Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 25 April 2017

This report is for the media and the general public.

The SMM resumed patrolling in eastern Ukraine, with some restrictions, following the more limited patrolling conducted on 24 April after the serious security incident that involved an SMM patrol on 23 April near Pryshyb, which affected its observations, including of ceasefire violations. Violations of the ceasefire continued. In Donetsk region the SMM observed about 600 ceasefire violations, including about 110 explosions. In Luhansk region the SMM observed one shot of small-arms fire assessed as inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. The Mission also monitored the two other disengagement areas near Zolote and Petrivske. Its access remained restricted at all three disengagement areas and elsewhere.* In Horlivka, the Mission followed up on reports of a civilian casualty. It followed up on reports of a power cut to non-government-controlled areas of Luhansk region. The Mission observed long queues at entry-exit checkpoints along the contact line. It visited three border areas currently not under government control. The SMM monitored the continuation of protests at branches of Sberbank of Russia in Kyiv, Lviv and Kharkiv. In Kyiv the Mission monitored also a gathering in front of the Russian Federation Embassy.

In Donetsk region the SMM recorded about 600 ceasefire violations,[1] including about 110 explosions. On the night of 24-25 April, the SMM camera at the “DPR”-controlled Oktiabr mine (9km north-west of Donetsk city centre) recorded ceasefire violations that began with one tracer round in flight from north to south, followed by one projectile and two tracer rounds in flight from south-west to north-east. This was followed by totals of 24 tracer rounds (14 from southerly to northerly directions, four from northerly to southerly directions, four east to west and two west to east) and 27 projectiles (11 north to south, three south to north, four east to west, one north-east to south-west, three north-west to south-east and five south-east to north-west), all 8-10km north-east. The following day the camera recorded three explosions assessed as impacts of rounds from undetermined weapons 8-10km north-east.

The SMM camera in government-controlled Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk) recorded, after midnight on 24-25 April, one projectile in flight from south to north followed by one tracer round in flight from north-west to south-east, 3-6km east-south-east. The following day the camera recorded ten explosions assessed as impacts of rounds from undetermined weapons 3-5km east-south-east. Positioned in Avdiivka for about five hours, the SMM heard seven undetermined explosions 4-6km south-east. During the day of 25 April, positioned in “DPR”-controlled Yasynuvata (16km north-east of Donetsk) for about four hours, the SMM heard 68 undetermined explosions, about 11 bursts and more than 340 shots of small-arms fire, all 2-7km west, north-west and north-north-west.

On the evening of 24 April, while in “DPR”-controlled Horlivka (39km north-east of Donetsk) the SMM heard seven undetermined explosions: two 5-7km south-south-west and five 5-8km north and north-west. The following day, while in government-controlled Svitlodarsk (57km north-east of Donetsk) the SMM heard eight undetermined explosions 2-5km south-east.

On the night of 24-25 April, the SMM camera in Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) recorded, in sequence, two tracer rounds in flight from west to east, 32 tracer rounds east to west, two undetermined explosions and 15 tracer rounds south-east to north-west, all at undetermined distances to the north, north-north-east and north-east. On the day of 25 April, positioned about 2km south-west of government-controlled Pyshchevyk (25km north-east of Mariupol) the SMM heard eight undetermined explosions at an unknown distance south-east.

In Luhansk region the SMM recorded one shot of small-arms fire assessed as inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area.

The SMM followed up on reports of a civilian casualty. Following reports by the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) that a man had been allegedly injured by a grenade while in his yard at 10 Krasnyi Partizan Street in “DPR”-controlled parts of Zaitseve (50km north-east of Donetsk) on 23 April, the SMM visited Hospital no. 2 in Horlivka. Medical staff told the SMM that the injured man had been admitted and was transferred to another department for surgery. The medical staff refused to provide further information, saying that the SMM needed written permission from senior “DPR” members.*

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.*

Positioned about 100m south of the “LPR” checkpoint on the bridge to government-controlled Stanytsia Luhanska the SMM heard one shot of small-arms fire 100m south, assessed as having occurred inside the disengagement area.

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

In violation of the withdrawal lines, the SMM saw two mortars (2B9 (Vasilek, 82mm) at a compound near government-controlled Rybynske (49km south of Donetsk).

The SMM observed an armoured personnel carrier (MT-LB)[2] in the security zone near government-controlled Shchastia (20km north of Luhansk).

The Mission observed the presence of unexploded ordnance (UXO) and demining activity. The SMM noted that a previously reported mortar shell fin embedded in the middle of a tarmac road, about 5m from a checkpoint near “LPR”-controlled Molodizhne (63km north-west of Luhansk) and that five flare grenade devices along a frequently used road near government-controlled Zolote-4 (see SMM Daily Report 24 April 2017) were still there.

South-west of government-controlled Ozerne (100km north of Donetsk), the SMM saw a civilian demining team from an international organization search an area for mines and other explosive devices. Near “DPR”-controlled Nikishyne (60km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM saw a metal container by the side of the road and a small cordoned off area containing what appeared to be pieces of exploded ordnance. Fresh tracks of demining vehicles were visible in the adjacent field.

The SMM monitored the situation of electrical power supply in Luhansk region, following a recent statement of the Ukrainian National Energy Company that on 25 April electricity supply to “LPR”-controlled areas would be interrupted due to outstanding bills. The SMM noted a power cut around midnight in Luhansk city that lasted about one hour. During the day on 25 April there was electricity in Luhansk city.

In government-controlled Trokhizbenka (32km north-west of Luhansk), however, two local female residents told the SMM that power had been cut off in the village since midnight on 24-25 April. According to regional authorities, the interruption of power supply to “LPR”-controlled areas had also affected three settlements in government-controlled areas, including Trokhizbenka. A representative of the National Energy Company told the SMM that the company was working to restore electricity.

The SMM monitored the situation of civilians at entry-exit checkpoints. At 11:50 at the entry-exit checkpoint in Horlivka, the SMM observed about 300 vehicles, 40 buses with passengers and 350 pedestrians waiting in a queue to travel towards government-controlled areas. About 20 civilians (men and women of different age groups) expressed frustration about what they said was a long waiting time; some said that they had been queuing since 05:00. They also noted what they said was a lack of sanitary facilities. At 10:35, at a “DPR” checkpoint in Olenivka (23km south-west of Donetsk), the SMM saw about 300 civilian cars and a bus waiting in a queue to travel towards government-controlled areas. At 16:00, the line had dropped to about 150 civilian cars and a bus, while 50 civilian cars were in a queue in the opposite direction.

The SMM monitored three border areas currently not under government control. At the Marynivka border crossing point (78km east of Donetsk), during its 30-minute visit, the SMM saw nine trucks (all with covered cargo areas) with Ukrainian licence plates and 80 civilian cars (50 with Ukrainian and 20 with Russian Federation licence plates, and ten with “DPR” plates) in a queue to leave Ukraine. At the Uspenka border crossing point (73km south-east of Donetsk), during 30 minutes, the SMM saw one covered cargo truck and about 110 civilian cars (70 with Ukrainian and 30 with Russian Federation licence plates, and ten with “DPR” plates) as well as two buses with Ukrainian licence plates in a queue to leave Ukraine.

At a border crossing point in “LPR”-controlled Dovzhanskyi (84km south-east of Luhansk) the SMM saw 41 civilian vehicles (most with Ukrainian licence plates) and seven buses (with Ukrainian licence plates and with no passengers on board) in a queue to leave Ukraine. During its one-hour stay, 12 civilian cars (eight with Ukrainian and four with Russian Federation licence plates), and two buses with about 35 and 50 passengers on board, respectively, (both with Ukrainian licence plates) joined the queue to leave Ukraine. The SMM saw 18 civilian cars (most with Ukrainian licence plates) as well as three pedestrians (one woman and two men) enter and four pedestrians (men) leave Ukraine.

The SMM monitored the continuation of protests in front of branches of Sberbank of Russia in Kyiv, Lviv and Kharkiv. At 46 Volodymyrska Street in Kyiv, the SMM saw two young men outside the bank, next to four tents and about 15 flags of the National Corps. Three National Guard officers were present at the front entrance of the bank. The bank was open. In Lviv, the SMM saw 25-30 young people (80 per cent men) outside the main Sberbank branch at 2b Chornovola Street. The SMM saw stickers on the windows and the entrance door of the bank, and an inscription “Rusbankover” had been sprayed across the side window of the bank. The SMM saw the protesters set up a second tent, with two flags of the National Corps party, blocking the main entrance of the bank. Five police officers were present on site. At 1 Donetz Zakharzhevskoho in Kharkiv, the SMM saw eight protesters (six men and two women) outside the branch, which was guarded by four police officers. The SMM noticed that the bank was open.

In Kyiv, the SMM monitored a protest in front of the Embassy of the Russian Federation at 27 Povitroflotskyi Avenue. About 30 protesters (men and women, 25-35 years old) from the organization “Crimea SOS” stood in front of the Embassy holding printed names supposedly of missing Crimean Tatars. They also painted, on the pavement in front of the Embassy, a hole in the ground indicating that it symbolised disappeared persons. The Embassy was guarded by ten National Guard officers and two police officers. The gathering was peaceful.

The SMM continued monitoring in Kherson, Odessa, Ivano-Frankivsk, 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, 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:

• At the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area, a Ukrainian officer of the JCCC told the SMM that its safety still could not be guaranteed in the areas surrounding the main road due to the possible presence of mines and UXO. The SMM informed the JCCC.
• The SMM could not travel westward from “DPR”-controlled Petrivske through the disengagement area due to a lack of security guarantees and the possible presence of mines. The SMM informed the JCCC.
• At a Ukrainian Armed Forces checkpoint north of the bridge in government-controlled Shchastia, a Ukrainian Armed Forces officer told the SMM that no de-mining activities had taken place during the previous 24 hours and that the road south of the bridge was still mined. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed and 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] This hardware is not proscribed by the provisions of the Minsk agreements on the withdrawal of weapons.