Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine, based on information received as of 19:30, 25 August 2016

This report is for media and the general public.

The SMM recorded more explosions in Donetsk region on 25 August (at least 543) compared with 24 August (over 350). In Luhansk region the SMM recorded a similar number of explosions compared with the previous day. It conducted crater analysis in Molodizhne, Petrovskyi district and Hannivka. The Mission facilitated repairs to essential infrastructure in Obozne and Shchastia. The SMM monitored three border areas not controlled by the Government.* It faced two freedom-of-movement restrictions in areas not controlled by the Government. The Mission observed a calm situation along the administrative boundary line with Crimea. The SMM also followed up on reports of an explosion at an administrative building in Bila Tserkva.

The SMM noted a significant increase in the number of ceasefire violations observed in Donetsk region on 25 August (at least 543 explosions) compared with 24 August (over 350 explosions).[1]

On the night of 24 August, the SMM camera in Avdiivka (government-controlled, 17km north-west of Donetsk), recorded between 19:14 and 19:43 eight explosions, assessed as impacts of rounds from unknown weapon systems, as well as continuous exchanges of fire including uncountable explosions (impacts and outgoing), airbursts and bursts, all 5-7km south-east of its location.

ing the night of 24 August whilst in government-controlled Svitlodarsk (57km north-east of Donetsk), between 19:35 and 22:35, the SMM heard 80 explosions assessed as mortar (82mm) rounds, cannon rounds (BMP-1, 73mm), recoilless gun rounds (SPG-9, 73mm), automatic-grenade-launcher rounds, as well as over 100 bursts of anti-aircraft cannon (ZU-23, 23mm) and heavy-machine-gun fire, all 2-4km south-east, south-south-east and south of its position. Between 23:35 and 00:30, the SMM heard 12 explosions assessed as impacts of 122mm artillery rounds, five explosions assessed as outgoing cannon rounds (BMP-1, 73mm) and bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire 2-5km south and south-east of its position. Whilst in Horlivka (“DPR”-controlled 39km north of Donetsk), between 21:00 and 22:30 the SMM heard a total of 49 explosions of which 39 were assessed as impacts of mortar (82mm) rounds, seven were undetermined and three were assessed as impacts of automatic grenade launcher rounds, as well as bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire, all 7-9km north-west of its location.

Positioned in “DPR”-controlled Yasynuvata (16km north-east of Donetsk), during the day, the SMM heard, between 11:55 and 12:56, 118 undetermined explosions, as well as numerous bursts of small-arms fire 3-6km west-south-west of its position. From 15:20 to 18:41 the SMM camera in Avdiivka (government-controlled, 17km north of Donetsk) recorded 16 undetermined explosions, 4-5km south-east of its position. At different locations in the same area, the SMM heard 44 explosions, most of which it assessed as outgoing mortar rounds and ten explosions it assessed as mortar round impacts at a range of 0.5 to 8km east and south-east of its positions.

In the early afternoon, the SMM heard one undetermined explosion approximately 1km east of its residence in Donetsk city. A “DPR” member told the SMM that the unidentified body of a man in civilian clothing was found at the scene of the explosion.

In Luhansk region the SMM recorded a similar level of violence compared with the previous day. Whilst in government-controlled Stanytsia Luhanska (16km north-east of Luhansk) between 20:06 and 00:36 on 24-25 August, the SMM observed an intense exchange of fire, which included 44 explosions assessed as outgoing 120mm mortar rounds, 15 explosions assessed as outgoing recoilless gun (SPG-9) rounds and 137 undetermined explosions 3-5km south and west-south-west of its position.

The SMM conducted crater analysis. On 24 August, accompanied by a Russian Federation Armed Forces officer at the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC), in Molodizhne (“DPR”-controlled, 20km south of Donetsk) the SMM saw two fresh craters in a field close to a “detention” facility guarded by armed “DPR” members. The SMM assessed that both craters, which were north of the building and 20m from each other, were caused by 152mm artillery rounds fired from a westerly direction. The SMM also saw 40-50 broken windows on the north-facing façade of the building. According to residents living near the facility, the shelling had occurred in the night hours of 23-24 August. In “DPR”-controlled Donetsk city’s Petrovskyi district (15km south-west of Donetsk city), accompanied by a Russian Federation Armed Forces officer at the JCCC, the SMM observed damage caused by two separate shelling impacts 12.2m apart, which it assessed as caused by 73mm projectiles, but was not able to assess the direction of fire. The first impact was to the south-facing façade and rooftop of a house and the second was to the west-facing sides of an outdoor gas pipe and a tree as well as to a detached garage. Multiple small holes caused by shrapnel were also visible on the west-facing zinc fence 6–7m from the damaged tree. In the courtyard of the damaged house, the SMM found an impact fuse consistent with a recoilless gun (SPG-9) and a tail remnant of a 73mm projectile. A second 73mm tail remnant and other fragments were discovered under the damaged rooftop. A third large piece of a 73mm projectile was discovered by a nearby metal fence. According to residents the shelling had occurred at 02:30 on 24 August. One of them told the SMM that there was a “DPR” compound located behind a high metal fence across the street from the damaged residential building.

On 24 August, the SMM, accompanied by a Russian Federation Armed Forces officer at the JCCC, conducted crater analysis at two locations in “LPR”-controlled Hannivka (58km west of Luhansk). At the first location, the SMM assessed that a shell had exploded in a tree top. Two nearby houses (10 and 25m away from the tree) had sustained shrapnel damage to their south-facing façades (broken windows and damage to walls). The SMM assessed the impact as caused by an artillery round fired from a westerly direction. At the second location, in the yard of one of the houses, the SMM saw a crater it assessed as caused by a 152mm artillery round fired from a north-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.

In violation of the respective withdrawal lines in government-controlled areas the SMM observed: four stationary self-propelled howitzers (2S3 Akatsiya, 152mm) near Donske (57km south of Donetsk) and one stationary surface-to-air missile system (9K35 Strela-10, 120mm) in Zolote-1 (61km west from Luhansk).

Beyond withdrawal lines but outside assigned areas, the SMM observed one surface-to-air missile system (9K33 Osa, 120mm) moving west on road P-07 towards Yevsuh (government-controlled, 71km north 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 line the SMM saw: 26 towed howitzers (14 2A65 Msta-B, 152mm; 12 2A36 Giatsint-B, 152mm); 18 self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm); 12 anti-tank guns (MT-12 Rapira, 100mm); 12 mortars (2B11, 120mm). The SMM noted as missing: 18 self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm); 16 towed howitzers (four 2A65 Msta-B, 152mm; 12 2A36 Giatsint-B, 152mm); 12 mortars (2B11, 120mm; six mortars (PM-38, 120mm).

The SMM revisited Ukrainian Armed Forces permanent storage sites, whose locations corresponded with the withdrawal lines and noted that 12 tanks (two T-72, ten T-64) continued to be missing.

The SMM observed the presence of unexploded ordnance (UXO) in areas close to the contact line. In government-controlled Popasna (69km west of Luhansk), the SMM saw a piece of UXO in the garden of a private residence and assessed it as a 122mm artillery shell. The SMM saw the arrival of State Emergency Services personnel at the site.

The SMM observed military presence near civilian infrastructure. In government-controlled Lopaskyne (23 km north-west of Luhansk), the SMM spoke to six residents (men and women, 50-70 years old) who said that Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers had established an improvised shooting range in the backyard of a house in the village and residents were concerned. The SMM has conveyed these concerns to local authorities, including the Ukrainian Armed Forces. In government-controlled Komyshuvakha (66km west of Luhansk), the SMM noticed that a military compound was located some 120m from a school.

The SMM monitored three border areas not controlled by the Government*. At the Ulianivske pedestrian border crossing point (“DPR”-controlled, 61km south-east of Donetsk), within two hours around noon, the SMM observed five pedestrians crossing the border – two entering Ukraine and three exiting. The screening of each pedestrian took only a couple of minutes. All were using national travel documents (three issued by Ukraine and two by the Russian Federation). One woman told the SMM that she crossed the border every day because she lives in the Russian Federation and worked in a small shop in areas not controlled by the Government in Donetsk region. The SMM spoke to all five people it saw crossing, who said they lived in villages close by and were travelling to visit relatives. On 24 August, at the “LPR”-controlled border crossing point in Voznesenivka (formerly Chervonopartyzansk, 65km south-east of Luhansk), in 70min, the SMM saw about 58 civilian cars (six with Russian Federation licence plates, one with “LPR” “licence plates”, one with “DPR” “licence plates”, one with Belarusian, and the rest with Ukrainian licence plates) queuing to exit Ukraine. There were also three cars (licence plates not observed) in a separate queue. The SMM also observed one passenger bus with Russian Federation licence plates (with a route sign “Gukovo-Sverdlovsk”) and one truck (cargo not seen) with Ukrainian licence plates, exiting Ukraine. At the improvised parking lot, about 48 civilian cars were parked. Passengers in a car told the SMM they had been waiting for almost five hours to exit Ukraine. The SMM estimated that six cars were processed in an hour. During the same 70 minutes, the SMM saw that eight cars entered Ukraine, three of which had Russian Federation licence plates and one passenger bus with Russian Federation licence plates with a route sign “Gukovo-Sverdlovsk”.

At the “LPR”-controlled Izvaryne border crossing point (52km south-east of Luhansk), within 90 minutes, the SMM observed 66 civilian cars queuing to exit Ukraine, out of which 27 had Russian Federation licence plates, two had Belarusian and 37 had Ukrainian licence plates. There was one bus with Ukrainian licence plates waiting to exit Ukraine and the SMM saw three buses with Ukrainian licence plates enter Ukraine. The SMM also saw three covered trucks enter Ukraine (out of which two with Russian Federation licence plates and one with Ukrainian licence plates). There were also three covered trucks and ten civilian cars exiting Ukraine (all with Ukrainian license plates). The SMM spoke with a civilian car driver who said he had been waiting in the queue since 05:00. He said he was satisfied that that day “cars managed to cross fast, waiting only five to six hours”.

The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to essential infrastructure. In “LPR”-controlled Obozne (18km north of Luhansk) the SMM facilitated repair works on water pipes and pumps. In government-controlled Shchastia (20km north of Luhansk), the SMM monitored repair works to clean and widen the water canals providing water to the Shchastia power plant.

The SMM continued to monitor the situation along the administrative boundary line between the mainland and Crimea. At the Kalanchak, Chaplynka and Chonhar crossing points (67km, 72km and 167km south-east of Kherson, respectively), the SMM observed a calm situation and relatively low levels of traffic across the line.

The SMM followed up on reports of an explosion at the District State Administration Building in Bila Tserkva (90km south-west of Kyiv). According to the First Deputy/Acting Head of District State Administration, at 04:05 on 25 August unidentified individual/s had fired an explosive device at the building, but said no one had been injured. The SMM saw that the device had penetrated a window on the right side of the building (from the parking lot side) and hit the floor of a hallway some 20m inside the building creating a 15cm crater as well as shrapnel damage to adjacent doors and a wall. All windows and glass doors in the hallway were broken.

*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.

Conditional access:

• On 24 August, an armed “LPR” member at the Voznesenivka border crossing point (formerly Chervonopartyzansk, “LPR”-controlled, 65km south-east of Luhansk) recorded the names of SMM monitors and licence plate numbers of the SMM vehicles. The SMM informed the JCCC.
•  On 24 August, an armed “LPR” member at the Voznesenivka train station (“LPR”-controlled, formerly Chervonopartyzansk, 65km south-east of Luhansk) recorded the names of SMM monitors and licence plate numbers of the SMM vehicles. The SMM informed the JCCC.

[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.