Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 10 September 2017

This report is for the media and the general public.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions between the evenings of 8 and 9 September compared with the previous reporting period. Between the evenings of 9 and 10 September the Mission recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region compared with the previous 24 hours. It followed up on a report of a casualty in Yasynuvata. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. Its access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere, including in non-government-controlled Michurine.* The Mission saw a weapon in violation of withdrawal lines near government-controlled Mykolaivka. The SMM observed long queues at checkpoints on the contact line. It visited a border area outside government control in Luhansk region. It monitored gatherings in Lviv region connected to the announced return of Mikhail Saakashvili to Ukraine.

In Donetsk region, between the evenings of 8 and 9 September, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations,[1] including 66 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (74 explosions). Between the evenings of 9 and 10 September the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including 94 explosions, compared with the previous 24 hours.

On the night of 8-9 September, while in “DPR”-controlled Donetsk city centre, the SMM heard 33 undetermined explosions 3-7km west and north-west. On the evening of 9 September, while in the same location, the SMM heard 67 undetermined explosions 4-10km north and one shot of small-arms fire 1-2km north-north-west.

On the evening of 8 September the SMM camera in government-controlled Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk) recorded one undetermined explosion 6-8km south-west followed by, in sequence, one projectile in flight from north-east to south-west and one projectile from east to west, both 4-6km east-south-east. During the day on 9 September the camera recorded 13 explosions assessed as impacts 4-6km south-east. On the night of 9-10 September the camera recorded, in sequence, 12 tracer rounds from west to east, 102 tracer rounds from south-west to north-east, 50 tracer rounds from west to east, 11 tracer rounds from south-west to north-east, one projectile from west to east, 18 projectiles from south-west to north-east, seven projectiles from north-east to south-west, and two projectiles from west to east, all 3-5km north-east and east-south-east.

On the afternoon of 9 September, positioned at the railway station in “DPR”-controlled Yasynuvata (16km north-east of Donetsk) for five hours, the SMM heard seven undetermined explosions and small-arms fire 2-5km west.

On the evening of 9 September, the SMM camera at the Donetsk Filtration Station (15km north of Donetsk) recorded, in sequence, three projectiles in flight from east to west 1-3km south and 14 explosions assessed as impacts 3-8km south-south-west.

On the evening of 8 September, while in government-controlled Svitlodarsk (57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard five explosions assessed as outgoing artillery rounds 6-8km west.

On the night of 8-9 September the SMM camera in Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) recorded, in sequence, 17 tracer rounds in flight from west to east, seven tracer rounds from east to west, three tracer rounds from west to east, three tracer rounds from east to west, one tracer round from west to east, five tracer rounds from east to west, and one undetermined explosion, all at undetermined distances north.

On the night of 9-10 September, the same camera recorded, in sequence, six tracer rounds in flight from east to west, two tracer rounds from west to east, one undetermined explosion, two tracer rounds from west to east, 31 tracer rounds from east to west, one undetermined explosion, one rocket-assisted projectile in flight from west to east, six tracer rounds from east to west, 14 tracer rounds from west to east, and 45 tracer rounds from east to west, followed by a total of 124 tracer rounds (94 from east to west, 30 from west to east), all at undetermined distances north.

In Luhansk region, between the evenings of 8 and 9 September, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, consisting of five explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (17 explosions). Between the evenings of 9 and 10 September the SMM recorded one flare.

On the evening of 8 September, while in “LPR”-controlled Kadiivka (formerly Stakhanov, 50km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard one explosion assessed as an outgoing artillery round 5km west.

On 8 September a Ukrainian Armed Forces soldier at a position near Zolote (60km west of Luhansk) told the SMM that an officer had informed the soldiers of his unit about new regulations on interaction with the Mission.

The SMM followed up on a report of a casualty, received from a Russian Federation Armed Forces officer of the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC). On 9 September, medical staff at a hospital in Yasynuvata told the SMM that a man (aged about 45) was admitted shortly after 19:00 on 8 September with a gunshot wound to his abdominal area. They said that, after surgery, his condition remained critical but stable. When the Mission visited the hospital a second time, two men in civilian clothes who said they were “police” prevented the Mission from meeting with medical staff, saying that the patient was in serious condition.*

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 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 of 9 September, the SMM camera in government-controlled Stanytsia Luhanska recorded one flare in descending vertical flight 2.1km south-west, assessed as outside the disengagement area.

During the day on both 9 and 10 September, positioned near all three disengagement areas, the SMM observed calm situations.

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 9 September the SMM saw a surface-to-air missile system (9K33 Osa) travelling north on the southern edge of Mykolaivka (77km west of Luhansk).

Beyond the withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites, on 9 September the SMM saw three towed howitzers (2A65 Msta-B, 152mm) in government-controlled Koliadivka (58km north of Luhansk).

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles, anti-aircraft weapons,[2] tracks of military-type vehicles and other indications of military presence in the security zone. In government-controlled areas the SMM saw, on 9 September, four stationary infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) (BMP-2) near Novotroitske (36km south-west of Donetsk) and fresh tracks assessed as those of at least one tank (T-72) and at least one vehicle with an armoured personnel carrier (APC) (MT-LB) chassis – probably a self-propelled howitzer (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) – near Shyrokyne; and on 10 September, one stationary APC (BRDM-2) near Orikhove-Donetske (44km north-west of Luhansk) and a stationary anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23, 23mm) near Trokhizbenka (32km north-west of Luhansk).

In areas outside government control the SMM saw, on 9 September, three APCs (BTR-variant) travelling south-east near Starobesheve (32km south-east of Donetsk), fresh tracks assessed as those of an IFV (BMP-1) near Holubivka (formerly Kirovsk, 51km west of Luhansk) and fresh tracks assessed as those of IFVs (BMP-1) near Sentianivka (formerly Frunze, 44km west of Luhansk); and on 10 September, an armoured engineering vehicle (BAT-2) in Luhansk city and fresh tracks assessed as those of an IFV (BMP-variant) near Pervomaiske (38km north-east of Mariupol).

On 10 September, the SMM saw, for the first time, two lines of trenches between government-controlled Pyshchevyk (25km north-east of Mariupol) and “DPR”-controlled Verkhnoshyrokivske (formerly Oktiabr, 29km north-east of Mariupol) separated by 500-600m, assessed as newly established positions of the armed forces and formations.

The SMM observed long queues at checkpoints on the contact line. On 9 September, at the government-controlled entry-exit checkpoint south of Marinka (23km south-west of Donetsk), the Mission saw about 30 cars and 300 pedestrians queuing to travel further into government-controlled areas and about 70 cars and 200 pedestrians queuing to travel in the opposite direction. At a checkpoint south-east of “DPR”-controlled Kreminets (16km south-west of Donetsk), the SMM saw about 300 cars queuing to travel toward government-controlled areas and about 100 cars queuing to travel in the opposite direction.

At the government checkpoint north of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge, the SMM saw about 400 pedestrians queuing to travel further into government-controlled areas and about 300 pedestrians queuing to travel in the opposite direction. At an “LPR” checkpoint south of the bridge, later in the morning, the Mission saw a steady flow of travellers in both directions and no queues.

The SMM visited a border area outside government control. On 9 September, during one hour at a border crossing point near Sievernyi (50km south-east of Luhansk), the SMM saw 14 pedestrians exit Ukraine and 18 pedestrians enter Ukraine.

On 10 September, the SMM followed up on media reports about gatherings connected to the announced return of former Georgian president and former head of Odessa regional state administration Mikhail Saakashvili to Ukraine. At an international border crossing point near Krakovets (64km west of Lviv), on Ukraine’s border with Poland, the SMM saw a tent camp with about 2,000 people and flags of the New Forces Movement guarded by about 50 people wearing T-shirts with badges of the Donbas battalion, as well as about 400 police officers standing alongside the highway. Shortly after 10:00, a group of about 100 men in camouflage uniforms and balaclavas appeared at the site. Police separated the men from the group of supporters and searched them. At about 13:00, police led the men into police buses, which then departed. Speakers addressed the crowd with messages in support of Saakashvili’s return. Shortly before 14:00 the SMM saw an online video transmission on a large screen, in which Saakashvili announced that he would enter Ukraine by train. Around 15:00 at a railway station in Mostyska Druhi (71km west of Lviv), the SMM saw about 1,000 people, many of whom held flags of the New Forces Movement. One of them told the Mission that the train carrying Saakashvili had not entered Ukraine. The situation did not change during the SMM’s presence. (Media later reported that Saakashvili had entered Ukraine.)

The SMM continued monitoring in Kherson, Odessa, 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.

Denial of access:

• On 10 September, armed persons in “DPR”-controlled Michurine (61km south of Donetsk) stopped the SMM and did not allow it to enter the village’s eastern section. The Mission informed the JCCC.

Related to disengagement areas and mines/UXO:

• On both 9 and 10 September, the SMM was prevented from accessing parts of 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 de-mining had taken place during the previous 24 hours. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed and informed the JCCC both times.
• On both 9 and 10 September, the SMM was prevented from accessing secondary roads south of the Zolote disengagement area due to the possible presence of mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO). Armed “LPR” members positioned on the southern side of the Zolote disengagement area told the SMM that no demining had taken place during the previous 24 hours. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed and informed the JCCC both times.
• On both 9 and 10 September, the SMM was prevented from accessing secondary roads in the Zolote disengagement area due to the possible presence of mines and UXO. Ukrainian Armed Forces officers of the JCCC at a checkpoint on the northern side of the Zolote disengagement area told the SMM that no demining had taken place during the previous 24 hours. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed and informed the JCCC both times.
• On both 9 and 10 September, the possible presence of mines and UXO prevented the SMM from accessing the road leading west from Petrivske. The Mission informed the JCCC both times.
• On both 9 and 10 September, the SMM could not travel across the bridge in government-controlled Shchastia (20km north of Luhansk) 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 both times.

Delay:

• On 10 September, an armed man at the SMM camera site at the “DPR”-controlled Oktiabr mine (11km north-west of Donetsk city centre) told the Mission that he had received no orders concerning a planned SMM unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flight at the location. (The Mission had notified the JCCC in advance about the flight.) The SMM decided not to fly the UAV, due to security concerns. About an hour and a half later the man received a telephone call and subsequently allowed the SMM to conduct the UAV flight.

Other impediments:

• On 9 September, at a hospital in Yasynuvata, two men who said they were “police” prevented the Mission from meeting with medical staff to follow up on reports of a patient who had been wounded by a gunshot.

 

[1] For a complete breakdown of the ceasefire violations, please see the annexed table. 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.