Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 17 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 15 and 16 September compared with the previous reporting period. Between the evenings of 16 and 17 September, the Mission recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk and more in Luhansk regions compared with the previous 24 hours. The Mission followed up on reports of a civilian casualty and observed damage to residences in Donetsk. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske and recorded ceasefire violations inside the Zolote disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere, including in non-government-controlled Novoazovsk near the border with the Russian Federation.* The Mission saw two tanks in violation of withdrawal lines near government-controlled Heivka. The SMM visited a border area not under government control in Luhansk region. The Mission monitored the situation in Odessa following reports of a fire at a children’s camp.

In Donetsk region, between the evenings of 15 and 16 September, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations,[1] including ten explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (40 explosions). Between the evenings of 16 and 17 September the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including 16 explosions, compared with the previous 24 hours.

On the evening and night of 15-16 September, the SMM camera at the Donetsk Filtration Station (15km north of Donetsk) recorded, in sequence, an undetermined explosion, two tracer rounds in flight from north to south, four tracer rounds from east to west, four tracer rounds from west to east, one tracer round from north to south, four tracer rounds from west to east, two tracer rounds from north to south, two tracer rounds from west to east, two tracer rounds from east to west, eight tracer rounds from west to east, and six tracer rounds from east to west, all 1-2km south. The same camera recorded no ceasefire violations the following night.

On the evening and night of 15-16 September, the SMM camera in Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) recorded, in sequence, an illumination flare in vertical flight, five tracer rounds in flight from south-west to north-east, and a rocket-assisted projectile in flight from south-west to north-east, all at undetermined distances north. On the night of 16-17 September, the same camera recorded, in sequence, a rocket-assisted projectile in flight from west to east, six tracer rounds in flight from east to west, seven tracer rounds and two rocket-assisted projectiles from west to east, and 83 tracer rounds from east to west, all at undetermined distances north.

On the evening of 15 September, while in “DPR”-controlled Horlivka (39km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard an explosion assessed as the impact of an artillery round, an explosion assessed as an outgoing recoilless gun (SPG-9, 73mm) round, an undetermined explosion, five bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire, and three bursts of small-arms fire, all 4‑5km west, as well as one shot of small-arms fire 200m west. The following evening, from the same location, the SMM heard 12 undetermined explosions as well as one burst of heavy-machine-gun fire and one shot of small-arms fire, all 4-10km west and south-west.

On the evening of 15 September, while in government-controlled Svitlodarsk (57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard one undetermined explosion, seven bursts of automatic-grenade-launcher fire, and more than 60 bursts of small-arms fire, all 4-5km south and south-east. On the evening of 16 September, from the same position, the SMM heard three bursts of anti-aircraft cannon (ZU-23, 23mm) fire 5-6km east.

In Luhansk region, between the evenings of 15 and 16 September, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations – including, however, a similar number of explosions (about 40) – compared with the previous reporting period. Between the evenings of 16 and 17 September the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations – including, however, a similar number of explosions (about 40) – compared with the previous 24 hours.

On 16 September, positioned in “LPR”-controlled Kruhlyk (31km south-west of Luhansk), the SMM heard 11 explosions assessed as outgoing tank rounds about 4km north, assessed as part of a live-fire exercise.

On 16 September, positioned on the southern edge of government-controlled Popasna (69km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard six explosions assessed as outgoing mortar rounds 0.5-1.5km east-south-east. While on the northern edge of Popasna in the early morning of 17 September, the SMM heard 37 undetermined explosions 4-10km south and south-west.

The SMM followed up on reports of a civilian casualty. On 16 September at the Donetsk Trauma Hospital in “DPR”-controlled Donetsk city, a woman (aged 64) with bandages around her left eye told the SMM that on 15 September at about 18:00, while standing outside her mother’s house at 19 Pavlivska Street in Donetsk city, she heard an explosion 15-20m away and was knocked to the ground. She told the SMM that when she stood up, she noticed blood on her face and, after she was taken to hospital by ambulance, she was told her recovery would take about one month.

The SMM followed up on media reports of damage to residential areas caused by shelling on 17 September in “DPR”-controlled Donetsk city’s Kirovskyi district. At 10 Prudova Street, the SMM saw shattered windows on the seventh, eighth and ninth floors of a multi-storey apartment building, as well as shell fragments embedded in interior walls of one apartment. On the exterior of the building, the SMM observed scarring and scorch marks to a west-facing outside wall on the eighth floor. The SMM assessed the damage to have been caused by a grenade fired from a north-westerly direction. According to a resident of the building, the impacts had occurred at around 22:30 on 16 September.

At 48 Pecherska Street in Donetsk city, the SMM observed roof tiles on the north-eastern corner of the roof of a house had been cracked and saw on the ground a tailfin consistent with that of an OG-9 grenade. The SMM assessed that the damage was caused by a grenade fired from a north-westerly direction. The daughter of the house’s owner told the SMM that her mother had been home at the time of the impact, at around 23:00 on 16 September.

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 evening of 14-15 September, the SMM camera in government-controlled Zolote recorded two projectiles in flight from north to south and one undetermined explosion, all 3-6km east-north-east and east, assessed as outside the disengagement area. On the evening of 15-16 September, the same camera recorded two tracer rounds in flight from north to south about 3.5km east, assessed as inside the disengagement area. The same night, the camera recorded, in sequence, an undetermined explosion, three tracer rounds in flight from north-west to south-east, a projectile in flight from west to east, two tracer rounds from north-west to south-east, a flare, a tracer round from south-west to north-east, eight tracer rounds from north-west to south-east, 8-10 tracer rounds from west to east, six tracer rounds from north-west to south-east, a projectile from north-west to south-east and a tracer round from north to south, all 3-14km east, assessed as outside the disengagement area.

During the early morning of 16 September, while on the eastern edge of government-controlled Stanytsia Luhanska, the SMM heard an undetermined explosion 3-5km south-east, assessed as outside the disengagement area.

Positioned on the southern edge of the Zolote disengagement area on 16 September, the SMM heard nine bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire and one undetermined explosion, 5-15km south-west, assessed as outside the disengagement area. Positioned in Zolote on the same day, the SMM heard 11 undetermined explosions 7-10km south-west and one burst of heavy-machine-gun fire 7-10km east, all assessed as outside the disengagement area.                 

During the day on 17 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.[2]

In violation of the respective withdrawal lines in government-controlled areas, the SMM saw on 16 September two tanks (T-72) being transported by MAZ trucks south-east near Heivka (27km north-west of Luhansk) and, later, being transported east near Nyzhnoteple (26km north of Luhansk). In non-government-controlled areas, aerial imagery revealed the presence on 14 September of 15 multiple launch rocket systems (type unknown) about 6km south-east of Miusynsk (62km south-west of Luhansk).

Beyond the withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites, in a non-government-controlled area, aerial imagery revealed the presence on 14 September of 29 howitzers (17 self-propelled and 12 towed) and 16 tanks about 6km south-east of Miusynsk. Of these, 15 self-propelled howitzers and five tanks were grouped in at least three positions within 2.5km of the main parking area, in locations previously observed to be empty.

The SMM revisited an “LPR” heavy weapons permanent storage site beyond withdrawal lines. The SMM noted that seven towed howitzers (D-30 Lyagushka, 122mm) were again missing.

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles[3] and other indications of military presence in the security zone. In government-controlled areas the SMM saw, on 16 September, two armoured personnel carriers (APC) (BRDM-2 and BTR-4) stationary near Makarove (19km north-east of Luhansk), and an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (BMP-1) stationary near Shchastia (20km north of Luhansk) and an APC (BRDM-2) travelling from Novozvanivka (70km west of Luhansk) toward Troitske (69km west of Luhansk).

The SMM again facilitated and monitored clearance of mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO), co-ordinated by the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC), of the M03 road between Svitlodarsk and Debaltseve (58km north-east of Donetsk). Demining teams of the State Emergency Service and from non-government-controlled areas cleared the section of the road between the forward positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and those of the armed formations, while the SMM monitored from a distance. The removal of mines allowed the SMM to travel between Svitlodarsk and Debaltseve.

The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repairs and maintenance, co-ordinated by the JCCC, to water pipelines in Zolote on 16 September.

The SMM visited a border area not under government control. On 16 September, during one hour at a border crossing point near Izvaryne (52km south-east of Luhansk), the SMM saw 31 cars (23 with Ukrainian and eight with Russian Federation licence plates) and four covered trucks (with Ukrainian licence plates), as well as 45 civilians queuing to exit Ukraine. During the SMM’s presence, it observed 100 pedestrians and two passenger buses with Ukrainian licence plates exiting Ukraine, as well as five cars (four with Ukrainian and one with Russian Federation licence plates), one bus (with Ukrainian licence plates) and approximately 50 pedestrians entering Ukraine.

In Odessa city on 17 September, the SMM observed around 130 people at a peaceful gathering in front of the regional state administration building. According to a police spokesperson, the gathering related to a fire at a children's camp in southern Odessa city on the night of 15-16 September. The SMM saw two people addressing the crowd, stating that they had met with the regional authorities and discussed the official response to the fire and the associated investigations. The SMM observed a calm situation with approximately 50 police officers, 15-20 of whom were wearing riot gear. At the entrance doors of the Odessa city hall, the Mission saw six broken panes of glass, assessed as a result of clashes which, according to media and police reports, had taken place on 16 September between police and demonstrators.

The SMM continued monitoring in Kherson, 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, 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 16 September, armed persons in “DPR”-controlled Novoazovsk (40km east of Mariupol) prevented the SMM from entering the city. The Mission informed the JCCC and, after receiving guarantees from the JCCC that it would be allowed to access the city, re‑attempted to enter the city. Its access was again denied by the same individuals. The Mission again informed the JCCC.

Related to disengagement areas and mines/UXO:

• On both 16 and 17 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 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 16 and 17 September, the SMM was prevented from accessing secondary roads south of the Zolote disengagement area due to the possible presence of mines and 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 16 and 17 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 16 and 17 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 16 and 17 September, 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 both times.

Conditional access:

• On 16 September at a checkpoint near Horlivka, armed “DPR” members stopped an SMM patrol and asked it to open the trunk of the leading vehicle. The SMM complied with the initial request, but refused to exhibit the contents of its toolbox. The SMM was allowed to proceed. The SMM informed the JCCC.

 

[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.

* 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] Addendum to SMM Daily Report 9 September 2017: In violation of withdrawal lines in non-government-controlled areas, an SMM mini-UAV spotted 13 stationary MLRS (BM-21) near Lisne (67km south-west of Luhansk) on 4 September.

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