Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 17 January 2017

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. Damage caused by shelling was observed in Horlivka, Olenivka and Kalynove. The SMM continued monitoring the three disengagement areas in Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske but its access remained restricted.* The Mission continued to monitor weapons’ withdrawal. The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable “LPR” members to recover the body of a civilian male near Zhovte. The Mission facilitated and monitored repairs of essential infrastructure in Donetskyi and Zolote. The SMM visited one border area currently outside of government control. The SMM observed damage to a church in Kyiv, allegedly caused by petrol bombs.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region with 81 explosions compared with 362 in the previous reporting period.[1]

While in “DPR”-controlled Donetsk city centre on the night of 16-17 January the SMM heard 11 undetermined explosions 3-5km north-west.

Positioned in “DPR”-controlled Yasynuvata (16km north-east of Donetsk) the SMM heard 24 undetermined explosions, 14 of which were 3-5km north-west and ten 2-3km west, and small-arms fire about 3km west. Positioned in government-controlled Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk) for about six hours, the SMM heard 28 undetermined explosions and uncountable bursts of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms-fire 1-3km south-east, all in a 15-minute period.

While in government-controlled Svitlodarsk (57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard six explosions, five of which were assessed as impacts of artillery rounds 5-7km west and one explosion assessed as an impact of an automatic-grenade-launcher round 3-4km south. The Mission also heard heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire 3-4km south and south-west. Positioned in government-controlled Novoluhanske (55km north-east of Donetsk) the SMM heard five explosions assessed as impacts of automatic-grenade-launcher rounds and heavy-machine-gun and small-arms-fire 2-3km south-east.

On the night of 16 January, the SMM camera in Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) recorded four bursts of tracer fire, beginning with two from south-east to north-west and two from north-west to south-east. On 17 January, the same camera recorded one undetermined explosion to the north and one projectile in flight from east to west.

In Luhansk region the SMM recorded 18 explosions compared with 24 in the previous reporting period. Positioned in “LPR”-controlled Vrubivskyi (22km south-west of Luhansk), the SMM heard 12 explosions, six assessed as artillery impacts and six as outgoing artillery rounds (assessed as related to live-fire training), 10-15km west.

In “LPR”-controlled Zhovte (17km north-west of Luhansk) the SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable “LPR” members to recover the body of a man near the contact line. According to residents, a civilian (male, 59 years-old) had been missing since taking his dog for a walk on 16 January. The SMM saw the recovery of a mutilated body. Russian Federation Armed Forces officers of the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) told the SMM that his death was likely the result of an explosion of an anti-personnel mine (MON-50).

The SMM observed impact sites and shelling damage to residential areas. In the suburbs of “DPR”-controlled Horlivka (39km north-east of Donetsk) the SMM observed damage to a house on Zheleznodorozhnaia Street that was allegedly shelled on 15 January resulting in injury to a three-year-old boy. (See SMM Daily Report, 17 January 2017). The SMM saw damaged windows on the west-facing side of the house and saw that its roof had been recently repaired. Russian Federation Armed Forces officers of the JCCC, who accompanied the SMM, said that the house had been struck by a round that had failed to explode, which was removed on 16 January. On Cherepanova Street the SMM observed a hole on the north-west facing corner of one house and debris on the ground. A nearby fence and the windows of two houses had also been damaged by shrapnel. A resident told the SMM that he heard six explosions on the evening of 16 January and that no one had been injured.

The SMM observed several impact sites on the south-western edge of “DPR”-controlled Olenivka (23km south-west of Donetsk). Accompanied by Russian Federation Armed Forces of the JCCC and an armed “DPR” member, the SMM observed three fresh impact sites on Pereizna Street. The SMM observed a hole in the roof of a shed and found a piece of shrapnel assessed to have been part of a rocket-propelled-grenade. The SMM could not assess the direction of fire. At a second site on the same street the SMM saw damage to a south-facing wall of a house and found bits of shrapnel assessed to have been part of a rocket-propelled-grenade. The SMM could not assess the direction of fire. On a road nearby the SMM saw an impact site and damage to some trees. No shrapnel was visible. The SMM was unable to determine the direction of fire. On Depovskaia Street, the SMM saw two impact sites, damage to wooden sheds and that windows had been broken in houses nearby. The SMM saw shrapnel assessed to have been part of a rocket-propelled-grenade at one site. The SMM could not assess the direction of fire. Some residents, speaking separately to the SMM, said that “DPR” members had removed shrapnel from impact sites before the SMM had arrived. Residents told the SMM that they heard explosions between approximately 06:30 and 06:45 on 17 January and that no one had been injured.

In “LPR”-controlled Kalynove (60km west of Luhansk) the SMM observed two impact sites in the garden of a house on Shevtshenka street. The SMM saw that broken windows had been patched with tape. The homeowner (woman, aged 57 years-old) said shells had struck on the night of 13 January. On Budionoho Street the SMM saw one crater and a destroyed outhouse. The SMM observed another impact 10m away from the house. A resident (man, aged about 60 years-old) said he heard explosions in the early hours of 15 January. All craters had been covered in snow making an assessment impossible.

In Novooleksandrivka (65km west of Luhansk), the SMM observed a fresh crater assessed as caused by an automatic-grenade-launcher (AGS-17) round fired from a south-westerly direction.

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 to all three areas remained restricted but the Mission was able to partially monitor them.*

On the government-controlled side of the Stanytsia Luhanska (16km north-east of Luhansk) disengagement area the SMM observed three fresh impact sites (inside the disengagement area) in a field about 50m from a Ukrainian Armed Forces position and assessed them as caused by mortar (82mm) shells. The SMM did not approach as signs warned of the presence of mines. A Ukrainian Armed Forces officer told the SMM their positions had come under fire on the night of 16 January. A Ukrainian Armed Forces officer of the JCCC told the SMM that there would be no disengagement and no demining activities in the disengagement area on that day.  

On the “LPR”-controlled side of the Stanytsia Luhanska the SMM observed three fresh impact sites assessed as caused by automatic-grenade-launcher (AGS-17) rounds fired from the north, close to an International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warming container about 200m south of the “LPR” checkpoint. An armed “LPR” member said their positions were fired at on the night of 16 January. He added that there would be no disengagement on that day.

Positioned inside the Zolote disengagement area, the SMM heard five shots of small-arms-fire 5km north-west, assessed as outside the disengagement area. Later, at the same location, the SMM heard one undetermined explosion, 5-10km south-west, assessed as outside the disengagement area.

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 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 six multiple-launch-rocket-systems (MLRS; BM-27 Uragan, 220mm), five towed howitzers (2A36 Giatsint B, 152mm), 18 self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm), eight MLRS (BM-21 Grad, 122mm), 18 mortars (M120-15, 120mm) and 18 anti-tank guns (MT-12 Rapira, 100mm). Ukrainian Armed Forces denied the SMM entry to one site.* The SMM noted the following weapons missing: one towed howitzer (2A36 Giatsint-B) observed as missing for the first time; 12 towed howitzers (2A65 Msta-B, 152mm), one observed as missing since 25 August 2016 and eleven since 20 October 2016; 12 MLRS (BM-21) observed as missing since 24 November 2016; 18 self-propelled howitzers (2S1) observed as missing since 14 July 2016; six mortars (2B11, 120mm) observed as missing since 14 July 2016; six anti-tank guns (MT-12) observed as missing since 14 July 2016; three anti-tank guns (D-48, 85mm) observed as missing since 9 June 2016.

The SMM facilitated and monitored repairs to essential infrastructure, co-ordinated by the JCCC. In “LPR”-controlled Donetskyi (50km north-west of Luhansk), the SMM monitored repairs to a section of the Shepilovo-Sentianivka railway track that crosses the contact line. In a government-controlled part of Zolote the SMM monitored repairs of a water pipeline.

The SMM asked the JCCC for an update on its co-ordination of mine clearance along several roads with a view to removing long-standing restrictions to the freedom of movement of SMM monitors and other civilians, including the following roads: E58 between government-controlled Mariupol (102km south of Donetsk) and “DPR”-controlled Novoazovsk (102km south-east of Donetsk); T0519 between “DPR”-controlled Pikuzy (formerly Kominternove, 92km south of Donetsk) and Mariupol; H20 near Yasynuvata northbound to government-controlled Kamianka (20km north of Donetsk); E40/M03 between Svitlodarsk and Debaltseve; the road connecting government-controlled Verkhnotoretske (23km north-east of Donetsk) and “DPR”-controlled Betmanove (formerly Krasnyi Partizan, 23km north-east of Donetsk), a municipal road connecting Zhovanka with the town of Zaitseve (50km north-east of Donetsk); and H21 across the bridge in Shchastia. The JCCC offered no evidence of co-ordinated mine clearance. A Ukrainian Armed Forces officer said a notification had been sent on the issue to the relevant structures and that the Ukrainian side of the JCCC would support demining as much as possible. He added, however, that demining along the contact line could be carried out only if the situation calmed down. A Russian Federation Armed Forces officer said that the Russian Armed Forces Major-General would provide information on his return from non-government-controlled areas.

The SMM visited one border area outside of government control. During about two hours in “LPR”-controlled Makariv Yar (formerly Parkhomenko, 29km east of Luhansk), the SMM observed a calm situation.

The SMM followed up on media reports that petrol bombs were thrown at a Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) building in Kyiv. On Shchusieva Street the SMM saw scorch marks on the wooden façade of the church and on a window. A broken bottle and pieces of burnt cloth that smelt of petrol were nearby. A woman working at the church told the SMM that masked persons had thrown petrol bombs at the building at around 04:00 on the morning of 16 January.

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

*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 (UXO), 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:

• The SMM was unable to access areas other than the main road in the Stanytsia Luhanska (16km north-east of Luhansk) disengagement area, as a Ukrainian Armed Forces officer of the JCCC present told the SMM that no demining had taken place. The SMM informed the head of the local JCCC office.
• On the “LPR”-controlled side of the Zolote disengagement area, an “LPR” member told the SMM that all roads under “LPR” control had been demined and that the SMM could use them. Due to a lack of detailed information or evidence of demining, the SMM did not consider such roads to be safe to use. The SMM informed the JCCC.
• The SMM was unable to access secondary routes in government-controlled Katerynivka (64km west of Luhansk), near the Zolote-Pervomaisk disengagement area (58km west of Luhansk), as a Ukrainian Armed Forces officer of the JCCC could not assist to ensure security for the SMM due to the possible presence of mines.
• Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel stopped the SMM at a checkpoint near government-controlled Katerynivka and denied further travel towards government-controlled Popasna (69km west of Luhansk), claiming that the SMM required the permission of Ukrainian Armed Forces headquarters to be allowed to pass. The SMM informed the JCCC.
• The SMM could not travel across the bridge in government-controlled Shchastia (20km north of Luhansk) as Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel said there were mines in the area. The SMM informed the JCCC.
• Ukrainian Armed Forces denied the SMM entry to a weapons holding area for the ninth consecutive time. The SMM informed the JCCC.
• In government-controlled Sartana (15km north-east of Mariupol) a local official told the SMM that no monitors from the Russian Federation could attend a pre-arranged meeting with him. When an SMM monitor revealed that he was from the Russian Federation, the interlocutor refused to meet with him. The SMM left and informed the JCCC.

Conditional:
Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers stopped the SMM at a weapons holding area and asked if there were any monitors from the Russian Federation on the patrol. The SMM refused to say. The soldiers checked patrol members’ ID cards and, apparently determining that no monitors from the Russian Federation were present, granted access.

[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.