Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 8 May 2017
This report is for the media and the general public.
The SMM’s operations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions remained restricted following the fatal incident of 23 April near Pryshyb; these restrictions continued to limit the Mission’s observations. The Mission recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region but more in Luhansk region, compared with the previous 24-hour period – including the use of a multiple launch rocket system. The Mission continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. Its access remained restricted there and elsewhere.* An armed man discharged his weapon 50m from an SMM patrol in Sosnivske. The SMM monitored a border area currently not under government control. In Kharkiv, Dnipro, Ivano-Frankivsk and Odessa, the Mission observed gatherings marking “Reconciliation and Commemoration Day”.
In Donetsk region the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations[1], including, however, more explosions (about 270), compared with the previous 24-hour period (about 150 explosions).
On the evening and night of 7-8 May, while in government-controlled Svitlodarsk (57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard a total of 120 explosions, of which 29 were assessed as outgoing rounds of mortar (82mm) and recoilless gun (SPG-9, 73mm) and rocket-propelled-grenade-launcher (RPG) fire 4-7km at directions ranging from south-east to south, 26 as impacts of rounds from mortar (120mm) and undetermined weapons 4-7km at directions ranging from east to south, and the remainder undetermined 4-12km at directions ranging from east to south. The camera also recorded about 60 bursts of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all 4-12km at directions ranging from east to south.
On the evening and night of 7-8 May the SMM camera in government-controlled Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk) recorded, in sequence, four undetermined explosions, 19 projectiles in flight from west to east, three illumination flares in vertical flight, one projectile in flight from west to east, five illumination flares in vertical flight and 13 projectiles in flight from west to east, all 2-5km at directions ranging from east to south-south-east. The following day, positioned in Avdiivka, the SMM heard eight undetermined explosions 2-4km south-east.
On the evening and night of 7-8 May the SMM camera at the “DPR”-controlled Oktiabr mine (9km north-west of Donetsk city centre) recorded, in sequence, one undetermined explosion, three airbursts, four projectiles in flight from west to east, one illumination flare in vertical flight and six projectiles in flight from west to east. Approximately two hours later, the camera recorded an illumination flare in vertical flight, followed by eight projectiles in flight from east to west and 24 projectiles in flight from west to east, all 4-5km north-north-east.
On 8 May, positioned in “DPR”-controlled Yasynuvata (16km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard about 60 undetermined explosions and about 20 bursts of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all 1-7km at directions ranging from south-south-west to west.
On the evening and night of 7-8 May the SMM camera in Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) recorded, in sequence, three tracer rounds in flight from west to east, one undetermined explosion, one rocket-assisted projectile in flight from west to east and one rocket-assisted projectile in flight from east to west, followed by a total of 115 tracer rounds in flight (81 from east to west, 24 from south to north and ten from west to east), all at unknown distances north and north-north-east.
While in Mariupol on the evening of 7 May, within 45 minutes the SMM heard about 70 undetermined explosions and saw three airbursts at unknown distances east-north-east.
In Luhansk region the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including about 120 explosions, compared with the previous 24-hour period (about 40 explosions).
On the night of 7-8 May, while in “LPR”-controlled Kadiivka (formerly Stakhanov, 50km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard 30 explosions (six undetermined, 14 assessed as outgoing artillery rounds of unknown calibre and ten as impacts of artillery rounds of unknown calibre) all 10-13km west-north-west and north, followed by an outgoing salvo (14 rounds) of a multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) (BM-21 Grad, 122mm) 1-3km in an unknown direction.
On 8 May, positioned in “LPR”-controlled Novoselivka (16km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard 26 undetermined explosions about 10km north-west. On the same day, positioned in government-controlled Raihorodka (34km north-west of Luhansk), the SMM heard 24 undetermined explosions about 10km west.
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.*
On the evening and night of 6-7 May, the SMM camera in government-controlled Zolote recorded, in sequence, one projectile in flight from north to south, one undetermined explosion, two projectiles in flight from south-west to north-east, two projectiles in flight from south-east to north-west, four projectiles in flight from north-west to south-east, about 14 explosions assessed as impacts, one flare in flight from south-west to north-east, three undetermined explosions, all 3-12km at directions ranging from east to south-south-west and assessed as outside the disengagement area.
On 8 May, positioned west of “LPR”-controlled Pervomaisk (58km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard two undetermined explosions 5-10km north-west. Positioned about 100m south of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge, the SMM heard about 100 shots of small-arms fire about 3km north-north-west. All these violations were assessed as outside the disengagement area.
The SMM continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons, in implementation of the Memorandum, the Package of Measures and its Addendum.
In violation of withdrawal lines in non-government-controlled areas, the SMM again observed seven MLRS (BM-21 Grad, 122mm), seven self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm), ten towed howitzers (five D-30 Lyagushka, 122mm; five 2A65 Msta-B, 152mm), and seven tanks (T-72) at an aerodrome in the south-eastern outskirts of Luhansk city.
The SMM observed weapons that could not be verified as withdrawn, as their storage does not comply with the criteria set in the 16 October 2015 notification. In government-controlled areas, the SMM saw eleven mortars (five 2B11 Sani, 120mm; and six M-120 Molot, 120mm, of which two were observed for the first time). The SMM observed that the following weapons continue to be absent: six towed howitzers (D-30 Lyagushka, 122mm) and six mortars (M-120 Molot, 120mm). The SMM observed as missing for the first time two mortars (2B11 Sani, 120mm).
The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles and an anti-aircraft gun[2] in the security zone. In government-controlled areas, on 8 May the SMM observed an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23) mounted on the back of a truck heading south in Shchastia (20km north of Luhansk).
In non-government-controlled areas, on 8 May, at the aerodrome on the south-eastern outskirts of Luhansk city, the SMM saw 17 armoured personnel carriers (APCs) (ten MT-LB; seven BTR-80) and seven infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) (BMP-2).
The SMM monitored a border area currently not under government control. At the pedestrian border crossing point in Verkhnoharasymivka (57km south-east of Luhansk), the SMM saw eight cars (two with Russian Federation licence plates and six with Ukrainian licence plates) in the parking lot. While present for about 60 minutes, the SMM saw five pedestrians exit Ukraine, and six pedestrians enter Ukraine. The SMM spoke with two pedestrians (males, around 30 and 45 years old) who said that they cross the international border for work purposes.
On 8 May, the SMM monitored gatherings and events marking “Reconciliation and Commemoration Day” in Kharkiv, Dnipro, Ivano-Frankivsk and Odessa. In Kharkiv, the SMM observed about 1,000 people (mixed gender, all ages), including representatives of local government, religious communities and the diplomatic corps, gathered at the city centres. About 600 police officers were present. In Odessa, the SMM monitored a commemoration event at the Alley of Glory where about 300 people (mixed gender, all ages), including local government officials and NGO groups, attended. About 50 police officers were present. In Dnipro, the SMM observed an event held at the Memory and Reconciliation Park where about 200 people (mixed gender, all ages), including local government officials, veterans and civic groups, attended. Only a few police officers were observed. In Ivano-Frankivsk, the SMM observed about 150 people (mixed gender, all ages) gathered at the city centres. A dozen police officers were present. The Mission observed no security incidents at any of these events.
The SMM continued monitoring in Kherson, Lviv, 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:
- On 8 May, in “DPR”-controlled Sosnivske (35km north-east of Mariupol), an armed man with an assault rifle (AK-47) at a checkpoint on the Sosnivske road on the eastern side of the village demanded the SMM withdraw and subsequently fired one shot into the air about 50m from the patrol. The SMM moved back approximately 300m, after which another armed man told the patrol that it had been requested to withdraw due to UXO clearance activities on the western side of the checkpoint. The SMM did not return to the site. The SMM informed the JCCC and requested that it follow up.
- 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.
- At a Ukrainian Armed Forces checkpoint north of the bridge in government-controlled Shchastia, Ukrainian Armed Forces officers told the SMM that no demining 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.
- At an “LPR” checkpoint on the edge of the Zolote disengagement area, armed men told the SMM that its safety still could not be guaranteed in the fields and side roads due to the possible presence of mines and UXO. The SMM informed the JCCC.
- Armed “DPR” members prevented the SMM from moving west from “DPR”-controlled Petrivske. The SMM informed the JCCC.
- The SMM revisited a weapons permanent storage site in “DPR”-controlled areas. However, the SMM was denied access by armed “DPR” members. The SMM 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.