Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 9 June 2017

This report is for the media and the general public.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations both in Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission continued to monitor the disengagement areas: it observed ceasefire violations near Zolote. Its access remained restricted there and elsewhere.* The SMM heard small-arms fire close to its unmanned aerial vehicle while it was flying over the Zolote disengagement area. The SMM confirmed civilian casualties from Marinka and Kamianka. It noted damage caused by gunfire or shelling to power lines near Mykhailivka power plant and assessed impact sites at military compounds close to residential areas in Sartana. The SMM observed a tank in violation of withdrawal lines in Avdiivka and saw weapons outside storage sites on both sides of the contact line. The SMM visited two border areas not under government control.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region including about 170 explosions, compared with 573 in the previous reporting period.[1]

While in “DPR”-controlled Donetsk city centre on the night of 8-9 June the SMM heard seven undetermined explosions: five 3-6km and two 7-10km north-west.

On the night of 8-9 June the SMM camera at Oktiabr mine (9km north-west of Donetsk city centre) recorded in a sequence continuing from the previous reporting period: eight explosions assessed as impacts, nine projectiles in flight from south-east to north-west, five north-west to south-east, one south-east to north-west and seven north-west to south-east, two illumination flares, five projectiles and eight tracer rounds in flight from west to east and one flare, all 3-5km and 5-8km north-east. Late afternoon on 9 June, the camera recorded two undetermined explosions: one 10-12km north-north-east and one 5-7km north-east.

On the evening and night of 8-9 June the SMM camera in government-controlled Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk) recorded, in a sequence continuing from the previous reporting period: 21 explosions assessed as impacts, two projectiles in flight from north to south, five explosions assessed as impacts, five projectiles in flight from north to south, four from south to north and 20 in vertical flight, continuing with totals of 54 projectiles in flight (34 from north to south, nine south to north and one north-west to south-east) and two explosions assessed as impacts, all 4-7km east-south-east and south-east. During the day on 9 June the camera recorded six undetermined explosions 2-6km east-south-east and south.

On 9 June, positioned in “DPR”-controlled Yasynuvata (16km north-east of Donetsk) the SMM heard 29 undetermined explosions, 40 bursts and two episodes of three and four minutes of uncountable, overlapping bursts and shots of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire 2-5km west-south-west and west.

While in government-controlled Svitlodarsk (57km north-east of Donetsk) on the night of 8-9 June, the SMM heard 40 explosions assessed as outgoing rounds: 19 of infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (BMP-1) cannon and 12 of automatic grenade launchers 4-8km east and south-east, and eight of IFV (BMP-1) and one from a mortar (type unknown) 2-3km south-east; and heard and saw 13 explosions assessed as outgoing rounds of IFV (BMP-1) cannon 4-6km south-east. On the same night the SMM heard 11 undetermined explosions and 11 episodes of uncountable, overlapping bursts and shots, lasting from two to ten minutes each, of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, 2-6km at directions ranging from south-east to west.

On the night of 8-9 June the SMM camera in Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) recorded, in sequence, two explosions assessed as impacts, three tracer rounds in flight from east to west, 14 west to east, one east to west, one west to east and five east to west, and two airbursts, continuing with totals of 19 undetermined explosions, 161 tracers in flight (127 from east to west, 17 west to east and 17 in vertical flight), and 42 rocket-assisted projectiles in flight (26 from west to east and 16 east to west), all at undetermined distances north.

In Luhansk region the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations including 12 explosions compared with the previous reporting period, including 85 explosions.

On 7 June, the SMM camera in government-controlled Zolote (60km west of Luhansk) recorded uncountable shots of small-arms fire 3.5km east-north-east, assessed as outside the disengagement area. Positioned north of the Zolote disengagement area on 9 June, the SMM heard one undetermined explosion assessed as having occurred outside the disengagement area. On the same day, positioned in “LPR”-controlled parts of Zolote the SMM heard eight bursts of small-arms fire 0.5km north, assessed as having occurred outside the disengagement area.

While in “LPR”-controlled Kadiivka (formerly Stakhanov, 50km west of Luhansk) the SMM heard on the early morning hours of 9 June, three explosions assessed as impacts and six as outgoing rounds of unknown weapons 5-10km north-north-west and three explosions assessed as impacts  3-5km 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.*

The SMM heard ceasefire violations near the Zolote disengagement area (see above).

The SMM heard small-arms fire near its mini unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Positioned in the south-eastern edge of Zolote - about 100m north of the north-eastern edge of the Zolote disengagement area - the SMM launched a mini-UAV over the disengagement area. The SMM had co-ordinated the flight with the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC). At 11:06, while the UAV was flying about 200m west of the SMM’s position at an altitude of 100m, the SMM heard 25 shots of small-arms fire, over a one minute period, 100m south-east of the SMM’s position. The SMM flew the UAV further west and recalled it. At 11:15, when the UAV was about 400m west of the SMM’s position, four more shots of small-arms fire were heard followed by 20 bursts of automatic small-arms fire 100m south-west of the SMM’s position, assessed as targeting the UAV. The SMM landed the UAV safely and left the area. The Mission informed the JCCC about the incident and requested that it follow up.

The SMM followed up on reports of civilian casualties. At a hospital in government-controlled Kurakhove (40km west of Donetsk), medical staff told the SMM that a 50-year-old woman had been brought to the hospital on 8 June from 206 Prokofieva Street in government-controlled Marinka (23km south-west of Donetsk). The medical staff said that they had removed a 12.7mm bullet from her hip. The SMM spoke with the woman. She showed the bullet to the SMM and said that she had been outside the house when, at 13:00, she was hit by a bullet. She added that she was residing in her son’s house.

At a military hospital in government-controlled Pokrovsk (formerly Krasnoarmiisk, 55km north-west of Donetsk) the SMM saw a 15-year-old boy with his right arm and both legs fully bandaged. A doctor told the SMM that the boy was a resident at Svobody 8.2 Street in government-controlled Kamianka (18km north-east of Donetsk) and had suffered multiple shrapnel injuries to lower parts of both his legs. The doctor added that they had removed a piece of shrapnel from the boy’s lower right leg while another had penetrated his left leg. The boy’s right thumb had been fractured, said the doctor, and he had also suffered injuries to his chest and to the back of his head. The boy’s father told the SMM that on the evening of 8 June, together with his son they had been on the street at the back of their house – 50m apart from each-other - when a mortar round had landed and the shrapnel had injured his son.

On both cases the injured told the SMM that the ambulances had refused to go the areas due to the fighting and they had been sent to the local ambulance stations by the Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers.

The SMM observed damage caused by shelling and gunfire near civilian infrastructure and assessed a number of impact sites at military compounds located close to residential areas. The SMM observed damage, allegedly caused by shelling on the evening of 8 June, to two adjacent compounds belonging to the Ukrainian Armed Forces and to a Border Guard Unit near the northern edge of government-controlled Sartana (15km north-east of Mariupol). Inside the first compound, the SMM observed about 20 fresh craters assessed as caused by 122mm artillery rounds fired from an easterly direction, including: two craters on the tarmac 15m west of the central building at the entrance of the compound, one 5m further west and 2m from the adjacent concrete fence of the Border Guard compound. The SMM saw holes caused by shrapnel on the coating of the heating pipeline and to the concrete fence behind it. Another crater was on the tarmac 20m west of a neighbouring building. The SMM saw that shrapnel had perforated the windshield, the front and the side of a nearby vehicle. 

At the second compound the SMM observed another 20 fresh craters assessed as having been caused by 122mm artillery rounds fired from an easterly direction, including one crater on the tarmac 25m west of the central building near the north-facing fence that had sustained shrapnel damage and two others on the asphalted backyard, 23m north of the central building. Another crater was at the car-parking lot, about 80m north of the central building and 20m from the nearest storage house. The SMM noted that three vehicles had been destroyed. A military truck (KRAZ) had a damaged engine leaking oil, while the roof of an armoured personnel carrier (APC) (BTR-80) had been blown off. The central building at the entrance of the compound was almost destroyed. The SMM saw several impacts on the roof and on the walls and severe shrapnel damage.

Following allegations by citizens in Kadiivka that Mykhailivka power plant had been shelled during the night of 8-9 June, the SMM visited the site - 1.5km south of “LPR”-controlled Zolote-5 in a non-residential area. The SMM saw an electric wire on the ground about 80-100m north-east of the fence of the plant. Some civilian workers were repairing another power line 400-700m further in the same direction. The head of the power plant told the SMM that as a result of damaged power lines “LPR”-controlled parts of Zolote had no electricity. The SMM observed that there was no power at a shop in Zolote-5.

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

In violation of the respective withdrawal lines the SMM camera in Avdiivka recorded a tank (type unknown) heading east 2km south of the camera, in a government-controlled area.

Beyond the withdrawal lines but outside assigned areas, in government-controlled areas, the SMM saw three anti-tank guns (MT-12 Rapira, 100mm) heading east near Soledar (79km north of Donetsk) on 8 June. On 9 June the SMM saw a self-propelled howitzer (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) south of Kramatorsk (83km north of Donetsk) heading north and a tank (T-64) on a flatbed trailer south of Kostiantynivka (60km north of Donetsk) heading north.

In areas not controlled by the government the SMM saw 14 tanks (T-64) at a training area near Kruhlyk (31km south-west of Luhansk).

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles and an anti-aircraft gun[2] in the security zone. In government-controlled areas an SMM mid-range UAV spotted on 8 June an IFV (BMP variant) and several military positions near Muratove (51km north-west of Luhansk). The SMM observed two sets of fresh tracks from at least one tank (T-64) in Bohdanivka (41km south-west of Donetsk) heading east towards the contact line.

In non-government-controlled areas the SMM observed an APC (BTR-80) moving south on road M04 near Novosvitlivka (16km south-east of Luhansk). An SMM mid-range UAV spotted an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23) mounted on a military-type truck, as well as recently occupied positions – trenches, bunkers, tents and firing positions – and recent impact sites of probably 122mm and 152mm artillery near Sosnivske (78km south of Donetsk). About 3km north-east of Zaichenko (26km north-east of Mariupol), the SMM observed fresh tracks of at least three APC (MTLB) chassis-based vehicles turning from a dirt road onto the main road leading east as well as fresh tracks of tank (T-72) chassis-based vehicle along the main road leading west.

The SMM observed the presence of unexploded ordnance (UXO) and demining activity. In “DPR”-controlled Nikishyne (60km north-east of Donetsk), next to a destroyed building, the SMM saw a piece of UXO – the cartridge of a thermobaric rocket launcher. At a checkpoint north of Nikishyne the SMM saw that the road was blocked. “DPR” deminers said that they were conducting a controlled detonation. The SMM heard a small explosion and saw brown smoke rising about 500m north-east. Afterwards it was allowed to proceed.

The SMM was present near Yasynuvata to monitor and facilitate adherence to a local ceasefire co-ordinated by the JCCC to enable repair work at a water pumping station in “DPR”-controlled Vasylivka (20km north-east of Donetsk) due to damage allegedly caused by shelling in the previous 48 hours. A representative of a water company told the SMM that due to the cessation of operations at the pumping station two water filtration stations had no water supply and the Donetsk Filtration Station was operating under emergency mode. Five SMM patrols were positioned to monitor and facilitate the repairs. Senior “DPR” members and media were present at the site. Repair works were postponed due to absence of a demining team that, as previously co-ordinated with the JCCC, would clear the site for the repair team to start its work.

The SMM monitored the situation of civilians at entry-exit checkpoints. At the entry-exit checkpoint on H15 near the Kargil plant in “DPR”-controlled Kreminets (16km south-west of Donetsk), the SMM saw that three civilians (a man and two women in their fifties) had products seized before proceeding into non-government-controlled areas. “DPR” members at the checkpoint told the SMM that a new measure had been introduced on 19 May 2017, amending a previous one, on goods transported to non-government-controlled areas prohibiting the transportation of pork and pork-based products into these areas.

The SMM visited two border areas not under government control. At the border crossing point in Izvaryne (52km south-east of Luhansk), during one hour and fifteen minutes, the SMM observed about 20 civilian cars (most with Ukrainian licence plates), 40 pedestrians and two buses – one with Ukrainian licence plates and one with “LPR” plates - leave Ukraine. The SMM also observed a bus with Ukrainian licence plates, seven civilian vehicles, and 28 pedestrians enter Ukraine. A male passenger in one of the buses, marked “Luhansk – Yalta”, told the SMM that the service ran several days per week, that the trip usually lasted around 24 hours and costed 2.000 RUB.

At the border crossing point in Dovzhanskyi (84km south-east of Luhansk) during one hour the SMM observed seven cars with Ukrainian and one with Russian Federation licence plates, a white minivan and two buses with Ukrainian licence plates, carrying about 50 and ten passengers each,  as well as three trucks with closed trailers (Ukrainian licence plates) leave Ukraine. The SMM also saw seven cars with Ukrainian and six with Russian Federation licence plates, ten trucks with closed cargo areas (nine with Ukrainian licence plates and one with “LPR” plates) enter Ukraine.

The SMM continued monitoring in Kherson, Odessa, Lviv, 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. 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, including at the disengagement area near Petrivske.

Denial of access:

• The SMM could not proceed further east into the Zolote disengagement area from government-controlled Katerynivka (62km west of Luhansk) due to the possible presence of mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO). The SMM informed the JCCC.
• A Ukrainian officer of the JCCC told the SMM that no demining activities had taken place during the previous 24 hours in the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area and that, with the exception of the main road, the SMM’s safety could not be guaranteed in the surrounding areas due to the possible presence of mines and UXO. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed and informed the JCCC.
• The SMM could not travel across the bridge in government-controlled Shchastia (20km north of Luhansk) as Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel said there were mines on the road beyond the bridge. The SMM informed the JCCC.
• Armed men prevented the SMM from entering “DPR”-controlled Kozatske (36km north-east of Mariupol). The SMM informed the JCCC.
• Armed men prevented the SMM passage through a checkpoint near “LPR”-controlled Smile (31km north-west of Luhansk) into an area where the SMM planned to fly a UAV, for which it had informed the JCCC. Armed men said that they could not guarantee the SMM’s safety in the area. The SMM noted that other civilian cars were allowed to cross. 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.