Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine, based on information received as of 19:30, 14 August 2016

This report is for media and the general public.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions, with a significant increase in the number of explosions recorded in both regions on 14 August compared with the previous day. The SMM confirmed casualties and conducted crater analysis near Popasna, Stanytsia Luhanska bridge, Donetsk city, Yasynuvata, Mykolaivka, Zhovte and Kruta Hora. It continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons, and saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines. The SMM observed the presence of armoured combat vehicles in the security zone and monitored border areas not controlled by the Government on six occasions*. The Mission continued to monitor the situation at three crossing points at the administrative boundary line between the mainland and Crimea. The SMM faced 11 freedom-of-movement restrictions, most in areas not controlled by the Government.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region, with a spike in fighting noted on 14 August compared to 13 August.[1]

Positioned at the Donetsk central railway station (6km north-west of Donetsk city centre) on 13 August, the SMM heard 25 undetermined explosions 3-7km north-north-east of its position before and shortly after noon.

During the day, positioned in two locations in Yasynuvata (“DPR”-controlled, 16km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard over 82 undetermined explosions and numerous bursts and shots of small-arms and heavy-machine-gun fire at a range of 0.1-12km west, west-north-west, north-west, north-north-west, south-west and west-south-west of its positions. Positioned in government-controlled Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk), the SMM heard within 90 minutes around noon 20 undetermined explosions, two explosions assessed as impacts of recoilless-gun (SPG-9) rounds and numerous bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire at a range of 4 to 7km east of its position.

In the evening hours of 13 August, while in “DPR”-controlled Donetsk city centre, the SMM heard 158 undetermined explosions at a range of 5 to 15km north and north-west of its position.

On the same evening, positioned in Horlivka (“DPR”-controlled 39km north of Donetsk) the SMM heard uncountable, overlapping explosions assessed as caused by 82mm mortar rounds, recoilless-gun (SPG-9) rounds, infantry fighting vehicle (IFV; BMP-1) cannon rounds and automatic-grenade-launcher rounds as well as bursts of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all 2km north of its position. While in Horlivka later the same evening, the SMM heard within 20 minutes 12 explosions it assessed as outgoing 120mm mortar rounds, 44 explosions assessed as caused by 82mm mortar rounds (33 outgoing and 11 impacts) as well as ten explosions assessed as outgoing automatic-grenade-launcher rounds, bursts of anti-aircraft cannon and heavy-machine gun, all at a range of 4 to 7km north and north-west of its location. While in government-controlled Svitlodarsk (57km north-east of Donetsk) that same evening, the SMM heard numerous bursts and shots of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all 3-5km east of its position.

The SMM camera in Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) after midnight, within an hour, recorded 60 undetermined explosions and three tracer shots fired from north-east to west at unknown distance north and north east of its position.

During the day on 14 August, positioned at two locations in Yasynuvata, the SMM heard 184 undetermined explosions and numerous bursts of small-arms and heavy-machine-gun fire at a range of 2 to 5km west-south-west of its position. Positioned in Avdiivka, the SMM heard 16 undetermined explosions at a range of 4 to 7km south and east of its position.

In Luhansk region the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations on 14 August compared to 13 August. On 13 August within 10 minutes in the morning, positioned in government-controlled Lobacheve (17km north-west of Luhansk), the SMM heard nine explosions assessed as outgoing mortar rounds and bursts and shots of small-arms fire 1km north-east of its position. Also in the morning, positioned in government-controlled Zolote-1 (60km north-west of Luhansk), the SMM heard one undetermined explosion followed by a short bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire, 7-10km east of its position. Less than 10 minutes later, at the same location, the SMM heard another undetermined explosion.

On 14 August, within 30 minutes before noon while in the centre of government-controlled areas of Zolote (60km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard 26 undetermined explosions 10km south-west of its position, in the area of government-controlled Popasna (69km west of Luhansk). Explosions were assessed as being both incoming and outgoing rounds, though more incoming than outgoing.

Within 20 minutes before noon, positioned at the main junction in “LPR”-controlled Pervomaisk (58km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard 23 undetermined explosions 2-3km south-west of its position. In roughly the same time period, positioned at the destroyed petrol station on the main road between Pervomaisk and “LPR”-controlled Irmino (54km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard 20 undetermined explosions 2-4km south-west of its position. Within five minutes shortly after noon, positioned at the abandoned coal mine located in the south-western part of Irmino, the SMM saw and heard 15 explosions assessed as outgoing artillery rounds 1.8-2km south of its position. Although hidden in a tree line, the SMM could observe flares from two different muzzles. The artillery rounds were fired in a westerly direction.

The SMM confirmed reports of casualties and conducted crater analysis. At the hospital in government-controlled Popasna, on 13 August medical personnel told the SMM that a Ukrainian Armed Forces soldier had died of his wounds sustained on 12 August at a Ukrainian Armed Forces position in Popasna.

On 12 August the SMM analysed impact sites in a residential area (see SMM Daily Report 13 August 2016) in Donetsk city’s Petrovskyi district (15km south-west of the city centre), accompanied by “DPR” members. At one location the SMM saw that the roofs of three houses had been destroyed. The SMM assessed the damages as caused by mortar rounds of at least 82mm in calibre. According to residents, the shelling had occurred after midnight on 11-12 August. At another location, the SMM saw four houses had sustained shrapnel damage and assessed it as caused by a single impact of an artillery shell of at least 122mm in calibre on a structure located among the houses, but saw no craters.

On 13 August, the SMM saw five fresh craters on the road 0.3km east of Mykolaivka (government-controlled, 57km north-east of Donetsk). The SMM assessed three of the craters as caused by 82mm mortar rounds. The SMM assessed the other two craters as caused by 122mm multiple-launch rocket system (MLRS; BM-21 Grad, 122mm) rounds. The SMM could not assess the direction of fire at any of the locations due to the soil characteristics.

On 14 August, in Yasynuvata, near the railway station, the SMM analysed one fresh crater located in a field. The surrounding trees showed impacts of shrapnel and cut off branches. The south-eastern side of a nearby restaurant was damaged (broken windows and shrapnel damage on the exterior walls). The SMM saw that shrapnel had also caused damage to interior walls. The restaurant was located about 70 meters west-north-west of the fresh crater. In the vicinity of the crater several electricity cables had been cut and the SMM saw repairmen working on the cables. The SMM assessed the crater as caused by an artillery round, at least 122mm in calibre fired from a north-westerly direction.

On 13 August, in “LPR”-controlled Zhovte (16km north-west of Luhansk), the SMM saw 20 fresh craters near and on the asphalt road and assessed them as impacts of 82mm mortar rounds fired from a north-westerly direction. The SMM also saw five unexploded 82mm mortar rounds stuck in the asphalt near an “LPR” position. According to residents of nearby government-controlled Lobacheve (17km north-west of Luhansk), the shelling had occurred during the previous night. At the “LPR” checkpoint south of the Stanytsia Luhanska pedestrian bridge, the SMM saw a fresh crater and assessed it as caused by a recoilless-gun (SPG-9) round fired from a northerly direction. In “LPR”-controlled Kruta Hora (16km north-west of Luhansk), the SMM saw the smouldering ruins of a house and spoke to the owner (man, 81 years old) and his grandson (30 years old). The grandson told the SMM, that the roof had been hit by a shell at 21:15 on 12 August. The grandfather added that he had tried to extinguish the fire with water from buckets. On 14 August, the SMM saw a fresh crater about 50m north of the broken section of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge, close to the northernmost “LPR” position. The SMM assessed the crater as caused by an 82mm mortar round fired from a northerly direction. At the same location, the SMM also saw a remnant of the tail part of a grenade (RPG) lying on the soft ground 1.5m west of the asphalt road.

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

In violation of respective withdrawal lines, the SMM observed on 12 August in government-controlled areas: three towed howitzers (D-30, 122mm) towed by military trucks travelling east near Maksymilianivka (30km west of Donetsk); three covered towed howitzers (D-30, 122mm) towed by three Ural trucks travelling east of the government-checkpoint on the H-15 road near Marinka; four stationary self-propelled howitzers (2S3 Akatsiya, 152mm) near Donske (57km south of Donetsk); one stationary surface-to-air missile system (9K35 Strela-10, 120mm) on the T-316 road between government-controlled Zolote 4 (61km west of Luhansk) and “LPR”-controlled Zolote-5 (59km west of Luhansk).

Beyond the withdrawal lines but outside assigned areas, on both 13 and 14 August, the SMM observed 18 tanks (T-64) at a known training area near “LPR”-controlled Myrne (28km south-west of Luhansk).

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 government-controlled areas beyond the respective withdrawal lines, the SMM observed on 13 August: 12 self-propelled howitzers (2S3 Akatsiya, 152mm). The SMM noted that the following weapons were missing: 47 anti-tank guns (MT-12 Rapira, 100mm), 30 mortars (2B11 Sani, 120mm; noted missing for the first time), 43 self-propelled howitzers (39 2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm; and four 2S3 Akatsiya, 152mm); five surface-to-air missile systems (9K35 Strela-10, 120mm), and six towed artillery pieces (three D-48, 85mm and three D-44, 85mm).

In “DPR”-controlled areas beyond the respective withdrawal lines the SMM observed on 13 and 14 August: 15 MLRS (BM-21 Grad, 122mm); six towed howitzers (D-30, 122mm); 12 anti-tank guns (MT-12 Rapira, 100mm); 12 self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) and two mortars (2B11 Sani, 120mm). The SMM noted that one self-propelled howitzer (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) was missing.

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

The SMM observed the presence of armoured combat vehicles (ACV) in the security zone. In government-controlled areas, the SMM saw: on 12 August – three armoured personnel carriers (APC; one BRDM-2, one MT-LB fitted with a heavy machine gun, and one MT-LB fitted with an anti-aircraft gun, ZU-23) near a Ukrainian Armed Forces position in Zolote-3 (61km west of Luhansk) and an APC (Kraz Cougar) mounted with a heavy machine gun in Zolote (60km west of Luhansk); one stationary anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23) with a pile of 23mm shells lying nearby in Lobacheve. On 13 August, the SMM saw one IFV (BMP-2) near the Ukrainian Armed Forces checkpoint north of government-controlled Stanytsia Luhanska bridge (16km north-east of Luhansk). The SMM also observed empty cases of ammunition and fresh track marks nearby.

At the eastern edge of government-controlled Hirske (63km west of Luhansk), the SMM saw a stationary train with 11 wagons full of coal.

The SMM monitored border areas not controlled by the Government on six occasions, but faced restrictions on three of those.* On 13 August, at the Ulianivske pedestrian crossing point (“DPR”-controlled, 61km south-east of Donetsk) within two and a half hours, the SMM saw ten persons (three women, one child and six men) exiting Ukraine on foot. All of them told the SMM that they were living in the nearby villages. At the Uspenka border crossing point (“DPR”-controlled, 73km south-east of Donetsk), the SMM saw 99 civilian cars (20 had Russian Federation licence plates, the remainder had Ukrainian plates), three buses and ten covered trucks, waiting to leave Ukraine. Travellers told the SMM that the usual waiting time is about one and a half hours. At the Novoazovsk border crossing point (“DPR”-controlled, 53km north-east of Mariupol), the SMM saw 17 civilian vehicles waiting to leave Ukraine. At the “LPR”-controlled Izvaryne crossing point (52km south-east of Luhansk) within two hours the SMM saw 75 civilian cars (55 had Ukrainian licence plates, 19 had Russian Federation plates and one had an “LPR” plate) and five covered trucks (with Ukrainian licence plates) queuing to exit Ukraine. It also saw 18 empty buses with Ukrainian licence plates exit Ukraine and four buses with Ukrainian plates enter within the same time period. The SMM observed no pedestrians queuing. At the adjacent parking lot, the SMM saw 55-70 vehicles (80 per cent had Ukrainian licence plates).

On 14 August, at the Marynivka border crossing point (“DPR”-controlled, 78km east of Donetsk), the SMM saw at least 55 civilian cars and one bus queuing to exit Ukraine. Two of the vehicles had “DPR” plates, one had Georgian and one had Lithuanian licence plates. Two thirds of the rest of the cars had Ukrainian and one third had Russian Federation licence plates. The bus had Ukrainian licence plates. At the Uspenka border crossing point (“DPR”-controlled, 73km south-east of Donetsk), the SMM saw a line of at least 30 civilian cars and 28 covered trucks waiting to exit Ukraine. Two thirds of the cars had Ukrainian licence plates, one third had Russian Federation licence plates, while all the trucks had Ukrainian license plates.

The SMM continued to monitor the situation at three crossing points at the administrative boundary line between the mainland and Crimea. On both 13 and 14 August, the SMM observed that all three crossing points at Kalanchak, Chaplynka and Chonhar (67km, 72km and 167km south-east of Kherson, respectively) were open and the situation was calm. The SMM did not observe military movements at the three crossing points and in adjacent areas. On 14 August, the SMM monitored the coastal villages of Khorly, Prymorske, Oleksiivka and Oleksandrivka (82km, 89km, 91km and 88km south-east of Kherson respectively) situated across the bay from the Crimean town of Armiansk (102km south-east of Kherson) and found the situation calm and saw no signs of military activity or troop movements.  

*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 rapid response to these violations.

Denial of access:

• On 13 August, at the Ulianivske pedestrian crossing point (“DPR”-controlled, 61km south-east of Donetsk) an armed “DPR” member prevented the SMM from walking along the border line, citing the presence of booby traps in the area.
• On 14 August an armed “DPR” member denied the SMM access to what he referred to as “customs” area of the Marynivka border crossing point (“DPR”-controlled, 78km east of Donetsk).
• On 14 August, an armed “DPR” member denied the SMM access to what he referred to as the “customs” area of the Uspenka border crossing point (“DPR”-controlled, 73km south-east of Donetsk).
• On 14 August, armed “LPR” members told the SMM to leave its position at the southern edge of “LPR”-controlled Buhaivka (37km south-west of Luhansk). The armed “LPR” members specifically requested the SMM to withdraw 400-500m closer to the next residential area. The SMM complied, but shortly after that the same armed men again approached the SMM and demanded it left the area altogether. The Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) was informed.
• On 14 August Ukrainian Border Guards personnel denied the SMM access to its positions at the Chonhar peninsula (162km south-east of Kherson) citing security reasons including the presence of mines.

Conditional access:

• On 14 August, an armed “LPR” member at the “LPR” checkpoint at Stanytsia Luhanska bridge (16km north of Luhansk), wrote down the names and ID numbers of SMM monitors before allowing them access to the bridge.
• On 14 August, a Ukrainian Armed Forces soldier at the southernmost Ukrainian Armed Forces position at the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge wrote down the names and ID numbers of SMM monitors before allowing them to proceed further north towards government-controlled areas.

Delay:

-On 13 August Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel denied the SMM passage through a Ukrainian Armed Forces checkpoint between government-controlled Zolote-4 (61km west of Luhansk) and “LPR”-controlled Zolote-5 (59km west of Luhansk). The SMM contacted the JCCC and after waiting for one hour was allowed to proceed.

Other impediments:

-On 12 August, a military vehicle (SUV) with a clearly displayed sticker on the back of the car with the Right Sector insignia (either “DUK” or 14th battalion) endangered the SMM by driving recklessly, including veering on both sides of the road outside government-controlled Pokrovsk (formerly Krasnoarmiisk, 55km north-west of Donetsk), in front of it.

-On 13 August, the SMM was forced to make a detour of 44km (instead of driving 4km) in order to reach the village of Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) from the east along the road E58, due to the lack of security guarantees facilitated by the JCCC and provided by the sides. 

-On 13 August, the SMM was unable to pass through Pikuzy (formerly Kominternove “DPR”-controlled, 23km north-east of Mariupol) and had to take a detour of 38km (instead of driving 7km) due to the lack of security guarantees facilitated by the JCCC and provided by the sides.