Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 22 August 2017

This report is for the media and the general public.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission followed up on reports of civilian casualties, including a boy who was critically injured when an unexploded ordnance exploded in Teple and two boys who suffered burns following a gunpowder explosion in Novoaidar. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas and recorded a ceasefire violation inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in the disengagement areas and elsewhere, including in Novoazovsk and Verkhnoshyrokivske.* The Mission observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repairs and maintenance to infrastructure in Shchastia, Artema, Zolote and Pivdenne. The Mission monitored the situation along the administrative boundary line between Kherson and Crimea. 

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations,[1] including, however, fewer explosions (about 60), compared with the previous reporting period (around 80 explosions).

On the evening of 21 August, while in government-controlled Svitlodarsk (57km north-east of Donetsk), in about three hours, the SMM heard five explosions assessed as impacts of mortar (82mm and 120mm) rounds, 17 explosions assessed as outgoing rounds of infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (BMP-1) cannon (73mm) or recoilless gun (SPG-9, 73mm) and about 40 bursts of automatic-grenade-launcher and heavy-machine-gun fire, all 1.2-4km east.

On the evening and night of 21-22 August, the SMM camera in government-controlled Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk) recorded, in sequence, one projectile in flight from north-west to south-east, three undetermined explosions, one projectile from south-west to north-east, two projectiles from north-east to south-west, four undetermined explosions, two projectiles from north-east to south-west and one undetermined explosion, all 3-6km at south- easterly directions. On 22 August, the same camera recorded three explosions assessed as impacts 3-4km south-east. The same day, positioned in Avdiivka for about five hours, the SMM heard five undetermined explosions 2-4km south-east.

On the evening and night of 21-22 August, the SMM camera at the Donetsk Filtration Station (15km north of Donetsk) recorded, in sequence, one undetermined explosion, one projectile in flight from north to south, two airbursts, one undetermined explosion, one projectile from north-west to south-east, two projectiles from south-east to north-west, three projectiles from north-west to south-east, one projectile from south-east to north-west, one explosion assessed as an impact and two projectiles from south-east to north-west, all 0.5-3km south-south-east and south.

On the evening and night of 21-22 August, the SMM camera in Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) recorded, in sequence, 17 tracer rounds in flight from east to west, one tracer round from west to east, 18 tracer rounds from east to west, three illumination flares in vertical flight, five undetermined explosions, one tracer round from east to west, one undetermined explosion, three tracer rounds from east to west, followed by aggregated totals of six undetermined explosions, 92 tracer rounds (67 from east to west and 25 from west to east), nine rocket-assisted projectiles from west to east and nine illumination flares in vertical flight, all at undetermined distances north.

Positioned in government-controlled Sopyne (16km east of Mariupol) the SMM heard one explosion assessed as an outgoing mortar round of unknown calibre 5km east.

In Luhansk region the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including 15 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (76 explosions).

On the evening and night of 21-22 August, while on the northern edge of government-controlled Popasna (69km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard one undetermined explosion and three shots of IFV (BMP-2) cannon (30mm) fire 5-7km north-east and two bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire 4-6km east. On 22 August, positioned on the north-eastern edge of Popasna, the SMM heard three undetermined explosions 4-5km south.

On the afternoon of 22 August, positioned in government-controlled Muratove (51km north-west of Luhansk), the SMM heard nine undetermined explosions 5-7km south-west.

The SMM followed up on reports of civilian casualties. At a children’s hospital in government-controlled Lysychansk (75km north-west of Luhansk), medical staff told the SMM that a 13-year-old boy from government-controlled Teple (31km north of Luhansk) had been admitted to the hospital on 18 August following a surgery at a hospital in government-controlled Shchastia (20km north of Luhansk). A doctor told the SMM that the boy had lost his right hand and two fingers on his left hand and had sustained eight shrapnel wounds to his abdomen. The doctor said that the boy was in a critical condition and suffering from trauma to his brain, lungs and heart. The boy’s mother told the SMM by telephone that on 18 August her son had been playing with some sort of unexploded ordnance (UXO) at their home in Teple when the UXO exploded. A doctor from the hospital in Shchastia, speaking with the SMM by telephone, confirmed the details of the injuries and that he had operated on the boy.

At the same hospital in Lysychansk, medical staff informed the SMM that on 16 August two boys (14 and 15 years old) had been treated for burns at a hospital in government-controlled Novoaidar (49km north-west of Luhansk). A doctor from the hospital in Novoaidar told the SMM by telephone that both boys had suffered first-, second- and third-degree burns caused by igniting gunpowder. The doctor said that the boys had found the gunpowder at an abandoned checkpoint near the river in Novoaidar.

The SMM continued to monitor the disengagement process and to pursue full access to the disengagement areas near 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 21-22 August, the SMM camera in government-controlled Stanytsia Luhanska recorded one tracer round in flight from north-east to south-west 1km south-south-east, assessed as inside the disengagement area.

On the night of 21-22 August, while on the eastern edge of Stanytsia Luhanska the SMM heard three shots of small-arms fire 1.5km south, assessed as outside the disengagement area. In the early morning of 22 August, positioned in the same location, the SMM heard one explosion assessed as the detonation of a mine or UXO 2-3km south-east, assessed as outside the disengagement area.

On the evening of 20 August, the SMM camera in government-controlled Zolote recorded one projectile in flight from north-west to south-east 3-5km east, assessed as outside the disengagement area.

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, in a government-controlled area, on 22 August the SMM saw a self-propelled howitzer (2S3 Akatsiya, 152mm) 4km north-west of Voitove (33km north-west of Luhansk) travelling south.

In violation of withdrawal lines, in areas not under government control, aerial imagery revealed on 21 August the presence of 12 howitzers (six towed and six self-propelled) at a training area near Shymshynivka (27km south-west of Luhansk).

Beyond withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites in areas not under government control, aerial imagery revealed on 21 August the presence of eight tanks at a training area near Shymshynivka.

The SMM observed weapons that could not be verified as withdrawn, as their storage did not comply with the criteria set out in the 16 October 2015 notification. In government-controlled areas beyond the respective withdrawal lines, the SMM saw 13 mortars (eight 2B11 Sani, 120mm; four M-120 Molot, 120mm; and one BM-37, 82mm). The SMM noted that six towed howitzers (D-30 Lyagushka, 122mm) and ten mortars (eight M-120 and two 2B11) continued to be missing and that five mortars (2B11) were missing for the first time. At another site, the SMM observed that three anti-tank guns (MT-12 Rapira, 100mm) were again missing.

The SMM revisited an “LPR” permanent storage site, whose location corresponded with the respective withdrawal lines, and observed that four tanks (three T-64 and one T-72) were again missing.

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles[2] and other military-type armoured vehicles in the security zone. In government-controlled areas, on 22 August an SMM mid-range unmanned aerial vehicle spotted two stationary IFVs (BMP-variant) near Zolote.

In areas not under government control, aerial imagery on 21 August revealed the presence of three armoured vehicles (type unknown) and almost 50 military-type trucks in Kalmiuske (formerly Komsomolske, 42km south-east of Donetsk).

Aerial imagery on 20 August revealed the further extension of a trench line south-south-east of the Donetsk Filtration Station. (See SMM Daily Report 8 August 2017.)            

The SMM observed two mine hazard signs for the first time on the west side of road T0509 between “DPR”-controlled Dokuchaievsk (30km south-west of Donetsk) and Styla (34km south of Donetsk). One sign read “Stop Mines” in Russian language and the other had a skull-and-crossbones symbol and read “Danger Mines” in English and Russian languages.

The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repairs and maintenance, co-ordinated by the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC), to the thermal power plant in government-controlled Shchastia, to the Petrivske water pumping station near government-controlled Artema (26km north of Luhansk), to the Karbonit water pumping station near Zolote and to a water pipeline in government-controlled Pivdenne (formerly Leninske, 40km north-east of Donetsk).

The SMM continued monitoring the administrative boundary line between Kherson region and Crimea. On 20 August, the SMM visited a crossing point near Chonhar (162km south-east of Kherson) and noted a calm situation.

The SMM continued monitoring in Odessa, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Chernivtsi and Kyiv.

*Restrictions of the 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.

Denial of access:

• At a checkpoint on road E58 north of “DPR”-controlled Novoazovsk, an unarmed man prevented the SMM from entering Novoazovsk and from proceeding east towards the border with the Russian Federation as he said that passage through that checkpoint had not been pre-arranged. The SMM informed the JCCC.
• Armed persons prevented an SMM patrol from proceeding east at an entry-exit checkpoint in “DPR”-controlled Verkhnoshyrokivske (formerly Oktiabr, 29km north-east of Mariupol). The SMM informed the JCCC.

Related to disengagement areas and mines/UXO:

• The SMM was prevented from accessing areas in the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area, with the exception of the main road, due to the possible presence of mines and UXO. A Ukrainian Armed Forces officer of the JCCC told the SMM that no demining activities had taken place during the previous 24 hours in the area. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed and informed the JCCC.
• The possible presence of mines and UXO prevented the SMM from accessing secondary roads north of the Zolote disengagement area. At a checkpoint on the northern edge of the area a Ukrainian Armed Forces officer of the JCCC told the SMM that no demining had taken place over the previous 24 hours. The SMM informed the JCCC.
• The possible presence of mines and UXO prevented the SMM from accessing secondary roads south of the Zolote disengagement area. Armed “LPR” members positioned on the southern side of the disengagement area told the SMM that no demining activity had been conducted in the area. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed and informed the JCCC.
• The SMM could not travel across the bridge in Shchastia due to the presence of mines. A Ukrainian Armed Forces officer of the JCCC told the SMM that mines on the road south of the bridge were still present. The SMM informed the JCCC.

Delay:

• While travelling north on road H21, the SMM was stopped by two police officers and two military police officers 2.5km west of Voitove and told to wait as the road was being demined. The SMM informed the JCCC and was able to proceed after 25 minutes. 

[1] Please see the annexed report for a complete breakdown of the ceasefire violations as well as a map of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions marked with locations featured in this report. During this reporting period the SMM camera at the Oktiabr mine (Donetsk) remained non-operational.

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