Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 16 June 2017

This report is for the media and the general public.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. It confirmed one man had died following shelling of government-controlled Sukha Balka and that two people had been injured in a suspected mine explosion in Bairak. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas; it recorded ceasefire violations near the Stanytsia Luhanska and Zolote disengagement areas and observed construction inside the latter. Its access remained restricted there and elsewhere* The Mission saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines. It continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to power lines between Almazna and Zolote. The SMM visited three border areas not under government control. The Mission observed a protest against the re-naming of streets under the de-communisation process in Kyiv. 

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region, including about 60 explosions, compared with about 540 in the previous reporting period.[1]

On the night of 15-16 June the SMM camera in Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) recorded 17 tracer rounds in flight from east to west and two from west to east, all at an undetermined distance north-north-east. Thereafter, the same camera recorded a total of ten undetermined explosions, 231 tracer rounds in flight from west to east, 195 from east to west, one projectile in flight from east to west (and a subsequent explosion) and two projectiles in flight from west to east (and one subsequent explosion), all north-north-east of the camera.

On the night of 15-16 June the SMM camera in government-controlled Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk) recorded 22 undetermined explosions about 3km east-north-east, and four projectiles in flight from north to south. The following day the camera recorded seven explosions assessed as impacts and three airbursts 3-4km east-south-east.

Positioned in Avdiivka on 16 June for about six hours, the SMM heard four undetermined explosions 2-4km south-south-east. Positioned in “DPR”-controlled Yasynuvata (16km north-east of Donetsk) for about six hours, the SMM heard 14 undetermined explosions 3-6km west and west-north-west as well as heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire 2-5km north-west and west.

As the SMM flew a mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) near government-controlled Pidhorodne (73km north of Donetsk) it heard approximately 30 shots of small-arms fire about 350-400m north-east of the SMM, assessed as targeting the UAV which was flying in that area. The SMM landed the UAV and left the area. The UAV did not sustain any damage.

Positioned about 1km north of “DPR”-controlled Zaichenko (26km north-east of Mariupol) the SMM saw one explosion it assessed as an impact of an undetermined round 5km north-west and heard small-arms fire at an unknown distance west.

In Luhansk region the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations compared with the previous reporting period (26 explosions), including 38 explosions. Positioned about 700m north-west of “LPR”-controlled Vrubivskyi (22km south-west of Luhansk) the SMM heard 19 explosions assessed as impacts of artillery rounds 8km south-south-east.      

The SMM followed up on reports of civilian casualties. The SMM visited the morgue at Kostiantynivka (60km north of Donetsk) municipal hospital following reports that a man had been killed in shelling of government-controlled Sukha Balka (36km north of Donetsk) on the night of 14 June. The morgue logbook showed that a man (52 years old) had died after sustaining multiple serious shrapnel wounds. The SMM went to the house at 8 Molodizhna Street in Sukha Balka, outside of which the man had allegedly been killed and, from a distance, observed damage to the roof and windows.

The SMM spoke with a woman (55 years old) who said she had been injured when the truck in which she had been travelling hit a mine at about 19:30 on 12 June near the settlement of Bairak, east of “DPR”-controlled Horlivka (39km north-east of Donetsk). She told the SMM that she had injured her left shoulder and that her husband, who was travelling with her, suffered light head injuries. She added that they used the road frequently. An emergency service employee in Horlivka told the SMM that the couple’s truck had struck an anti-tank mine. He added that six anti-tank mines had been found near the spot of the incident and that they had been cleared by controlled explosion.

The SMM continued to monitor the disengagement process and to pursue full access to the disengagement areas in 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 inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area the SMM heard one undetermined explosion 3-5km west-north-west (assessed as outside the disengagement area). Armed “LPR” members at different positions in the area of Stanytsia Luhanska bridge refused to talk to the SMM.

Positioned about 3km north of “LPR”-controlled Pervomaisk (58km west of Luhansk) the SMM heard one undetermined explosion 2-3km north-east (assessed as outside the Zolote disengagement area). Positioned about 1.5km west of a government-controlled part of Zolote, the SMM heard one undetermined explosion 8-10km south-west, assessed as outside the disengagement area. The SMM observed two stationary military engineering vehicles (a truck and a crane) on the main road inside the disengagement area in government-controlled Zolote. Also inside the disengagement area, the SMM observed fresh piles of soil and ongoing construction on the “LPR”-controlled south side.

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 an SMM UAV observed three multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) (BM-21 Grad, 122mm) travelling south-west on a road 2km north of government-controlled Yablunivka (49km north of Donetsk) on 15 June.

Also in violation of withdrawal lines the SMM observed 13 towed howitzers (D-30 Lyagushka, 122mm) near “DPR”-controlled Novooleksandrivka (75km south-east of Donetsk).

Beyond the withdrawal lines but outside assigned areas an SMM UAV spotted eight howitzers (probably D-20, 152mm) near government-controlled Novoolenivka (48km north-west of Donetsk) on 15 June.

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 observed that one such site continued to be abandoned.

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles[2] in the security zone. In government-controlled areas the SMM observed: three armoured personal carriers (APC) (BTR-80) with about 30 Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers on top heading west near Netailove (22km north-west of Donetsk), one APC (BTR-70) heading east near Muratove (51km north-west of Luhansk).

In areas outside of government control the SMM observed an APC (MTLB) in “LPR”-controlled Stare (formerly Chervonyi Prapor, 58km west of Luhansk).

The SMM facilitated and monitored repairs to essential infrastructure, co-ordinated by the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC). Near “LPR”-controlled Pervomaisk the SMM observed repairs to high voltage power lines between the Mykhailivka substation in an “LPR”-controlled part of Zolote and “LPR”-controlled Almazna (55km west of Luhansk).

The SMM visited three border areas not under control of the Government. At the Ulianivske (61km south-east of Donetsk) the SMM observed, over a period of about 30 minutes, two pedestrians exit Ukraine and one enter. At the Uspenka border crossing point (73km south-east of Donetsk) the SMM observed, over a period of about 40 minutes, 45 cars (15 with Ukrainian licence plates, 17 with Russian Federation licence plates, four with Georgian licence plates and nine with “DPR” plates), four cargo trucks and two tankers (all with Ukrainian licence plates) queued to leave Ukraine and 14 cars (seven with Ukrainian licence plates, four with Russian Federation licence plates and three with “DPR” plates), one bus (Moscow–Makiivka route, with Ukrainian licence plates) and one cargo truck (with Russian Federation licence plates) waiting to enter. At the border crossing point in Voznesenivka (formerly Chervonopartyzansk, 65km south-east of Luhansk) over a period of about one hour, the SMM observed 20 cars (nine with Ukrainian licence plates, ten with the Russian Federation licence plates and one with Georgian licence plates), one bus (marked Sverdlovsk-Gukovo, with Russian Federation licence plates) and one covered cargo truck with Ukrainian licence plates exit Ukraine. The SMM also observed 25 cars (13 with Ukrainian licence plates, 11 with licence plates from the Russian Federation, and one with plates marked “Abkhazia”) and four cargo minivans (Ukrainian licence plates) enter Ukraine.

The SMM observed a protest against the renaming of streets in Kyiv under the de-communisation process. The SMM observed about 500 people (mostly elderly women) with red Socialist party flags standing on both sides of Vatutin Avenue in Dniprovskyi district. Around 20 police cars were parked nearby. The gathering was calm when the SMM was at the location but later the media reported of clashes between protesters and other groups.

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

• Armed “LPR” members told the SMM that no demining had taken place in the Zolote disengagement area in the previous 24 hours. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed and informed the JCCC.
• Armed “LPR” members at a checkpoint on the south side of the Zolote disengagement area told the SMM that no demining had taken place during the previous 24 hours and that, due to the possible presence of mines and/or UXOs, they could not guarantee the SMM’s safety. Based on this information, the SMM did not consider it safe to proceed. The Mission informed the JCCC.         
• A Ukrainian officer of the JCCC told the SMM that no demining 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 the road south of the bridge was still mined. 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.

* Please see the section at the end of this report entitled “Restrictions of SMM’s freedom of movement or other impediments to fulfilment of its mandate”.

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