russian Federation officers at the JCCC, conducted analysis on two fresh craters – one in the garden of an inhabited house and the other between a road and the gate of another inhabited house. Both were assessed as caused by 120mm mortar rounds fired from a west-south-westerly direction. Residents stated that both mortars had exploded at 5:20 that day.

In “DPR”-controlled Sakhanka (24km north-east of Mariupol), the SMM saw a completely destroyed power transformer, which, according to residents had been caused by fire following shelling during the night of 6 August. The SMM saw a large piece of shrapnel impacting the transformer’s oil tank, and assessed that a 122mm artillery round had been fired from a north-north-westerly direction. The Russian Federation Armed Forces officer at the JCCC told the SMM that the village has been without electricity since 6 August.

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 line, the SMM observed four anti-tank guided missile launchers (9K111 Fagot, 120mm), one stationary surface-to-air missile system (SA-13 Strela-10, 120mm) and one surface-to-air missile system (9K33 Osa, 120mm) together with other hardware including three anti-aircraft guns (ZU-23) – one fixed on the ground, the second towed by a stationary military truck and the third mounted on a stationary  armoured tracked vehicle (MT-LB) – and one MT-LB with a machine-gun, all in government-controlled parts of Zolote (60km north-west of Luhansk) on 6 August. 

Beyond the respective withdrawal line but outside assigned areas, the SMM observed, at the training area near “LPR”-controlled Myrne (28km south-west of Luhansk), 15 tanks (T-64) on 6 August and 18 tanks (T-64) on 7 August.

The SMM observed weapons that could not be verified as withdrawn, as their storage does not comply with the criteria set out in the 16 October 2015 notification. In a government-controlled area beyond the respective withdrawal line the SMM saw ten multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS; BM-27 Uragan, 220mm).

The SMM revisited a Ukrainian Armed Forces permanent storage site, whose location corresponded with the withdrawal lines, and observed that all weapons previously verified as withdrawn to the site were present.

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles and anti-aircraft weapons in the security zone. In government-controlled areas the SMM recorded: three armoured personnel carriers (APCs; BTR) stationary near Popasna; one APC (BRDM-2) near Novozvanivka (70km west of Luhansk); four APCs (BTR-80) and one anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23) mounted on a military truck near Shchastia (20km north of Luhansk), on 6 August. In “LPR”-controlled areas the SMM recorded: one anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23) mounted on a military-type truck near Sokilnyky (38km north-west of Luhansk); one APC (BTR-80) near Holubivka (formerly Kirovsk, 51km west of Luhansk); two “LPR” members walking in Luhansk city, one of them carrying a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG-26, 72.5mm) on 6 August; and one anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23) mounted on an MT-LB near Pervomaisk (58km west of Luhansk) on 7 August.

The SMM followed up on reports about cuts to water and power supplies in areas of Avdiivka and Yasynuvata due to shelling (see SMM Daily Report 5 August 2016). At Yasynuvata railway station (“DPR”-controlled, 16km north-east of Donetsk), a woman (in her fifties) told the SMM that at 15:00 on 5 August, the water supply in the town had been restored and was currently operational.

The SMM continued to insist on accountability and responsibility for violations related to impediments to SMM monitoring and verification. Mr. Zakharchenko continued to refuse to meet the SMM in order to indicate effective steps taken in response to the incident on 29 July when SMM monitors were threatened at gunpoint by aggressive armed “DPR” members near Lukove (72km south of Donetsk) (see: SMM Spot Report, 29 July 2016).*

The SMM observed new mine hazard signs. At the eastern edge of government-controlled Zhelanne (34km north-west of Donetsk), 5m from the entrance of an industrial compound, the SMM saw a mine hazard sign (white plastic board with red letters “Mines” in Russian). The SMM also noted the presence of a company of Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers throughout the village, particularly around the compound. Along the eastern edge of the 5km-long north-south road connecting government-controlled Krasnohorivka (21km west of Donetsk) and Marinka (23km south-west of Donetsk), the SMM observed flags tied to shrubs and mine signs (red board with white letters “mines” both in Ukrainian and English). On the northern edge of Marinka, the SMM also saw for the first time a metal street sign warning not to drive off the eastern edge of the asphalt due to the presence of mines.

The SMM followed up on three barriers blocking a road between Lobacheve and Lopaskyne (government-controlled, 18 and 24km north-west of Luhansk, respectively) (see SMM Daily Report, 6 August 2016). On 7 August the SMM, accompanied by Ukrainian Armed Forces officers at the JCCC and the Ukrainian Armed Forces commander, observed that two of three barriers had already been removed and the third barrier was removed by Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel in the presence of the SMM. The commander stated that those barriers had been placed there by his subordinates. 

The SMM monitored three border areas including two not controlled by the Government and encountered a restriction at one of them.* On 6 August, at the Uspenka border crossing point (“DPR”-controlled, 73km south-east of Donetsk), the SMM observed 80 civilian cars (a vast majority of the vehicles had Ukrainian licence plates) waiting in a queue to cross into the Russian Federation. On the same day, at the Ulianivske border crossing point (“DPR”-controlled, 61km south-east of Donetsk), the SMM observed no queues of pedestrians, trucks, or cars.

On 7 August, between “LPR”-controlled Sorokyne (formerly Krasnodon) and Izvaryne (43 and 52km south-east of Luhansk, respectively), a white SUV (with Ukrainian license plates) with four men (in their thirties) wearing camouflage clothing stopped 2m away from one of the SMM vehicles. The two passengers on the right side (front and rear) pointed assault rifles at the SMM vehicle, and shouted at the SMM in an aggressive manner. After approximately 20 seconds a convoy consisting of approximately eight vehicles (one ambulance, one APC (BTR-80) and six to eight civilian cars) passed by, heading in the direction of Izvaryne. Subsequently, the SUV started driving and followed the convoy.

On 6 August the SMM monitored the Porubne border crossing point (37km south of Chernivtsi), where it saw 36 trucks (with licence plates of Ukraine, the Russian Federation, Belarus and Turkey) queuing to cross into Romania and cars and buses travelling constantly across the border in both directions. The border guard shift commander told the SMM that the vehicular traffic was high due to the summer holiday season.

On 7 August the SMM followed up on media reports about the closure of three crossing points at the administrative boundary line in Kalanchak, Chaplynka and Chonhar (67km, 72km and 167km south-east of Kherson, respectively) between Ukrainian mainland and Crimea. At 13:00, at Kalanchak crossing point the border guard shift commander confirmed  to the SMM that the crossing point had been closed at 06:30 as a result of the closure of the crossing point on the Crimean side. The SMM observed 70-90 cars (all with Ukrainian licence plates) and 100 pedestrians waiting to cross into Crimea. People told the SMM that they had been waiting since early morning, without water or food. At 13:30 at the Chaplynka crossing point, the SMM also observed no traffic flow with 61 waiting cars (all with Ukrainian licence plates). The border guard shift commander confirmed the closure of the crossing point since 06:30, adding that factory workers who commuted to work had not been allowed to cross to Crimea either. At 16:30 at Chonhar the SMM saw that the crossing point was operational in both directions and 67 cars and two buses were queuing in front of the crossing point. The border guard told the SMM that the crossing point on the Crimean side had been closed in the early morning and reopened at 11:00.

*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 to 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 a rapid response to these violations.

Denial of access:

• On 5 August a Russian Federation Armed Forces officer at the JCCC office in Yasynuvata denied the SMM access to the roof of the building to conduct ceasefire monitoring. The JCCC was informed.
• On 6 August an armed “LPR” member at the “LPR” forward position on the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge denied the SMM passage from government-controlled to “LPR”-controlled areas. The JCCC was informed.

Conditional access:

• Both on 6 and 7 August an armed “LPR” member at a checkpoint immediately south of the bridge at Stanytsia Luhanska allowed the SMM to proceed further north  only after taking the names and ID numbers of SMM monitors. The JCCC was informed.

Other impediments:

• On 7 August, between “LPR”-controlled Sorokyne (formerly Krasnodon) and Izvaryne, two of four passengers wearing camouflage uniforms in a car pointed assault rifles at the SMM and shouted in an aggressive manner. The JCCC was informed.

[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.