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

This report is for the media and the general public.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region on 25 March compared with 24 March and more ceasefire violations on 26 March compared with 25 March. In Luhansk region the Mission recorded more ceasefire violations (all of which were explosions) on 25 March compared with 24 March, and fewer explosions on 26 March compared with 25 March. The Mission followed up on reports of civilian casualties in Pokrovsk and Avdiivka and observed damage caused by recent shelling to houses in Zaichenko, Dokuchaievsk, Orikhove, Molodizhne and Katerynivka. The Mission monitored the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske, but its access there and elsewhere remained restricted.* On 26 March shots were fired in the direction of an SMM mid-range unmanned aerial vehicle near Orikhove-Donetske* and the Mission heard   an explosion 300m south of its position in Novooleksandrivka. The Mission observed weapons in violation of the withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. The blockade of railway routes across the contact line in Buhas, Hirske and Bakhmut continued. In Lviv the SMM followed up on reports of vandalism against a bank branch.

In Donetsk region the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations,[1] including about 540 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 550 explosions) on 25 March and more ceasefire violations on 26 March compared with 25 March, including at least 660 explosions as well as salvos of multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS).

On the evening of 24 March the SMM camera in government-controlled Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk) recorded eight undetermined explosions 2-4km east-south-east. In the afternoon and evening of 25 March, the camera recorded eight projectiles in flight from west to east and four undetermined explosions 4-5km south-east, followed by 18 undetermined explosions at distances ranging from 2km to 5km south-east and two projectiles in flight from north to south and two undetermined explosions at distances ranging from 3km to 5km south-east, followed by a total of 24 undetermined explosions, as well as an exchange of fire consisting of a total of nine projectiles in flight from east to west, 21 in flight from west to east, two in flight north to south and two in flight south to north, all 4-6km east-south-east. On the afternoon of 26 March, the camera recorded 74 undetermined explosions 4-6km east-south-east.

On the evening of 24 March, the SMM camera at the “DPR”-controlled Oktiabr mine (9km north-west of Donetsk city centre) recorded a total of four undetermined explosions and – in sequence: eight tracer rounds in flight from west to east, 26 tracer rounds in flight from east to west, nine projectiles in flight from west to east, two tracer rounds and a projectile in flight from south to north and ten tracer rounds in flight from east to west, all 6-8km north-east. On the evening of 25 March, the camera recorded a total of 17 undetermined explosions and an exchange of fire consisting of a total of 278 projectiles in flight from east to west, 13 in flight from west to east, seven in flight from north to south and one in flight from south to north.

While in “DPR”-controlled Donetsk city centre on the evening and night of 24-25 March, the SMM heard 70 undetermined explosions at locations ranging from 3km to 8km north-west and north-north-west. On the evening of 25 March, the SMM heard 15 undetermined explosions 6-8km north-north-west.

Positioned in “DPR”-controlled Yasynuvata (16km north-east of Donetsk), on 25 March, the SMM heard 15 undetermined explosions of unknown weapons and 34 shots of small-arms fire 1-5km west, west-south-west and west-north-west and north. On 26 March positioned at two locations in Yasynuvata, in about five hours, the SMM heard 22 salvos of MLRS fire, as well as unknown weapons, heard subsequent uncountable overlapping impacts, 30 outgoing individual MLRS rockets and saw three impacts 3-5km south-west, heard about 130 undetermined explosions and heard and saw 27 impacts of rounds from unknown weapons, as well as bursts and shots of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, 2-10km south-west, west-south-west, west, west-north-west, north-west, north-north-west and north.

Positioned in Avdiivka, on 26 March, the SMM heard seven undetermined explosions, two explosions assessed as outgoing rounds and two assessed as impacts and saw five impacts  at locations ranging from 0.5km to 5km south-east and east-south-east.

On the evening of 24 March, while in “DPR”-controlled Horlivka (39km north-east of Donetsk) the SMM heard 30 undetermined explosions, 21 explosions assessed as outgoing artillery rounds and 26 impacts of such rounds as well as uncountable bursts and shots of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire 5-15km south-west, west and north-west. The same evening, while in government-controlled Svitlodarsk (57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard 19 undetermined explosions 4-6km south-west. On the evening of 24 March, while in “DPR”-controlled Debaltseve (58km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard 179 undetermined explosions of rounds from unknown weapons and five bursts of small-arms fire 3-15km north-west. During the day on 26 March, while in Svitlodarsk, the SMM heard 12 outgoing salvos of MLRS and 77 undetermined explosions of rounds from unknown weapons 5-15 km south-east and east-south-east.

On the evening and night of 24 March the SMM camera in Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) recorded a total of 14 undetermined explosions north; two rocket-assisted projectiles in flight from west to east; one rocket-assisted projectile in flight from east to west; 14 tracer rounds in flight from west to east; six tracer rounds in flight from east to west – all at an undetermined distance north, all beginning with two illumination flares in vertical flight. On the following afternoon and night, the camera recorded 17 explosions assessed as impacts of artillery rounds 6-8km north followed by 12 undetermined explosions, three impacts, one outgoing explosion of a round from an unknown weapon, eight rocket-assisted projectiles in flight from west to east and an exchange of fire consisting of 49 tracer rounds west to east and 167 tracer rounds in flight from east to west, all north, north-east and east-north-east. In the afternoon of 26 March, the camera recorded 39 impacts of 122mm artillery rounds 6-8km north-north-west.

During the day on 25 March, positioned north-east of government-controlled Hnutove (20km north-east of Mariupol) in about two hours the SMM heard three undetermined explosions and four explosions assessed as outgoing rounds of unknown weapons at an undermined distance east and north-east, as well as three air-bursts, nine explosions assessed as impacts and five explosions assessed as outgoing rounds of an unknown weapon, all 4-6km east and south-east. The same day, in less than two hours positioned in government-controlled Sopyne (16km east of Mariupol), the SMM heard 87 undetermined explosions at an undetermined distance north, north-north-east, east-north-east and one explosion assessed as an impact 3-5km north. Positioned south of “DPR”-controlled Mytkovo-Kachkari (32km north-east of Mariupol), in ten minutes before noon the SMM heard 13 explosions assessed as outgoing artillery rounds 1km south-south-west, and subsequently heard and saw 13 impacts at an undetermined distance west. Positioned south-west of “DPR”-controlled Khreshchatytske (formerly Krasnoarmiiske, 33km north-east of Mariupol), in less than one hour, the SMM heard 17 undetermined explosions at an undetermined distance west and north-west. Positioned in government-controlled Talakivka (17km north-east of Mariupol) the SMM heard five undetermined explosions at an undetermined distance west. On 26 March, in Talakivka in 15 minutes in the afternoon the SMM recorded nine explosions assessed as outgoing artillery fire 3km west-south-west. Positioned in Hnutove, in 20 minutes after noon the SMM heard 22 explosions assessed as outgoing artillery fire 3-5km west and south-west, nine explosions assessed as impacts of artillery rounds at an undetermined distance east and ten explosions assessed as caused by outgoing mortar rounds at an undetermined distance south-east. Positioned in Sopyne, the SMM heard in half an hour 18 explosions assessed as outgoing artillery fire and one explosion assessed as an outgoing mortar round at an undetermined distance north-east and north-west.

In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded more explosions on 25 March (274) compared with 24 March (50) and fewer explosions (56) on 26 March compared with 25 March. On 25 March, while in Kadiivka (formerly Stakhanov, “LPR”-controlled, 50km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard 155 undetermined explosions, five explosions assessed as outgoing and 18 explosions assessed as impacts of mortar or artillery rounds at locations ranging from one to 20km east, south-west, west and north-west. On 26 March, positioned in Novooleksandrivka (65km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard 11 undetermined explosions 8km south and three shots of small-arms fire 1km south-west. Around noon, the SMM heard one undetermined explosion 300m south of its position. Positioned at the north-eastern edge of the disengagement area in government-controlled Zolote (60km north-west of Luhansk) the SMM heard two undetermined explosions 10km east-south-east, 20 explosions assessed as outgoing 82mm mortar rounds 5-8km east and seven undetermined explosions 10km east-south-east, all assessed as outside the disengagement area.

Positioned in government-controlled Orikhove-Donetske (43km north-west of Luhansk), the SMM heard seven shots of small-arms fire 2km west and ten small-arms shots it assessed as fired in the direction of an SMM mid-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) *. (See SMM Spot Report 27 March 2017)

The SMM followed up on reports of a civilian casualty and damage to houses. On 25 March, medical staff at a morgue in government-controlled Pokrovsk (55km north-west of Donetsk) told the SMM that the body of a young man from government-controlled Ivanivka (65km north-west of Donetsk) had been delivered during the night of 23 March; an examination had concluded that he had died of injuries sustained in an explosion. A police officer in Pokrovsk confirmed the casualty to the SMM and added that according to the victim’s mother, he had gone searching for scrap metal. According to the police officer, the victim had unsuccessfully tried to disassemble an unexploded anti-tank grenade causing it to explode.

The same day, medical staff at Hospital No. 2 in Horlivka told the SMM that an elderly man had been hospitalized on 24 March with light injuries from shelling but refused to provide further information without the permission from senior “DPR” members.

On 25 March, medical staff at the Avdiivka city hospital told the SMM that an elderly man had been treated for a gunshot wound to his right shoulder on 24 March and released the same day. A police officer in Avdiivka told the SMM that the man had been hit by a small-arms bullet at his home in the old part of Avdiivka, near the contact line, in the afternoon on 24 March. The same day, at the District Hospital in Yasynuvata, the SMM saw three west-north-west-facing first‑floor windows had been cracked. According to medical staff, the damage had been noted early in the morning on 24 March. 

On 25 March, in “DPR”-controlled Zaichenko (26km north-east of Mariupol), the SMM saw shrapnel damage to the north-facing fence and wall of a house on 12 Radianska Street. The owner of the house told the SMM that the damage had been caused by an impact in the garden, 30m north of the house, late on the night of 24 March. The SMM saw the alleged impact site had already been filled with soil. Nearby, on 10 Myra Street, the SMM saw a heavily damaged house, which it assessed had sustained a direct impact on the roof, which had collapsed. The owner of the first house told the SMM that the people living in the heavily-damaged house had taken shelter in the basement when the impact occurred on 17 March and had not been injured.

The same day, the SMM, accompanied by Russian Federation officers of the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) saw damage to two properties on the western edge of “DPR”-controlled Dokuchaievsk. On 9 Vatutina Street, the SMM saw minor damage to the plastic frame of a west-facing window on the ground-floor of an apartment building. The SMM assessed that the damage had been caused by a small-arms round fired from a direction ranging from south-south-west to south-west. On 6/1 Gaydara Street, the SMM saw a small hole on a west-facing metal garage door, a hole in a carpet hanging in the yard behind it and on the bumper of a car parked inside and noted the projectile had penetrated the door. The SMM assessed that the damage had been caused by a small-arms round fired from a south-westerly-direction. The owner of the house told the SMM she had noticed the damage on 23 March.

On 25 March, in government-controlled Orikhove (57km north-west of Luhansk), accompanied by two Ukrainian officers of the JCCC and three local officials, the SMM saw a fresh crater in the backyard of a house on 8 Kutuzova Street, 1.5m from the west-facing wall of the house. All five windows of the house were shattered and some roof tiles had also fallen. Trees located west of the house had many broken branches. The SMM assessed the damage had been caused by a 122mm artillery shell fired from a westerly direction. The owner of the house told the SMM the shelling had taken place on the night of 24 March.

The same day, in “LPR”-controlled Molodizhne (63km north-west of Luhansk), the SMM saw three fresh craters, about 55m apart, forming a line north-west to south-east. The first crater was 7m north-west from the corner of a three-storey apartment building. The projectile had directly hit a concrete reinforcement of the sidewalk in front of it. The SMM saw broken windows and broken branches of a nearby tree. On the opposite side of the street the SMM saw shrapnel damage to a wooden door and a metal garage door. The SMM assessed that the damage had been caused by a 122mm artillery round fired from a north-westerly direction. The second fresh crater was 55m west of the apartment building in soft soil in a fenced garden. The SMM was unable to assess the type of weapon used or the direction of fire. The third crater was 15m south of the apartment building, across the main road in the soft surface of the front yard of an empty building. The SMM saw that the power line above the crater had been cut and assessed that the damage had been caused by a 122mm artillery round fired from a north-westerly direction. The three craters were all 60m south-east from an “LPR”-occupied building at the north-east entrance of the village. The SMM saw workers from a power company assessing the damage to the power line. Residents told the SMM that there had been no casualties, but the village had been left without power.

On 26 March, on the south-western edge of “LPR”-controlled Raivka (17km north-west of Luhansk) the SMM saw 12 craters in a field, which it assessed as no more than two-days old and caused by 122mm artillery rounds, fired from a northerly direction. The SMM noted that the craters were about 0.5km south-east of an “LPR” position with a shelter and trenches.

The same day, the SMM saw four fresh craters about 20m north of a checkpoint in “LPR”-controlled Kruta Hora (16km north-west of Luhansk). The Mission assessed one of them as having been caused by a 120mm mortar round and the remainder as having been caused by 82mm mortar rounds fired from a northerly direction.  The SMM noted another ten impacts closer to the checkpoint but could not approach them due to security concerns.  

In government-controlled Katerynivka (64km west of Luhansk) the SMM followed-up on residents’ reports of shelling. On the south-western edge of the village, the SMM saw two fresh craters in a backyard, about 2m east of a house, inhabited by an elderly man. Both craters were in soft soil and the SMM saw damage to the trunk and branches of a tree 7m from the second one. The SMM assessed both craters as having been caused by 82mm mortar rounds fired from a south-south-easterly 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 2016. The SMM’s access remained restricted but the Mission was able to partially monitor them.*

The SMM camera in government-controlled Zolote recorded, on 23 March recorded one projectile in flight from south-west to north-east, 1km south, assessed as a rocket-propelled grenade round inside the disengagement area. 

On 26 March, positioned inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area, south of the Siverskyi Donets river, the SMM heard a detonation assessed as caused by a land-mine and saw smoke rising 1km south-west, assessed as inside the disengagement area.

On 25 March, positioned at northern edge of the Petrivske disengagement area the SMM heard two undetermined explosions 7-10km north-west, 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: two towed howitzers (D-30 Lyagushka, 122mm) in firing position with their barrels oriented east near Hnutove; 16 stationary self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) in Oleksandropil (43km north of Donetsk); and 18 MLRS (BM-27 Uragan, 220mm) in Lyman (83km north-west of Donetsk); one stationary anti-tank guided missile system on the ground (9M113 Konkurs, 135mm) in Novotoshkivske (53km west of Luhansk), all on 26 March.

In violation of the respective withdrawal lines the SMM saw in non-government-controlled areas: on 25 March, three stationary tanks (T-64) in “DPR”-controlled Kozatske (36km north-east of Mariupol). On 24 March, an SMM mid-range UAV spotted five towed howitzers (D-30) in “LPR”-controlled Stepove (27km west of Luhansk).

Beyond the respective withdrawal lines, but outside designated storage sites, the SMM saw in government-controlled areas: on 25 March, two self-propelled howitzers (2S5 Giatsint-S, 152 mm), each loaded on a flatbed transporter heading north near Berkhivka (73km north of Donetsk); one tank (T-64) on a flatbed transporter heading north-east near Sievierodonetsk (74km north-west of Luhansk); and on 26 March, one tank (T-64) loaded on a stationary flatbed trailer near Oknyne (53km north-west of Luhansk)

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, the SMM saw 12 self-propelled howitzers (2S3 Akatsya, 152mm) and two surface-to-air missile systems (9K35 Strela-10, 120mm). 

The SMM revisited a Ukrainian Armed Forces permanent storage site whose location corresponded with the withdrawal line. The SMM noted it was abandoned as previously observed and 64 tanks (23 T-64 and 41 T-72) were still missing.

The SMM also observed armoured combat vehicles, anti-aircraft guns[3] and two UAVs in the security zone. In government-controlled areas the SMM saw: on 25 March, one armoured personnel carrier (APC) (MTLB) heading east near Teple (31km north of Luhansk); one stationary APC (BRDM-2) near Komyshuvakha (68km west of Luhansk); and 16 infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) (BMP-2) and two APCs (one MTLB and one BRDM-2) near Popasna (69km west of Luhansk); and on 26 March one anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23-2) 2km east of Karbonit (part of Zolote); one stationary IFV (BMP-1) near Zolote (outside the disengagement area); five stationary IFVs (BMP-2) near Novotoshkivske (53km west of Luhansk); one stationary APC (MTLB) near Staryi Aidar (20km north-west of Luhansk); and 20 stationary IFVs (BMP) near Popasna. In non-government controlled areas, the SMM saw on 26 March one stationary APC (BTR-80) near “DPR”-controlled Makiivka (12km north-east of Donetsk).

On 26 March, in two different locations, the SMM observed unidentified UAVs flying over it. In “DPR”-controlled Vuhlehirsk (49km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM saw an unidentified black fixed-wing UAV flying at an altitude of 200-300m from the east, which turned south after passing above the SMM’s position. Thereafter, it flew from south to north and then turned east after overflying the SMM’s position. 

In government-controlled Orikhove-Donetske (43km north-west of Luhansk) the SMM saw a fixed-wing UAV flying at an altitude of 100m from south-south-west and after flying over the SMM’s position departed to the west (see SMM Spot Report 27 March 2017).

On 24 March, at an “LPR” checkpoint near “LPR”-controlled Slovianoserbsk (28km north-west of Luhansk), the SMM observed about 30 boxes of ammunition (of a size consistent with 120mm mortar) loaded on a stationary truck.

On 25 March near government-controlled Orikhove-Donetske (44km north-west of Luhansk) the SMM saw fresh tracks of self-propelled howitzers (2S3) and what were assessed to be firing positions orienting south-east. Near government-controlled Novoivanivka (67km west of Luhansk) the SMM also saw tracks of towed howitzers and what were assessed to be firing positions orienting south-east. The same day the SMM followed-up on reports by residents of government-controlled Peredilske (24km north-west of Luhansk) who said they had heard outgoing explosions and seen flashes on the night of 24 March north-west of the village. Near government-controlled Raihorodka (34km north-west of Luhansk), the SMM saw fresh tracks from heavy vehicles heading north into the woods as well as empty ammunition boxes and recently used 152mm artillery rounds packaging.

The SMM noted the presence of unexploded ordnance (UXO). On 25 March, at the northern outskirts of government-controlled Trokhizbenka (32km north-west of Luhansk), the SMM saw for the first time a piece of UXO 1.5m from the shoulder of the paved road. The undetermined UXO had the size of an 82 mm mortar shell. There were no fins at the tail and the angle of impact was approximately 70 degrees. On 26 March, a resident of Novooleksandrivka showed the SMM pieces of UXO in his garden. The SMM saw two pieces of UXO (1m apart) in the backyard, 20m west of the house, which it assessed as live recoilless gun rounds (SPG-9), about one week old. The SMM also saw two holes in two east-facing windows of the house, which the owner said had happenedon 24 March. The SMM noted that many windows in the village were blackened and residents explained they had done this as they feared sniper fire, which happened often, from both sides.

The SMM visited five border areas currently not controlled by the Government. On 25 March, at the Uspenka border crossing point (73km south-east of Donetsk), in about half an hour the SMM saw 15 civilian cars and two covered cargo trucks exit Ukraine and 19 civilian cars and one truck enter. The SMM also saw 66 covered cargo trucks and 35 civilian cars in a queue to exit Ukraine. The following day, in 35 minutes at the same crossing point, the SMM saw 54 cargo trucks (most had Ukrainian licence plates; a few had “DPR” plates) and 70 civilian cars (with Ukrainian, Russian Federation licence plates and “DPR” plates) in a queue to exit Ukraine. On 25 March, at the Marynivka border crossing point (78km east of Donetsk), in under half an hour, the SMM saw five civilian cars exit Ukraine and four civilian cars enter. The SMM also saw two covered cargo trucks and 36 cars in a queue to exit Ukraine. The following day, at the same crossing point, in 45 minutes, the SMM saw 25 civilian cars (mostly with Ukrainian licence plates, a few with Russian Federation licence plates and “DPR” plates), as well as six covered cargo trucks (with Ukrainian licence plates and “DPR” plates) in a queue to exit Ukraine. The SMM saw one covered cargo truck exit Ukraine and two civilian cars enter. On 25 March, in one hour at the pedestrian border crossing point Verkhnoharasymivka (57km south-east of Luhansk), the SMM saw three pedestrians exit Ukraine and two enter. The SMM also saw 18 civilian cars (seven with Russian Federation licence plates and 11 with Ukrainian) parked near the crossing point. The SMM noted that the crossing point was unstaffed, as repeatedly observed since summer 2016. Two people, who said they lived nearby, told the SMM that they crossed daily, mostly to visit relatives. On 26 March, at the Ulianivske pedestrian border crossing point (61km south-east of Donetsk), in 15 minutes, the SMM saw one civilian exit Ukraine. The same day, in about one hour at the pedestrian border crossing point near “LPR”-controlled Sievernyi (50km south-east of Luhansk) the SMM saw four pedestrians exit Ukraine and six enter. At the adjacent parking lot, the SMM saw 22 civilian cars (20 with Ukrainian, one with Russian Federation licence plates and one with “LPR” plates). An elderly couple who entered Ukraine told the SMM that they had been visiting relatives and had been shopping at a supermarket. The SMM noted that almost all pedestrians who entered Ukraine were carrying supermarket-branded plastic bags.

The SMM monitored the continuation of the blockade of railway routes across the contact line. On both 25 and 26 March, the SMM noted no changes and a calm situation in government-controlled Buhas (44km south-west of Donetsk), Hirske (63km west of Luhansk) and Bakhmut (formerly Artemivsk, 67km north of Donetsk).

On 24 March, the SMM saw hundreds of leaflets plastered on the windows of a branch of Sberbank of Russia on 2B Chornovola Avenue in Lviv. The SMM saw no police presence and noted the bank was open for business.

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 Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) should contribute to such response and co-ordinate mine clearance.

Denial of access:

• Both on 25 and 26 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 on 25 and 26 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.
• On 25 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 on 25 and 26 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. The Mission again informed the JCCC.
• Both on 25 and 26 March, the SMM still could not travel south of the bridge in government-controlled Shchastia (20km north of Luhansk), as Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel said there were mines on the road south of the bridge. The SMM again informed the JCCC.
• The presence of anti-tank obstacles and mine hazard signs on the road prevented the SMM from traveling between Katerynivka and government-controlled Popasna (69km west of Luhansk). Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel present told the SMM that the road was mined and permission from higher-level authorities was needed. The Mission again informed the JCCC.

-On 25 March, three armed men denied the SMM access to the “DPR”-controlled village of Vesele (28km north-east of Mariupol). The SMM informed the JCCC.       

• On 25 March the SMM was unable to proceed as three craters had been dug across the road with concrete blocks placed behind them on the road from “LPR”-controlled Pionerske (19km east of Luhansk) towards “LPR”-controlled Khriashchivka (22km east of Luhansk). The SMM informed the JCCC.
• On 25 March, the SMM was unable to proceed from Khriashchivka to Pionerske as a 1m strip had been ploughed across the road. The SMM informed the JCCC.
• On 26 March, armed men at an “LPR” checkpoint between “LPR”-controlled Slovianoserbsk and “LPR”-controlled Pryshyb (34km north-west of Luhansk) armed men told the SMM it could only proceed to the next checkpoint down the road but not beyond that, citing ongoing engineering works. The SMM informed the JCCC.

Conditional access:

-Armed men demanded to record personal information, including date of birth of SMM patrol members, at a “DPR” checkpoint in Horlivka.

Delay

• On 25 March Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel delayed the SMM for 22 minutes at a checkpoint in government-controlled Bolotene (22km north-east of Luhansk). The SMM informed the JCCC.
• On 26 March, at a checkpoint north of Petrivske armed men delayed the SMM for 16 minutes.

Other impediments:

• On 26 March, in Orikhove-Donetske, as the SMM attempted to land its mid-range UAV, it heard ten small arms shots fired (see SMM Spot Report 27 March 2017).

 

[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.