Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine, based on information received as of 19:30, 5 December 2016

This report is for the general public and the media.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and in Luhansk region compared with the period between the evenings of 3 and 4 December. It continued to face restrictions of its movement in the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske.* The SMM’s freedom of movement was restricted on four occasions elsewhere. The SMM followed up on reports of damage to civilian infrastructure. The Mission continued to note queues at entry-exit checkpoints on both sides of the contact line. The SMM monitored one border crossing area not controlled by the Government. It facilitated and monitored repair works in Krasnyi Lyman and Orikhove.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region, including about 100 explosions, compared with 70 explosions in the period between the evenings of 3 and 4 December. [1]

While in Donetsk city during the night of 4-5 December the SMM heard 26 undetermined explosions 8-10km north-west.

During the night of 4-5 December the SMM camera in government-controlled Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk) recorded 25 undetermined explosions 4-6km east-south-east. The camera recorded in flight a total of 37 projectiles 4-6km east-south-east of the camera: four from north-west to south-east, 19 from north to south, two from north-east to south-east, eight from north-east to south-west, three from south-west to north-east and one from south-east to north-west. It recorded five illumination flares 4-6km east-south-east of the camera. It also recorded 57 tracer rounds: 19 from south-west to north-east and 38 from north-west to south-east. During the day of 5 December the same camera recorded four rocket-assisted projectiles in flight 5-7km south-east of the camera: one from east to west, two from north to south and one from north-west to south-west.

During the same night the SMM camera in Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) recorded 21 undetermined explosions north-east at an unknown distance, at least 85 tracer rounds from west to east and another 20 from east to west. Positioned in government-controlled Svitlodarsk (57km north-east of Donetsk) the SMM heard ten undetermined explosions 3-4km south-east.

On 5 December, while in “DPR”-controlled Debaltseve, (58km north-east of Donetsk) during a period of 70 minutes the SMM heard 13 undetermined explosions 4-8km north-west. The SMM camera at Oktiabr mine (9km north-west of Donetsk) recorded one undetermined explosion 4-6km north-east. Positioned during a period of five hours in “DPR”-controlled Yasynuvata (16km north-east of Donetsk) the SMM heard three undetermined explosions 6-8km south-east. The SMM camera in Avdiivka recorded one undetermined projectile from east to west and four undetermined explosions, all 5-7km south-east.

In Luhansk region the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including around 50 explosions, compared with two explosions in the period between the evenings of 3 and 4 December. Positioned in “LPR”-controlled Veselohorivka (64km west of Luhansk) for 30 minutes, the SMM heard approximately 30 small arms shots 3-5km north and 40-50 explosions, assessed as outgoing automatic-grenade-launcher (AGS) or mortar rounds 3-5km west, along with three bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire less than 1km west and three undetermined explosions more than 10km north-east.

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 (TCG) relating to disengagement of forces and hardware of 21 September 2016. The Mission’s access to most of these areas remained restricted. The SMM did not note any signs of further disengagement or any demining activity in the three areas during the reporting period.

During the night of 3 December, the SMM camera in government-controlled Stanytsia Luhanska (16km north-east of Luhansk) recorded one flash, assessed as a small arms shot, 350m south-west, just outside the disengagement area. On 5 December, a Ukrainian Armed Forces officer of the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) JCCC told the SMM that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had not received any order to disengage.

In the Zolote/Pervomaisk disengagement area the SMM noted that the situation was calm.

In Petrivske the SMM did not observe any demining activity and did not proceed west towards Bohdanivka due to the lack of security guarantees.

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

The SMM observed weapons that could not be verified as withdrawn, as their storage did 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 18 multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS, 9P140 Uragan, 220mm); 12 self-propelled howitzers (2S3 Akatsiya, 152mm) and 12 MLRS (BM-21 Grad, 122mm). The following weapons continued to be absent: 11 self-propelled howitzers (2S3 Akatsiya, 152mm), ten of which were observed missing for the first time on 26 July and one observed missing as of 20 May; 12 MLRS (BM-21 Grad, 122mm) first observed missing on 26 July; 11 MLRS (9P140 Uragan, 220mm) eight as first observed missing on 20 September and three as of 11 November.

The SMM revisited two Ukrainian Armed Forces permanent storage sites whose locations corresponded with the respective withdrawal lines and noted that all weapons previously recorded were present.

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles in the security zone [2]. At a Ukrainian Armed Forces checkpoint outside government-controlled Popasna (69km west of Luhansk) the SMM observed two stationary infantry fighting vehicles (BMP-2). In government-controlled Stanytsia Luhanska (16km north-east of Luhansk) aerial imagery available to the SMM revealed the presence of five armoured vehicles: one infantry fighting vehicle (BRDM), one armoured personnel carrier (BTR), one armoured personnel carrier (MTLB) with one heavy machine gun mounted, and two infantry fighting vehicles (BMP-1), one  inside the disengagement area and one outside.

The SMM observed two fresh impacts on the road 2km south-west of “DPR”-controlled Sakhanka (24km north-east of Mariupol) and assessed that both were caused by 120mm mortar rounds fired from a south-westerly direction.

The SMM followed up on damage to houses in government-controlled Lobacheve (17km north-west of Luhansk). In Shevchenko Street the SMM observed five houses with ten impacts assessed as caused by under-barrel grenade launchers (VOG25) on walls facing south. One house had the roof damaged and a shop located opposite to the ferry crossing had also damage on the roof and to the windows. According to residents, shelling had occurred the night before.

The SMM continued to note long queues at entry-exit checkpoints on both sides of the contact line. At the Ukrainian Armed Forces checkpoint in Berezove (31km south-west of Donetsk) the SMM saw 610 vehicles and approximately 130 pedestrians queuing to enter government-controlled areas.

At the government checkpoint in Marinka (23km south-west of Donetsk) the SMM observed approximately 70 pedestrians and 220 vehicles queuing to travel toward non-government-controlled areas. The checkpoint commander told the SMM that “DPR” members had stopped the transit of people and vehicles at 05:00, people and vehicles could exit “DPR”-controlled areas but not enter.

At 07:45 at the “LPR” checkpoint of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge the SMM observed approximately 800 people waiting for the checkpoint to open. At 10:05, 200 people were waiting to enter “LPR-controlled areas. At 11:00 approximately 500 people were waiting to exit “LPR”-controlled areas and 70 were waiting to enter.

The SMM facilitated and monitored repairs to essential infrastructure co-ordinated by the JCCC conducted by a water supply company in “LPR”-controlled Krasnyi Lyman (30km north-west of Luhansk) and from the other side of the contact line in the area of government-controlled Trokhizbenka (32km north-west of Luhansk). The repair works of water pipes and one pump were completed and the SMM observed the workers cleaning the area. Furthermore the SMM monitored repair works on the railways conducted by a railway company in government-controlled Orikhove (57km north-west of Luhansk).

The SMM visited a border area currently not under government control. The SMM visited the border crossing point of “LPR”-controlled Sievernyi (50km south-east of Luhansk) where it observed during one hour five pedestrians entering Ukraine and six leaving Ukraine. It also observed two cars with Russian Federation registration plates and 16 cars with Ukrainian registration plates leaving Ukraine.

The SMM continued monitoring in Kyiv, Kherson, Lviv, Odessa, 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 and freedom of movement are restricted by security hazards and threats, including risks posed by mines, unexploded ordnance, 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 travel west from “DPR”-controlled Petrivske (41km south of Donetsk) due to lack of security guarantees and potential mine threats. The SMM informed the JCCC.
• The SMM was unable to access secondary routes in the Zolote-Pervomaisk disengagement area (58km west of Luhansk) as armed “LPR” members said they could not guarantee the SMM’s security and Ukrainian Armed Forces officers of the JCCC (on opposite sides of the area) said they could not assist in ensuring the SMM’s security in adjacent fields and roads due to the possible presence of mines and/or UXO.
• The SMM was unable to access Donetska Street in government-controlled Stanytsia Luhanska (16km north-east of Luhansk) just outside the disengagement area, as a Ukrainian Armed Forces officer of the JCCC informed the SMM that mines might be present.
• The SMM could not proceed from the “LPR” checkpoint south of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge toward the railway bridge (inside the disengagement area) due to the threat of mines, as indicated by a mine warning sign lying on the ground. The SMM informed the JCCC.
• Anti-tank obstacles (“Czech hedgehogs”) on the road west of Prince Ihor monument (outside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area) prevented the SMM from further travel. The SMM informed the JCCC.
• The SMM could not travel across the bridge in government-controlled Shchastia (20km north of Luhansk) in either direction due to the possible presence of mines. Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel at the bridge informed the SMM that no demining had taken place. An armed “LPR” member at the checkpoint south of the bridge informed the SMM that demining had not taken place in the fields adjacent to the road leading to the bridge. The SMM informed the JCCC.
• The SMM was unable to travel from government-controlled Popasna (69km west of Luhansk) to government-controlled Katerynivka (64km west of Luhansk) due to the presence of anti-tank obstacles (“Czech hedgehogs”) at a  Ukrainian Armed Forces checkpoint. At another checkpoint along the road, Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel prevented the SMM from traveling from Katerynivka to Popasna, saying they had not received orders to allow the SMM to pass. The JCCC was informed. 

Conditional access:

• At a “DPR” checkpoint located on the highway M4 at the south entrance to “DPR”-controlled Horlivka (39km north-east of Donetsk), armed men insisted on seeing the SMM vehicle documents and the driving licences of the two SMM drivers.

Delay:

• South of government-controlled Lebedynske (16km north-east of Mariupol) the Ukrainian Armed Forces at a checkpoint delayed the SMM for 24 minutes. 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.

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