Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine, based on information received as of 19:30, 8 August 2016

This report is for media and the general public.

In Donetsk region the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations compared to the previous day. In Luhansk region the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations than during the previous day. The Mission followed up on civilian casualties in Kurakhove, and observed craters in and around Krasnohorivka, Svitlodarsk, Bohdanivka, Pikuzy (formerly Kominternove), Sakhanka and Horlivka. It noted the presence of tanks and towed howitzers at training areas, observed the presence of new mine signs and facilitated repair work to essential infrastructure. The SMM noted long lines at an entry-exit checkpoint near the contact line in Olenivka and monitored three border areas not controlled by the Government. The Mission observed a public gathering in Kyiv and monitored the situation of internally displaced persons (IDPs). It faced two freedom-of-movement restrictions.*

In Donetsk region the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations[1] than during the previous day.

The SMM camera in Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) recorded 56 undetermined explosions at an unknown distance to the north-east on the night of 7 August.

Whilst in government-controlled Svitlodarsk (57km north-east of Donetsk), on the night of 7 August, the SMM heard 38 explosions assessed as impacts of rounds from undetermined weapons 4-7km south-east of its position.

While in “DPR”-controlled Horlivka, the SMM heard 12 undetermined explosions 10-12km north-north-west of its position on the evening of 7 August.

On 8 August, positioned at the “DPR”-controlled Donetsk central railway station (6km north-west of the city centre), the SMM heard 20 explosions assessed as artillery rounds: 11 assessed as outgoing artillery rounds 2-4km north-west, seven assessed as impacts of 152mm artillery rounds and two as airbursts of 152mm artillery rounds 2.5-3.5km north-east.

Positioned in “DPR”-controlled Yasynuvata (16km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard 19 explosions, including one assessed as an impact and one assessed as an outgoing round (the remaining were undetermined) 2-6km west and west-north-west of its position.

In Luhansk region the SMM noted an increase in the number of recorded ceasefire violations compared to the previous day, with 23 explosions. Positioned in “LPR”-controlled Kadiivka (formerly Stakhanov, 50km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard ten undetermined explosions on the night of 7 August 10km west of its position. Positioned in government-controlled Troitske (69km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard six undetermined explosions approximately 6-8km south of its position. The SMM heard seven explosions assessed as tank rounds from a live-fire exercise 1.5km north-west of “LPR”-controlled Illiriia (30km south-west of Luhansk) at a known training area outside of the security zone.

The SMM followed up on reports of civilian casualties and conducted crater analysis. The SMM visited a hospital in government-controlled Kurakhove (40km west of Donetsk) and spoke with an elderly woman who had been hit by shrapnel in her left arm. She confirmed that the incident had taken place in the backyard of her house in the western part of government-controlled Marinka (23km south-west of Donetsk) on the evening of 6 August.

The SMM, accompanied by a Ukrainian Armed Forces officer from the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC), observed three fresh craters in government-controlled Krasnohorivka (21km west of Donetsk). The first crater, located on an empty asphalt parking lot, was assessed as caused by an 82mm mortar round fired from a south-easterly direction. The second crater, which had damaged the concrete curb of a street, was assessed as caused by an 82mm mortar round. The SMM was unable to determine the direction of fire. The third crater was in an empty field approximately 70 metres from a five-story apartment building and was assessed as caused by a 120mm mortar round fired from an easterly direction. The SMM observed that a window on the third floor of the building had been shattered. An elderly woman told the SMM that the shelling, which had caused the damage on 7 August, had caught residents by surprise as it had started earlier than usual (approximately 17:00).

The SMM was accompanied by a JCCC Ukrainian Armed Forces officer as it observed two fresh craters in a sunflower field near Svitlodarsk, approximately 200 metres north of a Ukrainian Armed Forces checkpoint. The SMM was unable to determine the type of weapon or direction of fire at the first impact site it observed. The SMM assessed the second crater as caused by a 122mm artillery shell fired from a south-easterly direction.

A Ukrainian Armed Forces JCCC officer accompanied the SMM to another site where a round had impacted near a forward position at the outskirts of government-controlled Bohdanivka (41km south-west of Donetsk). The SMM observed a fresh crater with a tail fin stuck inside it 80 metres from a paved road and assessed it as having been caused by a 122mm Grad rocket fired from a north-easterly direction. According to the JCCC officer, the position had been shelled early in the morning on 5 August.

In “DPR”-controlled Pikuzy (formerly Kominternove, 23km north-east of Mariupol), the SMM observed two fresh craters. The SMM assessed both craters as caused by 122mm, non-explosive, smoke rounds fired from a westerly direction. One crater was located six to seven metres from a house of which several windows had been shattered, and the other was located approximately two metres from another house. The owner of one of the houses told the SMM that the shelling had occurred between 06:00 and 06:30 in the morning of 8 August.

The SMM observed a large, fresh crater on a road just south of “DPR”-controlled Sakhanka (24km north-east of Mariupol), which it assessed as caused by a 122mm artillery round fired from a north-westerly direction.

The SMM observed an unexploded 120mm mortar round stuck in the asphalt on the road between “DPR”-controlled Horlivka (39km north-east of Donetsk) and Maiorsk checkpoint (45km north-east of Donetsk). The site had been marked with a wooden, improvised mine hazard sign with the word “mines” written on it. The SMM observed two additional fresh craters on the same road, each with tail fins from rocket-propelled grenades (RPG-7) stuck in them. The SMM assessed one of the grenades as having been fired from an easterly direction and one as having been fired from a westerly direction.

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.

Beyond the respective withdrawal line but outside assigned areas, the SMM observed 25 tanks (at least 15 T-64) at a training area near “LPR”-controlled Myrne (28km south-west of Luhansk) and at least four tanks (three T-64 and one T-72) at a training area near “LPR”-controlled Kruhlyk (31km south-west of Luhansk). Aerial surveillance available to the SMM revealed the presence of 22 towed howitzers at a training area near Myrne, and 29 tanks at a training area near Kruhlyk on 5 August, as well as the presence of four tanks in “DPR”-controlled Zelene (28km east of Donetsk) and one tank in “DPR”-controlled Hruzko-Zorianske (22km east of Donetsk) on 6 August.

Aerial surveillance available to the SMM revealed the presence of 11 armoured vehicles in the security zone near “LPR”-controlled Kadiivka (formerly Stakhanov) on 6 August. 

The SMM continued to insist on accountability for violations related to impediments to SMM monitoring and verification. Mr. Zakharchenko again did not respond to a request 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. Near government-controlled Komyshivka (32km north-west of Donetsk), the SMM observed five improvised, wooden mine hazard signs (with the Ukrainian word “mines” written in red letters) on wooden poles on a hillside overlooking the Vovcha river valley and four more plastic signs (with the Ukrainian word “mines” written in red letters on a white background) surrounding a school.

The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to essential infrastructure. Positioned on both sides of the contact line, the SMM monitored the cleaning of canals that provide water to the Shchastia power plant. In addition, the SMM facilitated repair work to high voltage power lines near government-controlled parts of Zolote (60km north-west of Luhansk), to a gas pipeline between the two “LPR”-controlled villages of Pryshyb and Slovianoserbsk (34 and 29km north-west of Luhansk, respectively), and to water infrastructure near Krasnyi Lyman (30km north-west of Luhansk).

The SMM continued to observe long queues at entry-exit checkpoints along the contact line. In the morning of 8 August, at a checkpoint in “DPR”-controlled Olenivka (23km south-west of Donetsk), the SMM observed approximately 195 cars and 450 pedestrians queuing to travel towards government-controlled areas and approximately 150 pedestrians, 20 cars and one bus waiting to travel in the opposite direction.

The SMM monitored three border areas not controlled by the Government. At the “LPR”-controlled Dovzhanskyi (84km south-east of Luhansk) border crossing point, the SMM saw five passenger buses (all with Ukrainian licence plates) and 57 cars (37 with Ukrainian licence plates and the remainder with Russian Federation ones) queuing to leave Ukraine. Over 35 minutes, the SMM observed  five vehicles exiting Ukraine. At the pedestrian border crossing point in Novoborovytsi (79km south of Luhansk) the SMM noted that no “LPR” members were present. Within a 30-minute period, the SMM watched a girl and two women (aged 5, 30 and one in her 40s) cross the border towards the Russian Federation. At the “DPR”-controlled Ulianivske (61km south-east of Donetsk) border crossing point, the SMM observed two pedestrians crossing the border over a 30-minute period.

In Kyiv the SMM observed more than 100 people (mixed gender and age) participating in a public gathering in front of the gates of the Presidential Administration. The participants called for all necessary measures to be taken to ensure the return of detained individuals held in the east of Ukraine and the Russian Federation. The event was announced by Nadiya Savchenko and participants included mothers of detained individuals held in the Donbas area. The SMM was shown the contents of a letter requesting more action to ensure the release of prisoners and observed as Ms. Savchenko delivered it to the Presidential Administration. Approximately 30-40 law enforcement officers were present at the site.

In Odessa region the SMM spoke with the head of a non-government organization who confirmed that 83 internally displaced persons (IDPs) at a collective centre in Biliaivka (39km west of Odessa) had been without electricity since 26 July. The electricity was disconnected due to the non-payment of utility bills. The company confirmed to the SMM that electricity to the collective centre was currently cut off. According to IDPs at the centre, as monthly social payments for IDPs had been suspended for at least three months due to the conduct of residency verifications, they had not been able to pay their utility bills. In government-controlled Pokrovsk (formerly Krasnoarmiisk, 55km north-west of Donetsk), the head of a civil society organization providing assistance to IDPs told the SMM that the residency verification process had led to the temporary suspension of payment of benefits for a number of IDPs. In government-controlled Miluvatka (120km north-west of Luhansk), the secretary of the village council informed the SMM that the village had approximately 175 registered IDPs but claimed that only 47 IDPs actually lived in the village.

*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 to the SMM’s freedom of movement constitutes a violation, and on the need for rapid response to these violations.

Denial of access:

• At a “DPR” checkpoint in Lukove (72km south of Donetsk), an armed man told the SMM that it could only continue with an escort to “DPR”-controlled Prymorske (39km north-east of Mariupol). The SMM was not allowed to pass when it refused to accept the “escort”.
• A Ukrainian Armed Forces commander refused the SMM entry to a military compound near government-controlled Talakivka (17km north-east of Mariupol).

[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.