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

This report is for the media and the general public.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions between the evenings of 17 and 18 March compared with the previous reporting period, but fewer ceasefire violations in both between the evenings of 18 and 19 March compared with the previous 24 hours. It observed damage to houses and infrastructure from shelling in Yasynuvata, Dokuchaievsk, Kalynove, Zolote and Hnutove, and corroborated a report of a civilian casualty in Yasynuvata. The Mission monitored disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske, but its access there and elsewhere remained restricted.* SMM cameras recorded ceasefire violations inside the Stanytsia Luhanska and Zolote areas. The Mission observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines, as well as weapons beyond withdrawal lines but outside storage sites. It again noted long queues of civilians at entry-exit checkpoints and visited three border areas currently not under government control. The SMM continued to monitor the blockade of railway routes crossing the contact line. The Mission monitored a public gathering in Lviv.

In Donetsk region the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations [1] between the evenings of 17 and 18 March compared with the previous reporting period, including over 1,000 explosions compared with about 540. Between the evenings of 18 and 19 March, the Mission recorded fewer ceasefire violations compared with the previous 24 hours, including about 200 explosions.

On the night of 17-18 March, while in “DPR”-controlled Donetsk city centre, the SMM heard about 300 undetermined explosions 3-8km north-north-west. On the evening of 18 March, in the same location, the Mission heard 36 undetermined explosions, of which 26 were 6-8km north-west and ten were 5-7km north-east.

On the evening of 17 March, the SMM camera at the “DPR”-controlled Oktiabr mine (9km north-west of Donetsk city centre) recorded four projectiles in flight from east to west, 3-4km north-north-east of the camera, followed by a total of six undetermined explosions and an exchange of six projectiles in flight (five from west to east, one from east to west), all 3-4km north-north-east, as well as an exchange of nine projectiles in flight (five west to east, four east to west) 2-3km west of the camera. On 18 March, the same camera recorded seven airbursts followed by a total of 28 undetermined explosions, all 6-10km north-east of the camera.

On the evening of 17 March the SMM camera in government-controlled Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk) recorded four projectiles in flight from east to west followed by a total of five undetermined explosions, an exchange of 14 projectiles in flight (11 from west to east, three from east to west) and three illumination flares in vertical flight; all the violations were 4-6km east of the camera. On the morning of 18 March, the same camera recorded 26 undetermined explosions 4-6km east. Later in the morning, positioned in Avdiivka, the SMM heard six undetermined explosions, as well as 15 bursts and 27 shots of small-arms fire, all 2-3km south-east. On 19 March, again positioned in the town, the Mission heard 28 undetermined explosions 2-4km south-east.

On the morning of 18 March, positioned in government-controlled Kamianka (20km north of Donetsk), the SMM heard 37 undetermined explosions, 45 bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire and about 30 shots of small-arms fire, all 1-7km at directions ranging from east to south-west.

The same morning, positioned in “DPR”-controlled Yasynuvata (16km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard two undetermined explosions and five bursts of small-arms fire 5-7km north, and ten undetermined explosions and five shots of small-arms fire 1-5km west-south-west and west. On 19 March, in the same location, the Mission heard four explosions assessed as outgoing 82mm mortar rounds, 52 explosions assessed as rounds of undetermined weapon systems (seven outgoing, seven impacts and 38 undetermined), as well as small-arms fire, all 1-8km at directions ranging from south-west to north-north-west.

On the night of 17-18 March, while in government-controlled Svitlodarsk (57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard 30 explosions    assessed as artillery rounds, ten undetermined explosions and 20 bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire, all 4-9km south-west and west-south-west; 87 explosions assessed as outgoing artillery rounds 3-4km north-west and north; and 33 explosions assessed as artillery rounds 8-10km north-east. In the morning, in the same location, the Mission heard 17 undetermined explosions 4-6km east-south-east and south-east; in the late afternoon, the SMM heard four explosions assessed as impacts of 120mm mortar rounds 4-6km south-south-west and 151 undetermined explosions at distances of 5-8km (of which 130 were south-west and 21 were south-south-east).

On the night of 17-18 March, while in “DPR”-controlled Debaltseve (58km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard about 100 undetermined explosions 3-8km west and north-west.

On the evening of 17 March, while in “DPR”-controlled Horlivka (39km north-east of Donetsk) the SMM heard, in about two hours, some 140 undetermined explosions, five shots of automatic-grenade-launcher fire and over an hour of intense heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all 3-9km south-west. On 18 March, in the same location, the Mission heard five undetermined explosions, 30 bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire, and 44 bursts and three shots of small-arms fire, all 2-8km south-west and west.

On the evening of 17 March the SMM camera in Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) recorded 23 tracer rounds in flight from east to west followed by a total of 55 undetermined explosions and three tracer rounds in flight (in sequence, two from west to east and one from south to north); all the violations were at undetermined distances to the north-north-east. In the early evening of 18 March, the same camera recorded two projectiles in flight from east to west at an undetermined distance north-north-east. On the night of 18-19 March the camera recorded 33 tracer rounds in flight from east to west followed by a total of five explosions (two impacts, three undetermined) and an exchange of 97 tracer rounds in flight (64 east to west, 27 west to east, and six south-west to north-east); all the violations were at undetermined distances to the north-north-east. In the early evening of 19 March, the camera recorded 11 explosions assessed as impacts of an undetermined weapon 8-9km north followed by three rocket-assisted projectiles in flight (in sequence, one from west to east 8-9km north, one from south-west to north-east at an undetermined distance north, and one from west to east at an undetermined distance north).

On the morning of 18 March, while in government-controlled Mariupol (102km south of Donetsk), the SMM heard about 30 undetermined explosions at undetermined distances to the north-north-east and north-east.

In Luhansk region the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations between the evenings of 17 and 18 March compared with the previous reporting period, including about 315 explosions compared with 14. Between the evenings of 18 and 19 March, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations compared with the previous 24 hours, including 12 explosions.

On the evening of 17 March, while in “LPR”-controlled Kadiivka (formerly Stakhanov, 50km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard 150 explosions assessed as caused by artillery rounds (33 outgoing and 117 undetermined) and 125 bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire 2-10km at directions ranging from west to north-west. On the afternoon of 18 March, in the same location, the Mission heard ten undetermined explosions assessed as artillery rounds 10km west and 24 bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire 10km north-west. Just after midnight, at the same location, the SMM heard 12 undetermined explosions and three shots of heavy-machine-gun fire 10km north-west.

On the morning of 18 March, positioned 4km south-east of government-controlled Bobrove (56km north-west of Luhansk), the SMM heard 37 undetermined explosions 10km south-east and south. Positioned almost 3km south-east of government-controlled Muratove (51km north-west of Luhansk), the Mission heard 76 undetermined explosions and more than 200 shots of small-arms fire 5km south.

Positioned in government-controlled Troitske (69km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard at least ten undetermined explosions assessed as caused by artillery rounds and three undetermined explosions, all 7-8km north-east.

The SMM observed damage from impacts and corroborated a report of a civilian casualty. On 18 March, Russian officers of the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) led the SMM to a construction company compound at 215 Ordzhonikidze Street in Yasynuvata. The Mission observed damage to roofs and trees, which it assessed as having been caused by airbursts of three 120mm mortar rounds fired from a north-westerly direction – two occurring above buildings and the third occurring by a tree line. One building’s roof had a hole (3-5m in diameter) in its west-facing edge, as well as broken tiles and wooden support beams. Trees east of the building were scarred by shrapnel. A nearby building’s metal roof had been pierced by shrapnel, and four south-facing windows were broken. There were shrapnel scars on tree branches to the east of the building, a cable was severed, and insulation around a pipe had been pierced by shrapnel. On the eastern side of a tree line, the SMM saw several severed branches (10-15cm in diameter), as well as scars on the west-facing sides of the trees. The SMM saw fresh shrapnel impacts in soil west of the tree line, and shrapnel damage to a nearby wall. The JCCC officers showed the Mission two 120mm mortar round tailfins they said had been found on the roofs of the two damaged buildings. The SMM assessed the tailfins as recently fired.

In the garden of a house at 3 Mayakovskoho Street, near the construction company compound, the SMM assessed a fresh crater as having been caused by the impact of a 120mm mortar round fired from a north-westerly direction. A concrete wall on the south side of the house had been struck by shrapnel. Six south-facing windows of the house were broken. A resident (man, 35-40 years old) of the house and a night guard at the construction company compound separately told the SMM that four explosions occurred in the area on the evening of 17 March within ten seconds of each other. The night guard showed the SMM an injury to his right shoulder, which he said had been caused by shrapnel. At a hospital in Yasynuvata, medical staff told the SMM that the guard had been admitted at 19:00 on 17 March with a concussion and shrapnel wounds to his left buttocks and right shoulder, and that he had been released after staff had cleaned and bandaged his wounds.

Accompanied by a Russian officer of the JCCC and two “DPR” members, the SMM saw an impact site at a third-floor apartment on the west-south-west-facing side of 106 Lenina Street in “DPR”-controlled Dokuchaievsk (30km south-west of Donetsk), which it assessed as having been caused by a bullet fired from a south-westerly direction. The SMM saw holes in a balcony window and two bedroom windows. The apartment’s owner (woman, about 77 years old) said she had been sleeping in an adjacent room, and on the morning of 18 March had found holes in the bedroom windows, scattered glass and a bullet on the windowsill. She said that “DPR” members had subsequently removed a bullet. A neighbour (woman, 50-60 years old) told the SMM that at 21:40 on 17 March she had heard three shots, one of which had struck the building.

The SMM assessed four fresh craters in a field near “LPR”-controlled Kalynove (59km west of Luhansk) as caused by 122mm artillery rounds fired from a north-westerly direction. A middle-aged man at the site told the Mission there was a power outage in Kalynove and he was inspecting the power lines nearby for damage. The nearest house to the craters was about 150m north-north-east. A group of three local residents told the SMM that shelling had occurred around 01:00 that morning.

The SMM saw broken concrete and broken wooden rails on the west-facing side of a bridge in an area of Zolote-4 (60km west of Luhansk) between the forward positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and “LPR” armed formations. The damage appeared fresh, and the SMM saw nearby vegetation lying flat, which it assessed as having been caused by a blast wave. The Mission assessed that an explosion had occurred in the water below the bridge. A group of about 20 local residents said they had heard an explosion the previous afternoon near the bridge, which they said lay along their only route to government-controlled areas.

On 19 March, at 78 Vynohradna Street in government-controlled Hnutove (20km north-east of Mariupol) the SMM saw broken windows and small holes in the walls on the southern façade of a house. The owner (man, 60-70 years old) told the Mission that mortar rounds had landed in fields near his house on the evening of 16 March and around noon on 17 March. The SMM could see three craters but could not assess them, due to security concerns.

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 but the Mission was able to partially monitor them.*

On the evening of 16 March the SMM camera in government-controlled Stanytsia Luhanska recorded 12 shots of small-arms fire 200m south-south-east, assessed as outside the disengagement area, followed by one illumination flare in vertical flight 1.2km south, assessed as inside the disengagement area. On the morning of 18 March, positioned in Stanytsia Luhanska, the Mission heard seven shots of small-arms fire 2-3km east-south-east, assessed as outside the disengagement area.

On the evening of 16 March the SMM camera in government-controlled Zolote recorded two shots of small-arms fire 2.7km south, assessed as inside the disengagement area. The following evening, the same camera recorded six shots of small-arms fire 2.2km south-east, assessed as inside the disengagement area, followed by two shots from undetermined weapons 1.4km south-east, assessed as outside the disengagement area. On 18 March, positioned in the disengagement area, the Mission heard five undetermined explosions 12km south-west, assessed as outside the disengagement area.

On 18 March, positioned in “DPR”-controlled Petrivske, the SMM heard about 160 shots of small-arms fire 5-8km south-east, assessed as outside the disengagement area.

The SMM continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons, in implementation of the Package of Measures, its Addendum, and the Memorandum. [2]

In violation of the respective withdrawal lines, the SMM saw in government-controlled areas on 18 March one self-propelled howitzer (2S3 Akatsiya, 152mm) moving north and five stationary self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) on the north-western outskirts of Bakhmut (formerly Artemivsk, 67km north of Donetsk), as well as the base plate of a mortar (120mm) in the trunk of a military truck near Trokhizbenka (33km north-west of Luhansk); on 19 March, the Mission saw one tank (T-64) on a flatbed trailer travelling south 2.5km east of Raihorodka (34km north-west of Luhansk) and one towed howitzer (type undetermined) being towed by a truck travelling south-west near Troitske.

Beyond withdrawal lines but outside storage sites the SMM saw in government-controlled areas on 17 March two tanks (T-64) on flatbed trailers moving east near Oknyne (53km north-west of Luhansk), and on 19 March, two stationary tanks (type undetermined) 3km north of Berkhivka (73km north of Donetsk) and a stationary howitzer (type undetermined) near Minkivka (78km north of Donetsk); in non-government-controlled areas, the Mission observed on 18 March more than 200 weapons – tanks, self-propelled howitzers and anti-tank guns (all of undetermined types) – at a training area near Uspenka (23km south-west of Luhansk).

On 18 March, the SMM noted that a government-controlled heavy weapons holding area was still abandoned, as previously observed, and that 12 self-propelled howitzers (2S1) remained missing.

The Mission also revisited a government-controlled permanent storage site whose location corresponded with the withdrawal lines and noted that all weapons previously verified as withdrawn to the site were present.

No side reported any response to previous SMM reports of weapons observed in violation of withdrawal lines or missing from storage sites. Nor did the JCCC report any contribution to the ceasefire in this regard.

The SMM also observed armoured combat vehicles (ACVs), anti-aircraft guns [3] and tracks of military-type vehicles in the security zone. In government-controlled areas, the SMM saw on 18 March one infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (BMP-2) heading east near Orikhove-Donetske (44km north-west of Luhansk) and one IFV (BMP-1), three armoured personnel carriers (APCs) (BRDM-1K) and one anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23-2, 23mm) near Zolote-4 (outside the disengagement area); on 19 March, the Mission saw three IFVs (BMP-2), two ACVs (type undetermined) and five APCs (type undetermined) near Popasna (69km west of Luhansk).

In non-government-controlled areas, the SMM saw on 18 March one anti-aircraft gun (ZSU-23-2) near Krasnyi Lyman (30km north-west of Luhansk); on 19 March the Mission saw one APC (MT-LB) with a mounted anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23-2) near Molodizhne (63km north-west of Luhansk) and one APC (MT-LB) near Znamianka (36km north-west of Luhansk). On 18 March, the SMM also saw tracks assessed as those of tanks (T-64) between Pryvitne (10km north of Luhansk) and Raivka (16km north-west of Luhansk) leading south-west.

On 17 March, the SMM observed, for the first time, a checkpoint with trenches and bunkers (one of which had a mine hazard sign) 1km north-west of government-controlled Lobacheve (17km north-west of Luhansk). About 1km east of government-controlled Lopaskyne (23km north-west of Luhansk), the Mission saw fresh soil imprints, which it assessed as firing positions for three mortars (120mm). On 19 March, the SMM saw fresh soil imprints in an “LPR”-controlled area about 5km south-west of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge, which it assessed as the firing positions of six towed howitzers (D-30 Lyagushka, 122mm). Nearby the SMM saw remnants from ammunition boxes labelled “122 mm”.

The SMM continued to note long queues of civilians at entry-exit checkpoints. On the mornings of 18 and 19 March, at an “LPR” checkpoint south of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge, the SMM saw 1,000-1,500 people queuing to walk toward government-controlled areas, while at the government checkpoint north of the bridge 50-200 people were queuing to travel in the opposite direction. On 19 March, the Mission saw ambulance personnel near the “LPR” checkpoint treating a woman suffering from what they believed to be a haemorrhage. The personnel told the SMM that 25 people that day had required treatment for high-blood pressure.

On 19 March, at an entry-exit checkpoint near government-controlled Marinka (23km south-west of Donetsk), the SMM saw about 300 pedestrians, 370 civilian cars, and eight buses in a queue to travel toward government-controlled areas. At an entry-exit checkpoint near government-controlled Maiorsk (45km north-east of Donetsk), the Mission saw 600-700 pedestrians and about 400 cars in a queue to travel toward government-controlled areas.

The SMM monitored three border areas currently outside government control. During 30 minutes on 18 March at a border crossing point near Sievernyi (50km south-east of Luhansk), the SMM observed 36 vehicles (seven with “LPR” plates and 29 with Ukrainian licence plates) in the parking lot. Three pedestrians entered Ukraine and 14 exited. During one hour on 19 March at a pedestrian border crossing point near Novoborovytsi (79km south of Luhansk), the Mission saw two people exit Ukraine and two people enter.

The same day, during 35 minutes at a border crossing point near Izvaryne (54km south-east of Luhansk), the SMM observed one covered truck (with Ukrainian licence plates) enter Ukraine and one passenger bus and six covered trucks (all with Ukrainian licence plates) leave Ukraine. The SMM also saw five covered trucks towing covered trailers (with Russian Federation licence plates) in a queue to leave Ukraine.

At government-controlled border crossing points near Yuhanivka (32km north-east of Luhansk) and Prosiane (117km north of Luhansk), the SMM observed calm and quiet situations.

The SMM continued to monitor the blockade of railway routes across the contact line. On 18 March, in government-controlled Hirske (63km west of Luhansk), the Mission saw that wooden barriers and barbed wire were still blocking the tracks. Fourteen activists, some of whom were wearing military-style clothes were present. Two police officers were sitting in a jeep nearby. One activist told the SMM that police were not allowing volunteers to reach the site to join the blockade or to deliver food, but that the activists had founds means of avoiding police checkpoints. At the blockade site in Bakhmut, the Mission saw 30-40 activists in military-style clothes and observed for the first time that a house about 300m west of the site had camouflage netting and a Ukrainian flag on it. On 19 March at the activist camp near government-controlled Buhas (44km south-west of Donetsk), the SMM observed that the road was open and no vehicles were being checked.

On 18 March the SMM monitored a public gathering in Lviv in which speakers addressed issues concerning internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Crimea and eastern Ukraine, including inability to participate in local elections due to lack of formally registered residency in their areas of temporary residence. About 50 people who identified themselves to the SMM as IDPs (mostly women) were present, as well as 20 non-IDP participants. Seven police officers provided security for the event, which concluded peacefully.

The SMM continued monitoring in Kherson, Odessa, 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 (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:

• On 18 and 19 March, at the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area, a Ukrainian officer of the JCCC told the SMM that its safety could still not be guaranteed in the areas surrounding the main road due to the possible presence of mines and UXO. The SMM informed the JCCC both times.
• On 18 and 19 March, the possible presence of mines and UXO prevented the SMM from travelling further south-east into the Zolote disengagement area from Katerynivka. The SMM informed the JCCC both times.
• On 18 and 19 March, at an “LPR” checkpoint on the edge of the Zolote disengagement area, armed men told the SMM that its safety could still not be guaranteed in the fields and side roads due to the possible presence of mines and UXO. The SMM informed the JCCC both times.
• On 18 and 19 March, the SMM was again unable to travel west from “DPR”-controlled Petrivske due to a lack of security guarantees and the possible presence of mines and UXO. The Mission informed the JCCC both times.
• On 18 and 19 March, the SMM could still not travel south of the bridge in government-controlled Shchastia as Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel said there were mines on the road south of the bridge. The SMM informed the JCCC both times.
• On 19 March, Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel again stopped the SMM on the road between Katerynivka and Popasna and told the Mission that the road was mined and it could not proceed without authorization from senior Ukrainian Armed Forces officers. The Mission again informed the JCCC.
• On 18 March, the SMM observed that a road near “LPR”-controlled Khriashchivka (22km east of Luhansk) had been ploughed. The Mission assessed that the ploughing had been conducted to deny the SMM access to a nearby hilltop and summer cottage area. The Mission informed the JCCC.

Delay:

• On 19 March, Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers at a checkpoint near government-controlled Berezove (31km south-west of Donetsk) delayed the SMM for 35 minutes. The Mission informed the JCCC.

[1] Please see the annexed table for complete breakdown of the ceasefire violations as well as map of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions marked with locations featured in this report. 

[2] Despite the joint statement of 1 February by the Trilateral Contact Group and the consent reached on 15 February, the sides have not yet provided the baseline information requested by the SMM related to weapons to be withdrawn and locations of units and formations.

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