Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 18 July 2017

This report is for the media and the general public.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions, however more explosions in Donetsk region, compared with the previous 24 hours. The Mission confirmed a report of a civilian fatality from Staromykhailivka. It observed multiple impact sites in Zolote-4/Rodina. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas; it recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote and Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement areas. Its access remained restricted there and elsewhere, including in Shchastia where the SMM was again denied access and its unmanned aerial vehicle spotted anti-tank mines.* The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Berkhivka. The Mission continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to the Mykhailivka-Shchastia Thermal Power Plant high-voltage power lines near Berdianka. It also facilitated and monitored repair works to water pumps in Yashchykove and Krasnyi Lyman. The SMM visited two border areas not under government control in Uspenka and Marynivka. The Mission monitored an ongoing protest in Kherson.

In Donetsk region the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations[1], however more explosions (about 160), compared with the previous 24 hours (about 120 explosions).

On the night of 17-18 July, while in “DPR”-controlled Donetsk city centre, the SMM heard ten undetermined explosions 8-12km north-west.

On the evening and night of 17-18 July the SMM camera in government-controlled Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk) recorded, in sequence, two explosions assessed as impacts, two tracer rounds in flight from north to south, five projectiles in flight from north to south, three tracer rounds from south to north and two tracer rounds from north to south, all 4-5km east-south-east. On 18 July, the same camera recorded eight explosions assessed as impacts 3-5km east and east-south-east. On the same day, positioned in Avdiivka for about four hours, the SMM heard about 50 undetermined explosions 1-8km south and south-east.

On the evening and night of 17-18 July the SMM camera in Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) recorded, in sequence, five tracer rounds in flight from east to west, three tracer rounds from west to east, four tracer rounds from east to west, one undetermined explosion, followed by aggregated totals of 181 tracer rounds (109 from east to west and 72 from west to east) and one illumination flare in flight from south-east to north-west, all at unknown distances north.

On the evening and night of 17-18 July, while in “DPR”-controlled Horlivka (39km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard about 30 undetermined explosions and 20 bursts and shots of small-arms, automatic-grenade-launcher and anti-aircraft cannon (ZU-23, 23mm) fire 4-10km south-west and heard two undetermined explosions, one burst of small-arms fire and saw two bursts of four tracer rounds each, 4-10km north and north-north-west.

On the evening and night of 17-18 July, while in government-controlled Svitlodarsk (57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard about 60 undetermined explosions and about 80 shots and bursts of small-arms and heavy-machine-gun fire, all 3-10km south-east.

In Luhansk region the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations and one explosion, compared with the previous 24 hours (about 190 explosions).

On 18 July, positioned in “LPR”-controlled Sentianivka (formerly Frunze, 44km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard and saw one explosion assessed as an impact 5km north-north west and heard 25 shots of small-arms fire 2km north-north-west.

On 18 July, positioned in government-controlled Zolote-4/Rodina (60km north-west of Luhansk), the SMM heard two bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire 1-2km east.

The SMM followed up on reports of a civilian fatality from a Russian Federation officer of the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC). On 18 July at the Kalinina morgue in Donetsk city, the SMM saw the body of a deceased woman who had multiple lacerations to her head and body. Morgue staff told the SMM that she was 54-years-old and had been brought to the morgue on 17 July at 21:05 from Komsomolska Street 31 in “DPR”-controlled Staromykhailivka (15km west of Donetsk). According to the medical staff, the woman had died on her way to the hospital from multiple shrapnel wounds.

The SMM followed up on reports of damage caused by shelling and firing in government-controlled Zolote-4/Rodina. On 18 July, the SMM saw two fresh craters 20-30m north-west of a Ukrainian Armed Forces checkpoint in a northern part of Zolote-4, assessed as impacts of mortar (82mm) rounds fired from a south-easterly direction. Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel told the SMM that the shelling had taken place at around 20:00 on 15 July.

At Nakhimova Street 12 the SMM saw damage to the eastern and western walls of a property and a hole in a west-facing window, assessed as the exit hole of a projectile. At Pavlika Morozova Street 16/1 the SMM observed a hole (about 2m in diameter) on the eastern side of a property’s roof, assessed as an entry hole caused by a rocket-propelled grenade, and another hole (about 1m in diameter), assessed as the exit hole, on the western side.

At Pavlika Morozova Street 16/2 the SMM saw a property with a hole (about 1.5m in diameter) in the south-facing wall, shrapnel damage in the south-facing door and window and, about 5-6m south at Pavlika Morozova Street 18/1, the SMM observed a fresh crater in a garden and a 3m diameter hole in the northern-facing wall of the property. The SMM assessed the damage to have been caused by a rocket-propelled grenade fired from a south-easterly direction.

At Proletarska Street 2 the SMM saw a hole (about 2m in diameter) in the north-facing wall, a hole (about 1.5m diameter) in the north-facing side of the roof and damage to the north-facing window. At Ostrovskogo Street 24/1 the SMM saw a property with three broken east-facing windows and another property with a broken south-facing window Ostrovskogo Street 5/2. The SMM assessed the damage to have been caused by a rocket-propelled grenade fired from a south-easterly direction.

At Zhovtneva Street 15 the SMM observed shrapnel damage in the east- and south-facing walls of a property and at Zhovtneva Street 17, the SMM saw where a bullet had penetrated the ceiling of a kitchen. At Zhovtneva Street 25, the SMM saw a broken east-facing window and at Zhovtneva Street 21 the SMM saw shrapnel damage in a wooden fence with a 1.5m hole and a fresh crater in the garden, 10-15m north of the fence. The SMM assessed the damage to have been caused by a rocket-propelled grenade fired from an easterly direction.

The SMM spoke separately with 11 residents of the abovementioned properties (seven men and four women, aged between 40 and 60) who all said that the incidents had taken place on 15 July between 20:00 and 21:00.

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 night of 16-17 July, the SMM camera in government-controlled Zolote recorded nine shots of small-arms fire 2-3km east-north-east, assessed as outside the disengagement area.

Positioned inside Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area in an “LPR”-controlled area 300m south of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge, the SMM heard three bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire 2km north-north-west, assessed as outside the disengagement area.

While present in government-controlled Bohdanivka (41km south-west of Donetsk), west of the Petrivske disengagement area, the SMM observed a calm situation. The SMM remained unable to access its camera in “DPR”-controlled Petrivske due to security considerations.

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 government-controlled areas the SMM saw eight multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) (BM-21 Grad, 122mm) 2km north of Berkhivka (73km north of Donetsk) moving north-west.

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles and an anti-aircraft gun[2] in the security zone. In government-controlled areas, on 17 July the SMM saw six infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) (five BMP-2 and one BMP-1) loaded on flatbed trucks moving north near Popasna (69km west of Luhansk) and one armoured personnel carrier (APC) (BTR-80) stationary 2km south of Vrubivka (72km west of Luhansk). On 18 July the SMM saw a military truck loaded with an IFV (BMP-1) in Pivnichne (formerly Kirove, 44km north-east of Donetsk) moving in a north-easterly direction.

In non-government-controlled areas, on 17 July in Pervomaisk (58km west of Luhansk) the SMM saw one APC (MT-LB) mounted with an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23) in a static position and one APC (BTR-80) moving north-west. On 18 July, the SMM saw one stationary APC (MT-LB) in Stare (formerly Chervonyi Prapor, 58km west of Luhansk). On 17 July, the SMM saw seven APCs (MT-LB), six military-type trucks and two men in military-type clothes inside a courtyard guarded by two armed men, about 70m from a school on Tsilynohradska Street in Kuibyshevskyi district (7km north-west of Donetsk city centre). On 18 July, an SMM mini unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted nine APCs (MT-LB), including one possible SNAR-10 support vehicle, and nine military trucks inside the same courtyard in Kuibyshevskyi district.

The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repairs, co-ordinated by the JCCC, to the Mykhailivka-Shchastia Thermal Power Plant high-voltage power lines near Berdianka (45km west of Luhansk) where it saw a crane, a tractor and 13 workers present. (See SMM Daily Report 17 July 2017). In “LPR”-controlled Yashchykove (46km west of Luhansk), the SMM monitored and facilitated maintenance of a water pump. It saw a crane and nine workers and, after one hour and a half, a representative from the water company told the SMM that the work had been completed. Later that day, the SMM monitored ongoing maintenance of a water pump in “LPR”-controlled Krasnyi Lyman (30km north-west of Luhansk) where it saw a crane and nine workers.

The SMM visited two border areas not under government control in Donetsk region. At the Uspenka border crossing point (73km south-east of Donetsk), in about 45 minutes, the SMM saw 23 cars (ten with Russian Federation and nine with Ukrainian licence plates, and four with “DPR” plates), eight covered cargo trucks (six with Ukrainian and one with Belarusian licence plates, and one with “DPR” plates) and two passenger buses (one with Ukrainian and one with Russian Federation licence plates) in a queue to exit Ukraine. The SMM also saw 21 cars (17 with Russian Federation and four with Ukrainian licence plates) and one passenger bus (with Ukrainian licence plates) enter Ukraine.

At the border crossing point in Marynivka (78km east of Donetsk), in about 45 minutes, the SMM observed 55 cars (20 with Russian Federation and 25 with Ukrainian licence plates, and ten with “DPR” plates) and four covered cargo trucks (all with Ukrainian licence plates) in a queue to exit Ukraine and seven cars (three with Ukrainian and four with Russian Federation licence plates) and one passenger bus (with Ukrainian licence plates) enter Ukraine.

On 17 and 18 July in Kherson, the SMM continued to monitor a protest in front of the office of the Presidential Representative of Ukraine for Crimea. (See SMM Daily Report 14 July 2017). On 17 July the SMM saw about 20 protestors, including one who introduced himself as the protest’s organizer, two police officers and a reporter in front of the office. The two large military-style tents observed the week before were still at the site, equipped with sleeping and kitchen facilities. While present over three hours, the SMM did not observe anyone enter or exit the building. Later that day, the SMM saw a notice on the office’s website stating that due to security concerns related to the protest, no members of the public would be received. On 18 July, the SMM noted that the situation remained unchanged.

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

Related to disengagement areas and mines/UXO:

• 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.
• Armed “LPR” members positioned on the southern side of the Zolote disengagement area (3km north of Pervomaisk) told the SMM that they could not guarantee the safety of the Mission on side roads due to the possible presence of mines and UXO. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed and informed the JCCC.
• At a checkpoint on the northern edge of the Zolote disengagement area a Ukrainian Armed Forces officer of the JCCC told the SMM that no de-mining had taken place over the previous 24 hours and that, due to the possible presence of mines and/or UXO, they could not guarantee the SMM’s safety. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed and informed the JCCC both times.
• The SMM could not travel across the bridge in Shchastia as Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel said there were mines on the road south of the bridge. On 18 July an SMM UAV revealed the presence of three sets of anti-tank mines south of the bridge, laid across road H-21. The SMM had requested beforehand that the JCCC facilitate the passage and co-ordinate demining but the JCCC did not do so. The fact that the route is not cleared impedes possible evacuation of the Mission for medical, security and other reasons.

[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.