Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 24 September 2017

This report is for the media and the general public.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region between the evenings of 22 and 23 September compared with the previous reporting period. Between the evenings of 23 and 24 September the Mission recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region compared with the previous 24 hours. In Luhansk region, on 22 September the SMM recorded one ceasefire violation and no other ceasefire violations during the rest of the reporting period. The SMM assessed damage to civilian properties in residential areas in Horlivka and Hranitne, and followed up on an incident at an ammunition depot in Novoianysol. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote, and Petrivske, and recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere. It facilitated the extinguishing of a fire in an area between Katerynivka and Molodizhne. The SMM visited three border areas outside government control.

In Donetsk region, between the evenings of 22 and 23 September, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations,[1] including, however, more explosions (33), compared with the previous reporting period (eight explosions). Between the evenings of 23 and 24 September the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including 54 explosions, compared with the previous 24 hours.

On the evening and night of 22-23 September, the SMM camera at the Donetsk Filtration Station (15km north of Donetsk) recorded, in sequence, five tracer rounds in flight from east to west, two tracer rounds from south-east to north-west, one undetermined explosion, five tracer rounds from east to west, one undetermined explosion and nine tracer rounds from east to west, all 0.5-4km south and south-south-west. On the evening and night of 23-24 September, the same camera recorded, in sequence, three tracer rounds in flight from east to west, two tracer rounds from west to east, two undetermined explosions, two projectiles in flight from west to east and eight projectiles from east to west, all 1km south.

On the night of 23 September, the SMM camera in government-controlled Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk) recorded 12 tracer rounds in flight from west to east 4-5km east-south-east. During the day on 23 September, the same camera recorded one undetermined explosion 4-5km east-south-east. On the same day, positioned in Avdiivka, the SMM heard three undetermined explosions 2-2.5km south-east. During the day on 24 September, it heard 11 undetermined explosions 2-3km east-south-east.  

On the evening and night of 22-23 September, the SMM camera in Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) recorded, in sequence, one tracer round in flight from west to east and a subsequent impact, seven tracer rounds from east to west, one undetermined explosion, one tracer round from west to east, 18 tracer rounds from east to west, one tracer round from west to east, ten tracer rounds from east to west, one rocket-assisted projectile from east to west and two tracer rounds from east to west, all at unknown distances north.

On the evening and night of 23-24 September, the SMM camera in Shyrokyne recorded, in sequence, four tracer rounds in flight from south-east to north-west, two tracer rounds from north-west to south-east, followed by aggregate totals of 19 tracer rounds from south-east to north-west, 19 tracer rounds from north-west to south-east, 42 tracer rounds from west to east, five tracer rounds from east to west, three rocket-assisted projectiles in flight (one from east to west, two from west to east) and two illumination flares in vertical flight, all at unknown distances north.

During the day on 23 September, positioned 1km north-north-west of government-controlled Pyshchevyk (25km north-east of Mariupol), the SMM heard one undetermined explosion 2-3km east. During the day on 24 September, it heard one undetermined explosion at an unknown distance south-east.

During the evening on 22 September, while in government-controlled Svitlodarsk (57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard 17 explosions (five assessed as impacts of mortar (82mm) rounds, three as impacts of automatic-grenade-launcher rounds, three as impacts of rounds from undetermined weapon systems; the remainder undetermined) 3-4km south-east. During the day and evening on 23 September, the SMM heard two undetermined explosions 6km south-east, at least 200 bursts and shots of small-arms fire, 35 explosions assessed as impacts of mortar (82mm and 120mm) rounds and one undetermined explosion, all 4-5km south.

During the day on 23 September, in “DPR”-controlled Horlivka (39km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard six undetermined explosions 5-10km south-west.

In Luhansk region, on 22 September the SMM recorded one ceasefire violation (explosion). The SMM recorded no ceasefire violations in Luhansk region during the rest of the reporting period.

The SMM followed up on reports of damage to civilian properties in residential areas.

On 22 September, the SMM visited two fresh impact sites in Horlivka. At 26/1 Heine Street the SMM saw a hole in the frame of a north-north-west facing window, a hole in the inner frame of the same window, and damage to a wall opposite the window inside the house. The SMM assessed it as caused by heavy-machine-gun (12.7mm) rounds fired from a north-north-westerly direction. The residents of the house (a woman, aged 50, and her daughter, aged 20) told the SMM that they had heard gunfire at approximately 22:30 on 19 September. At 3 Raskovoi Street, the SMM saw a hole in the lower part of the metal gate of a house, assessed as caused by heavy-machine-gun (12.7mm) rounds fired from a north-north-westerly direction.  

On 23 September, accompanied by Ukrainian Armed Forces officers of the Joint Centre for Control and Co-operation (JCCC), the SMM visited government-controlled Hranitne (60km south of Donetsk). At 10b Karla Marksa Street, the SMM saw that part of the roof had caught fire and collapsed. The resident of the house (a man, aged 72) told the SMM that at about 21:45 on 22 September he had heard three to four bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire.

The SMM followed up on reports of an incident at an ammunition depot in government-controlled Novoianysol (30km north-west of Mariupol). On 23 September, in Novoianysol, the SMM saw remnants of ammunition scattered in the village, including those of artillery (122mm and 152mm), mortar (120mm), tank, anti-tank gun (100mm), rocket-propelled grenade launcher (RPG-7), and multiple-launch-rocket-system (MLRS). The SMM saw also about 200 Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel, as well as military and civilian ambulances, fire trucks, and demining vehicles. Residents and the head of the local branch of the State Emergency Service separately told the SMM that at 14:26 on 22 September, a local farmer had started a fire in the eastern part of the village. They explained that, due to the strong winds, the fire had quickly spread and reached an ammunition depot at about 350-400m east of a residential area, causing an explosion. On 24 September, the SMM assessed six impact sites in Novoianysol. At 2, 3, 5 and 7 Svitankova Street, the SMM saw damage to the south-facing part of roofs and outside walls. At 4 Urozhaina Street, the SMM saw multiple small impacts that had perforated a metal fence. At 19 Polova Street, it saw damage to the south-facing part of a barn and the resident (a woman, aged 70-80) showed the SMM at least ten remnants of ammunition that she said she had picked up, including one unexploded grenade (23mm).

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.*

During the night of 21-22 September, the SMM camera in government-controlled Zolote (60km north-west of Luhansk) recorded one undetermined explosion 3-7km east, assessed as outside the disengagement area.

During the day on 23 and 24 September, positioned at the disengagement areas near government-controlled Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and non-government-controlled Petrivske, 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, the SMM saw three self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) and saw as present for the first time three mortars (2B9 Vasilek, 82mm). It noted as missing for the first time three self-propelled howitzers (2S1). One holding area continued to be abandoned with seven towed howitzers (2A36 Giatsint-B, 152mm) missing. 

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles[2] in the security zone. In government-controlled areas, on 23 September, the SMM saw a stationary armoured personnel carrier (APC) (BRDM-2) in Muratove (51km north-west of Luhansk) and an APC (BRDM-2) on a flatbed trailer heading north 3km north of Kapitanove (49km north-west of Luhansk). On 24 September, the SMM saw two APCs (a BTR-4 and a BRDM) and an automatic-grenade-launcher stationary under camouflage netting at a checkpoint in Makarove (19km north-east of Luhansk).

The SMM observed remnants of ammunition. In areas outside government-control, on 24 September, the SMM saw again a mortar (120mm) shell on road E58 1km east of the crossroads leading to Sakhanka (24km north-east of Mariupol). (See SMM Daily Report 18 August 2017.)

The SMM observed mine action. On 23 September, on the northern edge of government-controlled Krasna Talivka (51km north-east of Luhansk), the SMM saw three teams from an international organization in a field west of the road wearing explosive ordnance disposal equipment and carrying mine probes and metal detectors.

The SMM facilitated and monitored the extinguishing of a fire, co-ordinated by the JCCC. On 22 September, a team of firefighters extinguished a fire in an area between government-controlled Katerynivka (64km west of Luhansk) and “LPR”-controlled Molodizhne (63km north-west of Luhansk).

The SMM visited three border areas outside government control. On 23 September, positioned at a border crossing point in Voznesenivka (formerly Chervonopartyzansk, 65km south-east of Luhansk) for about one hour, the SMM saw ten cars (all with Ukrainian licence plates) in a queue to exit Ukraine. It saw 19 cars (ten with Ukrainian and nine with Russian Federation licence plates), one bus (with Russian Federation licence plates, carrying a sign “Gukovo–Sverdlovsk”) and 16 pedestrians (ten women and six men) enter Ukraine. The SMM also saw 12 cars (nine with Ukrainian and three with Russian Federation licence plates) and 21 pedestrians (six men and 15 women) exit Ukraine.

On 24 September, positioned at a border crossing point in Izvaryne (52km south-east of Luhansk) for about one hour, the SMM saw three pedestrians (all men, aged 25-45) and 119 cars (74 with Ukrainian and 38 with Russian Federation licence plates, and seven with “LPR” plates) in a queue to exit Ukraine. The SMM saw 21 cars (14 with Ukrainian and seven with Russian Federation licence plates), 26 buses with no passengers on board (all with Ukrainian licence plates, including 22 marked as school buses) queueing in a priority lane to exit Ukraine. The bus drivers told the SMM that they were exiting Ukraine to pick up pupils from schools and drive them back to Ukraine. The SMM saw 17 cars (11 with Ukrainian and six with Russian Federation licence plates), two covered cargo trucks (with Ukrainian licence plates), and a bus (with Ukrainian licence plates carrying 40-45 passengers and a written sign in Russian “Luhansk-Kyiv”) enter Ukraine.

On 24 September, positioned for about 35 minutes at a border crossing point in Novoazovsk (40km east of Mariupol), the SMM observed two covered cargo trucks (with Ukrainian licence plates), seven cars (two with Ukrainian, four with Russian Federation and one with Polish licence plates) and one bus (with Ukrainian licence plates) in a queue to exit Ukraine. The SMM saw five cars vehicles (four with Ukrainian and one with Russian Federation licence plates) enter Ukraine.

The SMM continued monitoring in Kherson, Odessa, 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:

Related to disengagement areas and mines/UXO:

• On 23 and 24 September, 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 both times.

• On 23 and 24 September, 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 both times.

• On 23 and 24 September, 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 both times.

• On 23 and 24 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 23 and 24 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.

Delay:

• On 23 September, at a Ukrainian Armed Forces heavy weapons holding area, an officer denied the SMM entry. The SMM informed the JCCC. After 40 minutes, the SMM entered the area.

• On 24 September, armed persons denied the SMM access to “DPR”-controlled Novoazovsk at a checkpoint on road E58. The SMM informed the JCCC. After about one hour, the armed persons at the checkpoint granted the SMM access.

[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.