Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 18 September 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 24 hours. The Mission followed up on reports of a civilian casualty from Dmytrivka. It continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske and recorded ceasefires violation near the Zolote and Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement areas. Its access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere, including near Mykolaivka.* It facilitated and monitored repairs and maintenance of essential infrastructure near Shchastia, Zolote and Slovianoserbsk. The Mission continued to monitor the situation of schools near the contact line. The SMM visited two border areas not under government control. The Mission followed up on reports that a member of a non-governmental organization (NGO) in Kharkiv had been attacked. It monitored the closing session of a trial in relation to events in Odessa on 2 May 2014 and continued to follow up on reports of a fire at a children’s camp in Odessa.

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations,[1] including 22 explosions, compared with the previous 24 hours (16 explosions).

On the evening of 17 September, the SMM camera at the Donetsk Filtration Station (15km north of Donetsk) recorded, in sequence, three undetermined explosions, two tracer rounds in flight from east to west and two undetermined explosions, all 1-3km south.

On the evening of 17 September, while in government-controlled Svitlodarsk (57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard six bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire 1-2km south-south-east.

On the evening and night of 17-18 September, the SMM camera in Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) recorded, in sequence, one tracer round in flight from east to west, four tracer rounds from west to east, 12 tracer rounds from east to west, one rocket-assisted projectile in flight from west to east, one rocket-assisted projectile from east to west, ten tracer rounds from east to west, 11 tracer rounds from west to east, 11 tracer rounds from east to west and one rocket-assisted projectile from east to west, all at unknown distances north.

On the evening and night of 17-18 September, the SMM camera in government-controlled Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk) recorded, in sequence, one undetermined explosion, three projectiles in flight from south-west to north-east, one undetermined explosion, nine tracer rounds in flight from west to east, two projectiles from west to east and three projectiles from north-west to south-east, all 3-5km east-south-east. On 18 September, positioned in Avdiivka, the SMM heard 13 undetermined explosions 1-3km south.

On 18 September, positioned about 2km south-west of government-controlled Pyshchevyk (25km north-east of Mariupol) the SMM heard two undetermined explosions and one burst of heavy-machine-gun fire, all at unknown distances south-south-east. Positioned about 1km north-north-west of Pyshchevyk, the SMM heard 20 shots of infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (BMP-2) cannon (30mm) fire at unknown distances south-east.

In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including, however, a similar number of explosions (about 40), compared with the previous 24 hours.

On 18 September, positioned 800m east of government-controlled Dmytrivka (43km north of Luhansk), the SMM heard 40 undetermined explosions and 20 shots of heavy-machine-gun fire, all 2km north-west and assessed as part of a live-fire exercise.

The SMM followed up on reports of a civilian casualty. Medical staff at a hospital in government-controlled Novoaidar (49km north-west of Luhansk) told the SMM that a 38-year-old man from Dmytrivka had been admitted to the hospital on 6 September with injuries from the detonation of unexploded ordnance (UXO). They said that he had lost one eye and had undergone surgery to amputate both legs above the knee and his left hand. After surgery, they said, his condition remained critical but stable. The head of the Dmytrivka village council recounted the same information and added that the UXO had exploded at the man’s house in Dmytrivka. The SMM was not able to visit the house due to security restrictions.

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 16 September, the SMM camera in government-controlled Zolote recorded one tracer round in flight from north to south 2.5km east, assessed as outside the disengagement area.

On the night of 17-18 September, while on the eastern edge of government-controlled Stanytsia Luhanska, the SMM heard an undetermined explosion 5km south, assessed as outside the disengagement area.

On 18 September, positioned north of the disengagement area near Zolote, and in government-controlled Bohdanivka (41km south-west of Donetsk), west of the Petrivske disengagement area, 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.

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 from the SMM to the signatories of the Package of Measures on effective monitoring and verification of the withdrawal of heavy weapons. In government-controlled areas beyond the respective withdrawal lines, the SMM observed eight self-propelled howitzers (2S19 Msta-S, 152mm), 12 towed howitzers (2A65 Msta-B, 152mm), and noted that 12 anti-tank guns (D48, 85mm), 18 self-propelled howitzers (2S3, Akatsiya, 152mm), 72 towed howitzers (28 D20, 152mm, 25 2A65 and 19 2A36, Giatsint, 152mm) were again missing. The SMM also noted that four self-propelled howitzers (2S19) were missing for the first time.

In non-government-controlled areas beyond the respective withdrawal lines, the SMM observed five self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm), and noted that 11 multiple launch rocket systems (BM-21 Grad, 122mm) and two self-propelled howitzers (2S1) were again missing. The SMM also noted for the first time that one such site was abandoned with nine self-propelled howitzers (2S1) and two anti-tank guns (MT-12 Rapira, 100mm) missing.

The SMM revisited permanent storage sites, whose locations were beyond the respective withdrawal lines. At two sites in areas outside government control in Donetsk region, the SMM noted that 25 tanks (20 T-64 and five T-72) were again missing. At a Ukrainian Armed Forces site, the SMM noted that 14 mortars (2B11 Sani, 120mm) were again missing.

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles, an anti-aircraft weapon,[2] and fresh tracks assessed as those of howitzers in the security zone. In government-controlled areas: on 17 September, an SMM mid-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted two stationary armoured personnel carriers (APC) (one BRDM-2 and one MTLB) near Zolote; the SMM saw a stationary flatbed truck mounted with an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23, 23mm) and two IFVs (BMP-2) travelling south near Novozvanivka (70km west of Luhansk); on 18 September, the SMM saw fresh tracks assessed as those of four self-propelled howitzers (2S3) on the road between Midna Ruda (69km north-east of Donetsk) and Vidrodzhennia (58km north-east of Donetsk).

The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repairs and maintenance, co-ordinated by the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC), to water pipelines in Zolote, the thermal power plant in Shchastia, and water wells near “LPR”-controlled Slovianoserbsk (28km north-west of Luhansk).

The SMM continued to monitor the situation at schools near the contact line in government-controlled areas, where the SMM visited schools in Maiorsk (45km north-east of Donetsk), Poltavka (54km north-west of Donetsk) and Mariupol (102km south of Donetsk).

At a kindergarten building in Maiorsk, a man (in his thirties) wearing military-style camouflage fatigues, told the SMM that the kindergarten was no longer functioning and that the first floor of the building is being used as a military medical service and, since May 2016, the second is used by the civil-military administration. The secretary of the civil-military administration told the SMM that the kindergarten had closed in 2014 due to its proximity to the contact line and that the civil-military administration organizes transport for children from the surrounding villages to go to a school in government-controlled Opytne (63km north-east of Donetsk).

The head of Poltavka village told the SMM that the village school had closed on 1 September due to the low number of children enrolled (23); however, the kindergarten, which is located within the school premises, was still functioning. A kindergarten teacher told the SMM that there were six children (two boys and four girls) enrolled. The SMM saw military-type trucks and military personnel in a military compound opposite the school.

The director of a school in Mariupol told the SMM that the school risked closure due to the declining number of pupils enrolled. The SMM saw a fenced military compound just north of the school which also occupies the school’s playground.

The SMM visited border areas not under government control. At a border crossing point near Uspenka (73km south-east of Donetsk), in about half an hour, the SMM saw 37 cars (19 with Russian Federation and 14 with Ukrainian licence plates, and four with “DPR” plates), one minivan (with “DPR” plates) and one covered cargo truck (with Russian Federation licence plates) in a queue to exit Ukraine and 22 cars (seven with Russian Federation, ten with Ukrainian, one with Greek and one with Georgian licence plates, and two with “DPR” plates and one marked “South Ossetia”), three minivans (with Ukrainian licence plates), one covered cargo truck (with Russian Federation licence plates), five school buses (four with Ukrainian licence plates and one with “DPR” plates) escorted by two cars (with “DPR” plates) enter Ukraine.

At the Ulianivske pedestrian border crossing point (61km south-east of Donetsk), in about 15 minutes, the SMM saw two pedestrians (both men) exiting Ukraine.

The SMM followed up on reports of an attack on a member of the Kharkiv Anti-Corruption Centre NGO. At Hospital no. 4 in Kharkiv, a 26-year-old man told the SMM that at about 10:00, near his home on Kotsarska Street in Kharkiv, he had been approached by two men (in their forties). He said that he was suddenly punched by one of them on the left side of his head and fell to the floor where he was repeatedly kicked in the head and chest. He said he had heard them say “if you continue your activity, we will kill you” (in the Russian language) after which they ran away. The police told the SMM that a criminal investigation had been initiated under Article 296 of the Criminal Code for “Hooliganism”. This is the second incident involving members of the Kharkiv Anti-Corruption Centre NGO this month. (See SMM Daily Report 1 September 2017.)

In Chornomorsk (formerly Illichivsk, 20km south of Odessa), at the municipal court, the SMM monitored the closing session of a trial of 19 people in relation to events in Odessa on 2 May 2014. The SMM saw about 80 people present (mostly men aged 18-55), the majority of whom wore clothing with symbols of the Right Sector, Street Front, and other groups. Media representatives were also present. The SMM saw about 140 police and National Guard officers outside the courthouse as well as four police buses and seven National Guard buses parked nearby. At around 16:10, the court declared the 19 defendants not guilty. Outside the courthouse, the SMM saw members of the above groups build a barricade with cinder blocks, wooden loading pallets, concrete blocks, and two large cylindrical iron structures in order to obstruct a bus, which the SMM understood was to be used to transport those who were found not guilty. The SMM saw some members of the above groups shouting and chasing the Russian Federation Consul General, who was escorted away from the area by the police. At about 17:45, some group members tried to break through a police cordon and the SMM saw a man spray tear gas and throw a fire cracker towards the police. The police then repelled a second attempt to break the cordon by using tear gas. At about 17:50, group members rushed towards a police bus, which then departed without further incident. At about 18:05, National Guard and police officers formed a cordon on two sides of the road leading from the courthouse. At about 18:20, a police officer told the SMM that those who had been acquitted had safely departed the area. The mother of one of the acquitted told the SMM that two of the 19 had been detained again. At around 18:25, most people had left the area and the situation was calm.

The SMM visited the children’s camp in southern Odessa city where a fire had killed three people on the night of 15-16 September. (See SMM Daily Report 18 September 2017.) The SMM saw a building at Dacha Kovalevskoho Street 93 that had been completely destroyed by fire, except for two metal staircases which had remained in place. The SMM also saw minor fire damage on the exterior of an adjacent building. A police officer told the Mission that an investigation was ongoing.

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

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.
• On 18 September, the possible presence of mines and UXO prevented the SMM from accessing the road leading west from Petrivske. The Mission informed the JCCC.

Delay:

• The SMM was stopped at a checkpoint at the eastern entrance of “DPR”-controlled Mykolaivka (39km north-east of Mariupol) and prevented from proceeding by three armed persons who cited instructions from their superiors. The SMM informed the JCCC and was able to proceed after 43 minutes.

 

[1] or 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.