Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine, based on information received as of 19:30, 1 November 2016

This report is for media and the general public.

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations compared with 31 October. Violations were observed in areas north-east of Mariupol and between Debaltseve and Svitlodarsk. In Luhansk region the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations compared with 31 October. The Mission continued to monitor the disengagement process in Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske and was restricted in its freedom of movement in all three areas.* The SMM continued to follow up on reports of shelling. It monitored two border areas currently not under government control. The SMM monitored a peaceful protest in Kyiv.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations[1] in Donetsk region, including 311 explosions, compared with 218 explosions on 31 October.  

Positioned 2km south-east of Lebedynske (government-controlled, 18km east of Mariupol), the SMM heard 174 explosions (117 undetermined explosions 2-10km north-east, 19 undetermined explosions 3.5km north-east, south-east, and east-north-east, 23 explosions assessed as outgoing rounds from an unknown weapon 2-3km north-west to north-east, and 15 explosions assessed as impacts of rounds from an unknown weapon 2km north and north-east).

On the night of 31 October-1 November, the SMM camera in Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol), facing north-north-east, recorded 16 rocket-assisted projectiles, 12 bursts of anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23), and two bursts of heavy machine-gun, all fired from west to east. The camera further recorded seven undetermined airbursts.

While in “DPR”-controlled Debaltseve (58km north-east of Donetsk), in the evening of 31 October the SMM heard 42 undetermined explosions 6-9km west-north-west.

While in “DPR”-controlled Donetsk city centre in the evening of 31 October, the SMM heard nine undetermined explosions 8-10km north-east and 15 undetermined explosions north-west.

Positioned in Sopyne (government-controlled, 16km east of Mariupol), the SMM heard at least 20 airbursts 4-6km north-north-east and two undetermined explosions at an unknown distance north.

Positioned in Kalynove (government-controlled, 65km south-west of Donetsk), the SMM heard six undetermined explosions at an undetermined distance east-north-east.

While in Svitlodarsk (government-controlled, 57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard four explosions assessed as outgoing rounds of mortar fire (calibre unknown) 3-5km south-east.

During the day of 1 November, the SMM camera in government-controlled Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk) recorded 37 undetermined projectiles (in sequence: seven fired from north-north-west to east-south-east, 16 fired from south to north, 14 fired from north to south) and 12 undetermined explosions 2-8km south-east. Positioned in Avdiivka the SMM heard four outgoing explosions (three assessed as 73mm recoilless gun rounds and one assessed as infantry-fighting-vehicle (IFV; BMP-1 cannon 73mm)) and two explosions assessed as impacts of 120mm mortar rounds, all 2-3km south-east. Positioned in “DPR”-controlled Yasynuvata (16km north-east of Donetsk) during an observation time of five hours, the SMM heard four undetermined explosions 3km west.

In Luhansk region on 1 November the SMM recorded nine explosions compared with 57 explosions the previous day. Positioned in Pervomaisk for 29 minutes (“LPR”-controlled, 58km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard six undetermined explosions 10km west. Positioned in Krymske for 30 minutes (government-controlled, 42km north-west of Luhansk), the SMM heard two explosions assessed as outgoing rounds of rocket propelled grenade launcher (RPG-7) and one undetermined explosion, all 0.3km north.

The SMM continued to follow up reports of shelling. In government-controlled Krymske, the SMM observed 13 fresh craters at the northern edge of the village and outside of the residential area. The SMM assessed the impacts as caused by 120mm mortar and 122mm artillery weapons fired from a southerly direction. At the “LPR”-controlled checkpoint near Smile (“LPR”-controlled, 31km north-west of Luhansk), an armed “LPR” member said that on 31 October during 22:00-23:00, he had heard ten heavy explosions without being able to specify where. In Smile, a woman (50 years old) and two men (60-65 years old) confirmed that the village had been shelled in the night of 31 October. The interlocutors stated that the walls and windows of one house got damaged. No casualties were reported.

The SMM continued to monitor the disengagement process and to pursue full access to the disengagement areas of Stanytsia Luhanska (16km north-east of Luhansk), Zolote (60km west of Luhansk) and Petrivske (41km south of Donetsk), as foreseen in the Framework Decision of the Trilateral Contact Group relating to disengagement of forces and hardware of 21 September. The SMM’s access remained restricted in all three areas,* but the Mission was able to partially monitor them. The SMM observed no movement of forces or hardware or demining or fencing off of mines in any of the areas.

At the “LPR”-controlled side of Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area, the SMM attempted to access the road leading to the railway bridge, through the summer cottage area. The SMM observed a mine warning sign and did not proceed due to safety reasons. On the government-controlled side, a Ukrainian Armed Forces officer at the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) informed the SMM that the Ukrainian Armed Forces still had not received orders for disengagement or demining.

As a SMM mini unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was flying over the area of Zolote-4 (government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard two shots of small-arms fire at an area near the UAV, 500-700 metres south-east of the SMM’s position. A short time later the SMM heard another three bursts of small-arms fire at the same area. The flight was aborted and the UAV did not sustain any damage.

At the “LPR”-side of the Zolote-Pervomaisk crossing route, which remains closed for civilians, the SMM crossed the main road in the disengagement area to government-controlled areas. However, an “LPR” member told the SMM that fields and areas, other than roads located in the disengagement area had not been cleared of mines. The SMM was therefore not enabled to access the area fully.

While the SMM observed the area at the eastern edge of the disengagement area near Petrivske, there was no JCCC officer present and the local “DPR” commander was not available. The SMM was unable to travel on the road west of the village due to the possible presence of mines and the lack of security guarantees from “DPR” members. 

In Bohdanivka (government-controlled, 41km south-west of Donetsk) west of the Petrivske disengagement area, the SMM observed a number of previously reported Ukrainian Armed Forces positions on the access road to the disengagement area, including one IFV (BMP-1), stationary at a checkpoint, approximately 2km west of the disengagement area and one self-propelled surface-to-air missile/anti-aircraft gun system (Tunguska variant) 2km west of the disengagement area.

At the checkpoint by the bridge in government-controlled Shchastia (20km north of Luhansk), the SMM was informed by Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers about the presence of mines further south towards the bridge. The SMM therefore did not proceed due to safety reasons. At the “LPR” checkpoint south of the bridge at government-controlled Shchastia (20km north of Luhansk), the SMM attempted to cross the bridge towards Shchastia and asked the armed “LPR” members at the checkpoint to remove the obstacles and mines but received a negative answer. An armed “LPR” member told the SMM that no demining activities had taken place so far, and that the area was still mined and unsafe.

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 withdrawal line, the SMM observed a self-propelled surface-to-air missile/anti-aircraft gun system (Tunguska variant) in Bohdanivka.

The SMM observed weapons that could not be verified as withdrawn, as their storage does not comply with the criteria set in the 16 October 2015 notification. In a government-controlled area the SMM observed eight multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS; BM-21 Grad, 122mm) for the first time.

The SMM revisited one Ukrainian Armed Forces permanent storage site and observed that all weapons were present according to the inventory list provided.

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles and anti-aircraft weapons[2] in the security zone. In “DPR”-controlled Debaltseve, the SMM observed fresh marks of tracked vehicles north of the railway hospital as well as eight IFVs (BMP) and two armoured combat vehicles (MT-LB) with anti-aircraft guns (ZU-23) mounted, within the city limits. In “LPR”-controlled Kalynove (58km west of Luhansk), the SMM observed four stationary Ural trucks with at least 20 armed “LPR” members around them. The SMM observed two of these trucks moving south in a convoy, together with five civilian cars full of armed “LPR” members. While in “LPR”-controlled Kadiivka (formerly Stakhanov, 50km west of Luhansk), the SMM observed an APC (BTR-80) with a machine-gun (14.5mm) mounted on top, driving from north to south. It was followed by an Ural military-type truck transporting armed men. While at the Ukrainian Armed Forces forward position on the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge (inside the disengagement area), the SMM observed an IFV (BMP-1) inside the bunker.

The SMM monitored two border areas currently not controlled by the government. During 25 minutes, the SMM observed a calm situation at the Dovzhanskyi border area (84km south-east of Luhansk). South of the border area in Astakhove (87km south of Luhansk) the SMM observed during 25 minutes that the road was blocked by a large pile of earth and a water ditch and was not passable.

The SMM monitored a peaceful protest in Kyiv of 6,000 persons (majority women, 20-60 years old) against what they said were high utility prices in Kyiv. The group gathered at Maidan and then moved to the national Parliament building. At both locations, speeches were held referring to the alleged wealth of public servants in contrast with the struggle of ordinary citizens with increases in utility prices. The SMM observed approximately 200 police and National Guard officers guarding the entrances of the Parliament.

The SMM continued monitoring in Kherson, Odessa, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kharkiv, Dnipro and Chernivtsi.

*Restrictions to SMM’s freedom of movement or other impediments to 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:

• The SMM was not able to proceed further to a summer cottage area (neighbouring the railway bridge south of Stanytsia Luhanska) as it observed a mine hazard sign east of the parking lot near the “LPR” checkpoint immediately south of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge (inside the disengagement area). An armed “LPR” member at the checkpoint told the SMM that the road towards the railway bridge had not been demined. The SMM informed the JCCC.
• The SMM could not proceed across the bridge south of government-controlled Shchastia from either side. Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel and armed “LPR” members present at their respective checkpoints told the SMM that the bridge was still mined. The SMM informed the JCCC.
• At a former electromechanical plant in “LPR”-controlled Kadiivka, an “LPR” “commander” did not allow the SMM to check the premises.
• As a SMM mini unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was flying over the area of Zolote-4 (government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard two shots of small-arms fire at an area near the UAV, 500-700 metres south-east of the SMM’s position. A short time later the SMM heard another three bursts of small-arms fire at the same area. The flight was aborted and the UAV did not sustain any damage.

Conditional access:

• In Rozdolne (“DPR”-controlled, 46km south-east of Donetsk), the SMM was stopped at a “DPR” checkpoint. Two armed “DPR” members photographed and video-recorded the patrol vehicles and patrol members. The SMM protested this action and asked why it was being done. An armed “DPR” member claimed that it was to cross-reference whether the same SMM monitors were travelling to and from Petrivske in the same patrol vehicles.

 

[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.

[2] This hardware is not proscribed by the provisions of the Minsk agreements on the withdrawal of weapons.