Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 26 January 2017

This report is for the general public and the media.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission observed damage from shelling to homes in Zaichenko and Dokuchaievsk. It continued monitoring the three disengagement areas in Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske but its access remained restricted.* The SMM monitored weapons withdrawal and observed a convoy of armoured combat vehicles near Kadiivka. The Mission noted long queues at entry-exit checkpoints near Stanytsia Luhanska and Marinka. It observed the blockade of a railway near government-controlled Hirske. It observed a public gathering in front of the Kyiv City Court of Appeals. The SMM spoke with government officials in Vinnytsia and Kovel about post-traumatic stress disorder among Ukrainian Armed Forces veterans.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations [1] in Donetsk region, including about 420 explosions, compared with 228 in the previous reporting period. More than 160 explosions were recorded around the Svitlodarsk area, with exchanges of fire also recorded around Avdiivka and Yasynuvata.

While in government-controlled Svitlodarsk (57km north-east of Donetsk) on the night of 25 January and during the day on 26 January, the SMM heard eight explosions assessed as outgoing artillery rounds, 14 as impacts of mortar rounds, 11 as outgoing rounds from unknown weapons and 121 undetermined explosions, all 5-12km south, south-east, east and north-east.

Over the course of the reporting period the SMM camera at “DPR”-controlled Oktiabr mine (9km north-west of Donetsk) recorded 22 undetermined explosions, four airbursts, 60 undetermined projectiles in flight from west to east and north-west to south-east, nine undetermined projectiles and three indirect projectiles in flight from south-east to north-west, all 4-10km north-east and north-north-east of the camera’s location; and 33 undetermined explosions and three projectiles in flight from east to west 4-6km south-west and south-south-west of the camera’s location.

While in “DPR”-controlled Donetsk city centre on the night of 25 January the SMM heard 96 undetermined explosions 8-12km west.

On 26 January the SMM camera in Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) recorded one explosion assessed as an impact of an artillery round about 1-1.8km north-east, one explosion assessed as an outgoing 82mm mortar round 1-2km north-east and ten explosions assessed as impacts of artillery rounds 8-10km north-east. On the same day, positioned 2km north-north-east of government-controlled Hnutove (20km north-east of Mariupol), the Mission heard four outgoing explosions 2-3km west and 22 undetermined explosions 6-8km south-east and south-south-east. While in government-controlled Mariupol (102km south of Donetsk) the SMM heard 13 explosions: three assessed as artillery rounds at an unknown distance east-north-east and ten assessed as artillery rounds at an unknown distance north.

In Luhansk region the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including 143 explosions compared with 55 explosions during the previous reporting period.  

While in “LPR”-controlled Kadiivka (formerly Stakhanov, 50km west of Luhansk) on the evening 25 January the SMM heard 45 explosions assessed as artillery and/or mortar rounds (about 35 of these were assessed as outgoing and about ten as impacts), all 10km west-south-west. During that night the SMM heard about 60 undetermined explosions 3-15km west-south-west.

Positioned 3.5km south-south-west of government-controlled Novoaidar (49km north-west of Luhansk) late in the morning on 26 January the SMM heard 31 explosions assessed as outgoing mortar rounds 5km east. The explosions were assessed as part of a live-fire exercise outside of the security zone.

The SMM followed up on reports of damage to civilian infrastructure due to shelling. In “DPR”-controlled Zaichenko (26km north-east of Mariupol) the SMM observed two fresh impact sites. The SMM assessed that the first impact, which had left a crater on an asphalt road, as caused by a122mm artillery round fired from a westerly direction. The Mission noted severed power lines about 20m from the site and shrapnel damage to a metal fence and a house as well as shattered windows 40-50m from the site. At a second impact site, located in a field, the SMM noted shattered windows and shrapnel damage to the walls of two houses and two sheds located about 50m from the impact site. A group of four residents told the SMM that the village had been shelled that morning.

In “DPR”-controlled Olenivka (23km south-west of Donetsk) the SMM observed fresh shrapnel damage to two houses. The owner of one of the houses told the SMM that shelling had occurred at about 12:30 on 23 January and the other that shelling had occurred at about 22:00 on 23 January.

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.* The SMM observed no de-mining activities or disengagement in the three areas.

The SMM noted a calm situation while present in all three disengagement areas.

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

Beyond withdrawal lines but outside assigned sites, the SMM observed one towed howitzer (D-30 Lyagushka, 122m) near government-controlled Dachenske (49km north-west of Donetsk).

The Mission revisited a Ukrainian Armed Forces permanent storage site, whose location corresponded with the relevant withdrawal lines and observed that 12 tanks (T-64) and four mortars (2B9 Vasilek, 82mm) were missing, as previously noted.

The SMM observed the presence of armoured combat vehicles and anti-aircraft guns [2] in the security zone. In areas not controlled by the Government the SMM observed a convoy of two infantry fighting vehicles (IFV; BMP-2), three anti-aircraft guns (ZU-23-2, 23mm), and 12 armoured personnel carriers (APC; MTLB) near Kadiivka, one APC (MTLB) near Kadiivka later in the day, one APC (MTLB) near Brianka (46km south-west of Luhansk), and one APC (BTR-80) near Luhansk city.

The SMM observed one IFV (BTR-4) near government-controlled Hirske (63km west of Luhansk) and three IFVs (BMP-1) near government-controlled Luhanske (59km north-east of Donetsk)

The SMM asked the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (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. (See SMM Daily Report 19 January) The JCCC did not report any progress on mine clearance.

An armed “LPR” member told the SMM that an area near Veselohorivka (64km west of Luhansk) where the Mission regularly conducted monitoring had been mined two or three days ago.

The SMM continued to observe queues at entry-exit checkpoints along the contact line. At the “LPR” checkpoint south of Stanytsia Luhanska bridge the SMM observed about 1,100 pedestrians waiting to travel towards government-controlled areas and about 15 waiting to cross in the opposite direction. The SMM again noted damaged sections of the slats and hand rails of the wooden ramps covering the broken section of the bridge. At an entry-exit checkpoint near government-controlled Marinka (23km south-west of Donetsk) the SMM observed 226 vehicles and about 150 pedestrians waiting to leave government-controlled areas and 30 vehicles and about 200 pedestrians waiting to travel in the opposition direction.

The SMM followed up on reports of a blockade of a railway track near government-controlled Hirske. The railway leads towards the “LPR”-controlled settlements of Donetskyi and Sentianivka (formerly Frunze) (49 and 44km west of Luhansk, respectively). The Mission had observed a train travelling east through Donetskyi on 23 January. The SMM observed that the tracks had been blocked by tree trunks under a bridge on the southern edge of the settlement. About 20 unarmed men wearing camouflage clothing told the Mission that they were veterans from former volunteer battalions. The SMM observed a tent near the blockade site. Three of the men told the SMM that they were against the passage of cargo traffic across the contact line and were seeking to stop all rail traffic or at least to stop smuggling, and to have people in detention in “LPR”-controlled areas released (for related information, please see SMM Daily Report 28 December).

In Kyiv the SMM observed a public gathering in front of the Kyiv City Court of Appeals where a hearing about the extradition of a Georgian national who had been detained on a Russian Federation international arrest warrant was taking place. The man was released and another trial is scheduled for 3 February. About 150 people (mainly men, 25-50 years old) were protesting in support of the defendant, a former participant of the ATO.

In Vinnytsia (214km north-east of Chernivtsi) a series of interlocutors spoke with the SMM about post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among ATO veterans. Representatives of the Regional Health Department told the SMM that although significant progress has been made in treating PTSD, there was a need for more expertise in dealing with the psychological effects of combat. At the Vinnytsia Regional Employment Centre, government employees told the Mission that their surveys showed that more than 50 per cent of ATO veterans recognize that they have experienced psychological trauma, in contrast to previous years where almost none admitted to having such problems. In Kovel (160km north of Lviv) representatives from the Regional Department of Social Protection told the SMM that ATO participants were reluctant to enrol in programmes providing psychological support.

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

*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:

• An armed “LPR” member told the SMM that no demining activities had taken place during the previous 24 hours in the Zolote disengagement area. Due to the danger of mines the SMM did not consider it safe to proceed and informed the JCCC.
• Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel at a checkpoint prevented the SMM from traveling on the road between government-controlled Popasna (69km west of Luhansk) and Katerynivka (64km west of Luhansk), stating that authorization from their headquarters was required to pass. The SMM informed the JCCC.
• Due to the lack of security guarantees and possible threat from mines, the SMM could not travel west from “DPR”-controlled Petrivske. The SMM informed the JCCC.
• A Ukrainian Armed Forces officer of the JCCC told the Mission that it could not assist in ensuring the SMM’s safety if it travelled east from Bohdanivka towards Viktorivka (42km south-west of Donetsk). He also indicated that anti-tank mines were still present on the road to Petrivske via Viktorivka.
• The SMM could not cross the bridge in government-controlled Shchastia (20km north of Luhansk) as Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel said there were still mines on the bridge. The SMM informed the JCCC.
• An armed guard wearing military fatigues with no insignia did not allow the SMM to proceed past a checkpoint at the entrance of government-controlled Slavne (26km south-west of Donetsk). The SMM informed the JCCC.
• In government-controlled Chernenko (21km north-east of Mariupol) a Ukrainian Armed Forces soldier stopped the SMM from travelling north at a checkpoint at the northern edge of the settlement. The Mission informed the JCCC.

Conditional:

• At a checkpoint near “DPR”-controlled Olenivka (23km south-west of Donetsk) an armed man visually inspected the interior of an SMM vehicle before allowing the Mission to pass through the checkpoint.

[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.