Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine, based on information received as of 19:30, 11 December 2016

This report is for the media and the general public.

In Donetsk region the SMM recorded a similar number of ceasefire violations between the evening of 9 December and the evening of 10 December compared with the previous reporting period, and fewer on 11 December. In Luhansk region the Mission recorded fewer ceasefire violations between the evening of 9 December and the evening of 10 December compared with the previous reporting period, but more on 11 December. The SMM followed up on reports of shelling in Donetsk city, Dokuchaievsk, Hryhorivka and Zhovte. The Mission continued to monitor the disengagement areas in Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske, but was restricted in its access.* The SMM monitored four border areas currently outside government control.

The SMM recorded a similar number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region between the evening of 9 December and the evening of 10 December compared with the previous reporting period, including more than 235 explosions, but fewer in the following 24 hours, when it recorded about 100 explosions [1].

Most of the ceasefire violations recorded by the Mission were in areas north-east of Mariupol and in the Avdiivka-Yasynuvata-Donetsk airport area. Between the evening of 10 and the evening of 11 December, nearly half of all the 100 explosions recorded in Donetsk region were heard around Debaltseve.

Positioned in “DPR”-controlled Yasynuvata for five hours on 10 December, the SMM heard 76 undetermined explosions 2-4km west and south-west. The SMM camera in Avdiivka recorded 22 undetermined explosions 3-km east-south-east.

On 11 December the SMM camera in Avdiivka recorded 14 undetermined explosions, five airbursts and about 40 undetermined projectiles in flight from north-west to south-east and from north to south, all 2-6km east-south-east and south-east.

Over the course of the day on 10 December the SMM recorded more than 130 explosions in areas north-east and east of Mariupol.

In the morning, positioned in Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol), the SMM heard two explosions assessed as outgoing 82mm mortar rounds and one explosion assessed as an impact of an 82mm mortar round 1km north. Positioned near “DPR”-controlled Zaichenko (26km north-east of Mariupol) the SMM heard 43 undetermined explosions as well as about eight minutes of intense small-arms fire, all 3-5km south-west and west. Positioned near government-controlled Lomakyne (15km north-east of Mariupol) the SMM heard eight explosions, four assessed as outgoing rounds (2km south-east) and four as impacts (2km north-east) of 120mm mortar rounds.

In the afternoon, positioned in “DPR”-controlled Bezimenne (30km east of Mariupol), the SMM heard 34 undetermined explosions at unknown distances north-west and west.

The SMM camera in Shyrokyne recorded, in sequence: 12 rocket-assisted projectiles in flight from north-north-east to east-south-east; six salvos (likely of fewer than six rockets each) assessed as fired by a multiple-launch rocket system (MLRS) (all 2-3km north-north-east); and two rocket-assisted projectiles in flight from north-east to south-west and 11 airbursts (all at unknown distances north-east of the camera). Positioned 1.5km south-west of government-controlled Mariupol (102km south of Donetsk) the SMM heard 23 undetermined explosions at an unknown distance north-east.

On 11 December the SMM camera in Shyrokyne recorded three explosions assessed as impacts of 82mm mortar rounds about 2.5km north-east.

Positioned in and around Debaltseve (“DPR”-controlled, 58km north-east of Donetsk) for more than 3.5 hours on 11 December, the SMM heard 48 undetermined explosions and five minutes of continuous heavy-machine-gun fire, all at least 5-10km north-west.

The SMM recorded no explosions and fewer ceasefire violations in the Luhansk region between the evening of 9 December and the evening of 10 December compared with the previous reporting period, and more between the evening of 10 December and the evening of 11 December, including about 100 explosions.

While in “LPR”-controlled Kadiivka (formerly Stakhanov, 50km west of Luhansk) on the night of 10 December, the SMM heard ten explosions assessed as artillery rounds 5-10km north-west. While in Kadiivka late the next afternoon the SMM heard 50-100 explosions assessed as mortar and automatic-grenade-launcher rounds and more than 100 bursts of machine-gun rounds, all in fewer than ten minutes, 15-20km south-west.

The SMM followed up on reports of shelling in residential areas.

On 10 December in “DPR”-controlled Donetsk city’s Kuibyshevskyi district (5km west of Donetsk city centre) the SMM observed damage to houses on Hroznenska, Arbatska, Druzhby, and Khimikiv streets. The SMM noted broken windows and shrapnel damage to the walls and fences of six houses and two apartment buildings, including a partially destroyed wall and roof of one house and a partially destroyed metal fence of another house. In addition the SMM observed a destroyed brick fence of another house. Near these houses the SMM observed four craters which were assessed as caused by 122mm artillery rounds fired from a north-westerly direction and one crater which was assessed as caused by an artillery round with a calibre of at least 122mm. The craters were filled with rubble and water. The five impacts were all located 0.5-6m from the houses.

One resident told the SMM that he had received minor cuts on his back from shattered windows when shells exploded. Three residents separately told the SMM that the shelling had occurred between 22:00 and midnight on 7 December.

In “DPR”-controlled Dokuchaievsk (30km south of Donetsk) the SMM observed a fresh impact site 3-4m from a garage and observed fresh shrapnel damage on the metal garage door and the roof of a neighbouring house. The SMM assessed that the damage was caused by a round fired from an unknown weapon type from a south-westerly direction.

In “DPR”-controlled Hryhorivka (68km south of Donetsk) the SMM observed 15 fresh craters 20-30m west of six damaged houses. The windows of all six houses were broken and the SMM observed minor shrapnel damage to fences, walls and roofs of five of the houses. The SMM assessed that the impacts were caused by 120mm mortar rounds fired from a westerly direction.

On 10 December in “LPR”-controlled Zhovte (17km north-west of Luhansk) the SMM observed two fresh holes in the glass and frame of a north-facing window, assessed as caused by a 7.62mm bullet fired from a northerly direction.

The SMM continued to monitor the disengagement areas of Stanytsia Luhanska, 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. As a result of non-compliance with the provisions of the TCG’s decision, the SMM’s access remained restricted in all three areas,* but the Mission was able to partially monitor them. The SMM noted no demining or fencing off of mines in any of the three areas during the reporting period.

On 7 December the SMM camera in Stanytsia Luhanska recorded eight flashes assessed as inside the disengagement area.

On 10 December, the SMM observed a fresh crater 2m from the Ukrainian Armed Forces forward position north of the bridge. The SMM assessed that the crater was caused by an under-barrel-grenade-launcher (GP-25) round fired from a south-westerly direction. Approximately 50m south of the northernmost “LPR” position on the bridge the SMM observed a fresh crater which it assessed as caused by an under-barrel-grenade-launcher round fired from a north-westerly direction.

On 8 December the SMM camera in Zolote recorded three undetermined explosions at an unknown distance south-south-east. The SMM was unable to determine if the explosions were inside or outside the disengagement area.

On 11 December the SMM noted that the “DPR”-checkpoint at the northern entrance of Petrivske was no longer there. An armed “DPR” member in Petrivske told the SMM that the checkpoint had been removed.

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

Aerial surveillance available to the SMM revealed the presence, in violation of the respective withdrawal lines, of two towed howitzers near government-controlled Sartana (15km north-east of Mariupol) and two multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS) near Bohdanivka (41km south-west of Donetsk) on 7 December.

The SMM also 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 the SMM observed MLRS (BM-21 Grad, 122mm) and six self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm). Sixteen self-propelled howitzers (2S1) were missing, as first noted in November 2016. Two sites remained abandoned, with six mortars (2B-11 Sani, 120mm) missing, as first noted in October 2016; and 12 MLRS (BM-21) and two surface-to-air missile systems (9K35 Strela-10, 120mm) missing, as first noted in February 2016.

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles [2] and anti-aircraft guns in the security zone. Near “LPR”-controlled Molodizhne (63km north-west of Luhansk) the SMM observed one APC (MTLB) mounted with an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23-2, 23mm) on 10 December.

In government-controlled areas the SMM noted one armoured personnel carrier (APC; BTR) near Myronivskyi (62km north-east of Donetsk), two infantry fighting vehicles (IFV; BMP-2) near Novotoshkivske (53km west of Luhansk), and one APC (BTR-60) near Shchastia (20km north of Luhansk) on 10 December. On 11 December in government-controlled areas the SMM observed one APC (BRDM-2) near Vrubivka (72km west of Luhansk), one anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23-2, 23mm) near Komyshuvakha (68km west of Luhansk), one APC (MT-LB) mounted with an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23-2) and one IFV (BMP-2) near Popasna (69km west of Luhansk), one anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23-2) and one APC (SNAR-10) near Troitske (69km west of Luhansk), and one IFV (BMP-1) near government-controlled Bohdanivka.

The SMM monitored the Ukraine-Russian Federation border in areas currently not controlled by the Government. The SMM observed regular pedestrian and vehicle traffic while present at a border crossing point near Voznesenivka (formerly Chervonopartyzansk, 65km south-east of Luhansk) for more than an hour; at two pedestrian border crossing points near Krasnodarskyi (58km south-east of Luhansk) for about 40 minutes each; and at a border crossing point near Novoazovsk (40km east of Mariupol) for 35 minutes. The SMM observed one commercial truck with a covered storage area crossing the border in Novoazovsk.

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

*Restrictions of 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. They have also agreed that the JCCC should contribute to such response and co-ordinate mine clearance.

Denial of access:

• On 10 and 11 December in “DPR”-controlled Petrivske the SMM was unable to use the road west towards the disengagement area due to the threat of mines and the absence of security guarantees. The SMM informed the JCCC.
• On 10 December the SMM observed a mine hazard sign south of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge, preventing it from proceeding east towards a summer-house area near Siverskyi Donets river. Armed men told the SMM that the area had not been demined. The SMM informed the JCCC.
• On 10 December anti-tank obstacles south of Stanytsia Luhanska bridge (outside the disengagement area) prevented the SMM from travelling west. Armed men told the SMM that the area had not been demined. The SMM informed the JCCC.
• On 10 December the SMM was not able to travel on the road between the Ukrainian Armed Forces forward position north of Stanytsia Luhanska bridge and the Ukrainian Armed Forces checkpoint north of the bridge as a Ukrainian Armed Forces officer of the JCCC told the SMM that the area had not been cleared of mines or unexploded ordnance. The SMM informed the JCCC.
• On 10 and on 11 December the SMM was unable to access secondary routes in the Zolote-Pervomaisk disengagement area from the “LPR” side. Armed “LPR” members said that they could not guarantee the SMM’s safety due to the threat from mines and UXO. The SMM informed the JCCC.
• On 10 December the SMM was unable to travel on the road between the government-controlled part Zolote and the disengagement area as Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers told the SMM that the road was unsafe due to the presence of mines. The SMM informed the JCCC.
• On 10 and 11 December the SMM could not travel in either direction across the bridge south of government-controlled Shchastia. Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel told the SMM that the bridge was mined. An armed “LPR” member told the SMM that no demining activity had taken place on the road leading to the bridge and the SMM observed barbed wire across the road leading to the bridge. The SMM informed the JCCC.
• On 11 December the SMM was unable to travel east from government-controlled Bohdanivka towards Viktorivka (42km south-west of Donetsk) when a Ukrainian Armed Forces officer of the JCCC told the SMM that he could not assist in ensuring the security of the SMM along the road. The JCCC officer told the SMM that the road was still mined. The SMM informed the JCCC.
• On 11 December, near “LPR”-controlled Zhovte, the SMM was unable to proceed on a road leading north-east towards the Siverskyi Donets river as the road was blocked by tree branches and mine signs. The SMM informed the JCCC.
• On 11 December Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel at the entrance of government-controlled Rozkvit (47km north-east of Luhansk) did not allow the SMM to enter the village as they assumed that one of the members of the patrol was a citizen of the Russian Federation. The SMM informed the JCCC.

Delay:

• On 10 December in Petrivske the SMM had to wait 20 minutes before an armed “DPR” member allowed the SMM to enter the village. 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.