Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 26 September 2017

This report is for the media and the general public.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region compared with the previous 24 hours and no ceasefire violations in Luhansk region. The Mission observed damage to buildings from gunfire in Dokuchaievsk. It continued monitoring the disengagement areas and recorded a ceasefire violation near the Petrivske disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas and elsewhere, including in Horlivka.* The SMM saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Khlibodarivka and Muratove, and in Oleksandropil. Aerial imagery revealed the presence of over 180 tanks and howitzers in non-government-controlled areas, as well as new trenches near Vodiane and the road M03 between Svitlodarsk and Debaltseve. The Mission facilitated and monitored repairs and maintenance of essential infrastructure in Shchastia, near Artema, and between Marinka and Oleksandrivka. It visited three border areas outside of government control. The SMM continued to monitor the situation of schools near the contact line.

In Donetsk region the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations,[1] including about 50 explosions, compared with the previous 24 hours (over 170 explosions).

On the evening of 25 September the SMM camera at the Donetsk Filtration Station (15km north of Donetsk) recorded, in sequence, one undetermined explosion, two tracer rounds in flight from west to east, and two explosions assessed as outgoing rounds, all 1-3km south. On the afternoon of 26 September, the same camera recorded nine undetermined explosions 1km south.

On the evening of 25 September the SMM camera in government-controlled Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk) recorded, in sequence, one projectile in flight from south-east to north-west, five projectiles from north-west to south-east, two undetermined explosions, 12 projectiles from north-west to south-east, six tracer rounds in flight from south-east to north-west, one undetermined explosion, one airburst, six projectiles from north-west to south-east, and one undetermined explosion, followed by an aggregated total of 19 projectiles (17 from south-east to north-west, two from north-west to south-east), all 3-5km east-south-east. During the day on 26 September, positioned in Avdiivka for five and a half hours, the SMM heard ten undetermined explosions, as well as bursts of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all 1-4km east-south-east and south. In the late afternoon, the SMM camera in Avdiivka recorded two undetermined explosions 2-3km north-north-east.

On the evening of 25 September, while in government-controlled Svitlodarsk (57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard eight undetermined explosions, as well as shots and bursts of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all 1-5km south-east and south. On the afternoon of 26 September, while at the same location, the SMM heard 11 undetermined explosions 2-5km east-south-east.

In the early morning of 26 September the SMM camera in Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) recorded, in sequence, six tracer rounds in flight from east to west, eight tracer rounds from west to east, one tracer round from east to west, four tracer rounds from west to east, seven tracer rounds from east to west, 15 tracer rounds from west to east, one tracer round from south-west to north-east, and four tracer rounds from east to west, all at undetermined distances north.

During the day on 26 September, positioned in “DPR”-controlled Pikuzy (formerly Kominternove, 23km north-east of Mariupol), the SMM heard one explosion assessed as an outgoing mortar round 1km north-north-west.

Shortly after noon, the SMM camera 1km north of Pyshchevyk (84km south of Donetsk) recorded one explosion assessed as an impact 700m south-south-west, about 500m north of the entry-exit checkpoint in Pyshchevyk, where pedestrians were present.

In Luhansk region the SMM recorded no ceasefire violations.

The SMM observed damage to buildings from gunfire in “DPR”-controlled Dokuchaievsk (30km south-west of Donetsk). At the Hotel Mriya on Nezalezhnosti Street, the SMM saw a hole (50cm diameter) in the west-facing roof, seven broken windows and shrapnel damage on the south-facing wall, a cut gas pipeline, and shrapnel damage to other exterior surfaces. The Mission assessed that all of the damage had been caused by infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (BMP-2) cannon (30mm) fire from a westerly direction. The hotel’s manager told the SMM that a hotel employee had said that shooting had occurred the previous night, and that “DPR” members and a Russian Federation Armed Forces officer of the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) had already removed all shrapnel from the site earlier in the morning. Two Russian Federation Armed Forces officers of the JCCC told the Mission that they had been in the hotel at the time of the shooting, but that no casualties had occurred.

At a building at 21 Nezalezhnosti Street (about 50m from the hotel), accompanied by the officers of the JCCC, the SMM saw minor damage to the west-south-west-facing staircase outside the entrance, a wall on the right side of the entrance, and a west-south-west-facing roof, as well as two broken windows (one at the entrance and another on the second floor). The Mission assessed that the damage had been caused by IFV (BMP-2) cannon fire from a westerly direction. The SMM also saw a broken south-south-east-facing window and, in the adjacent room, a dent in a wall and several broken objects (including a computer, mirror, and radio). The Mission assessed that the damage had been caused by IFV (BMP-2) cannon fire from a southerly direction.

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 morning of 26 September, positioned in government-controlled Bohdanivka (41km south-west of Donetsk), the SMM heard one undetermined explosion at an unknown distance east-south-east, assessed as outside the disengagement area south-west of “DPR”-controlled Petrivske.

Positioned in and around the disengagement areas near government-controlled Stanytsia Luhanska and Zolote, 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 government-controlled areas, the SMM observed four stationary multiple launch rocket systems (BM-21 Grad, 122mm) in a compound near Khlibodarivka (65km south-west of Donetsk) and four anti-tank guided missile systems (9M113 Konkurs, 135mm), each mounted on an armoured personnel carrier (APC) (BRDM-2), travelling south near Muratove (51km north-west of Luhansk). On 25 September, an SMM mid-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted 21 self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) in Oleksandropil (43km north of Donetsk).

Beyond the respective withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites, in government-controlled areas on 25 September, the SMM saw four mortars (2B9 Vasilek, 82mm), each on a truck, travelling north-west near Yurkivka (86km north of Donetsk), and an SMM mid-range UAV spotted a surface-to-air missile system (9K35 Strela-10, 120mm) in Oleksandropil.

In non-government-controlled areas, aerial imagery revealed the presence on 25 September of 49 tanks (type unknown) about 4km south-east of Ternove (57km east of Donetsk), 42 tanks (type unknown) about 3km west of Manuilivka (65km east of Donetsk), 32 tanks (type unknown) about 2km north-east of Kruhlyk (65km south-west of Luhansk), and 34 howitzers (16 self-propelled and 18 towed) and 30 tanks (type unknown) and 73 military-type armoured vehicles near Myrne (28km south-west of Luhansk). On 22 September, an SMM mini UAV spotted nine mortars (three 120mm and six 82mm) near Myrne in positions that the Mission assessed as part of a live-fire exercise (outside the security zone). (See SMM Daily Report 26 September 2017.)

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles[2] and military-type armoured vehicles in the security zone. In government-controlled areas the SMM saw an APC (BRDM-2) travelling south near Muratove and an APC (BRDM-2) travelling east near Zolote. Aerial imagery revealed the presence on 22 September of two military-type armoured vehicles near Troitske (69km west of Luhansk) and one military-type armoured vehicle near Vodiane (19km north-east of Mariupol), and on 25 September of a military-type armoured vehicle near Svitlodarsk.

In non-government-controlled areas, the SMM saw a stationary APC (BTR-70) near Dovhe (22km north-west of Luhansk). Aerial imagery revealed the presence on 22 September of one military-type armoured vehicle near Veselohorivka (64km west of Luhansk) and on 18 September of a trench less than 1km south-east of Vodiane, assessed as the recent extension (compared with imagery from 9 September) of a “DPR” position.

Aerial imagery revealed the presence on 25 September of two extended trenches on the side of road M03 between Svitlodarsk and “DPR”-controlled Debaltseve (58km north-east of Donetsk), not present in imagery from 20 August.

The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repairs and maintenance work, co-ordinated by the JCCC, to the thermal power plant in government-controlled Shchastia (20km north of Luhansk), the Petrivske water pumping station near government-controlled Artema (26km north of Luhansk), and water supply tubes between government-controlled Marinka (23km south-west of Donetsk) and “DPR”-controlled Oleksandrivka (20km south-west of Donetsk).

The SMM visited three border areas outside government control. During one hour at a border crossing point near Uspenka (73km south-east of Donetsk), the SMM saw 36 cars (ten with Ukrainian, 11 with Russian Federation, and one with German licence plates, and 14 with “DPR” plates), three mini-vans (two with Ukrainian and one with Russian Federation licence plates), one mini-bus (with Ukrainian licence plates), and 26 trucks with covered cargo areas (18 with Ukrainian, six with Belarusian, and two with Russian Federation licence plates) exiting Ukraine, and 37 cars (16 with Ukrainian, ten with Russian Federation, one with Belarusian, and one with Azerbaijan licence plates, and nine with “DPR” plates), one truck with a covered cargo area (with Ukrainian licence plates), and five fuel trucks (all with “DPR” plates) entering Ukraine. During five minutes at a border crossing point near Ulianivske (61km south-east of Donetsk), the SMM did not see any traffic.

On 25 September, during one and a half hours at a border crossing point near Dovzhanske (84km south-east of Luhansk), the SMM saw 59 cars (45 with Ukrainian and nine with Russian Federation licence plates, and five with “LPR” plates), two buses (both with Ukrainian licence plates), four trucks with covered cargo areas (all with Ukrainian licence plates), and 11 pedestrians (five men aged about 50, six women aged 20-50) exiting Ukraine, and 15 cars (eight with Ukrainian and seven with Russian Federation licence plates), two buses (both with Ukrainian licence plates), five trucks with covered cargo areas (all with Ukrainian licence plates), and nine pedestrians (six women aged 30-50, three men aged 20-60) entering Ukraine.

The SMM continued to monitor the situation at schools near the contact line. On 25 September, the staff of three kindergartens in “DPR”-controlled Panteleimonivka (26km north-east of Donetsk) told the Mission that the number of children enrolled – currently 111, 54, and 40 respectively – had decreased by about 30 percent since the conflict began, and that all three kindergartens have areas designated as shelters in case of shelling.

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, 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:

• A woman at a school in “DPR”-controlled Horlivka (39km north-east of Donetsk) told the SMM that her supervisor had instructed her that the SMM needed to obtain permission from a “DPR” member to visit the school. 

  Related to disengagement areas and mines/UXO:

  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.

• 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.

• 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.

• The possible presence of mines and UXO prevented the SMM from accessing the road leading west from Petrivske. The Mission 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 said there were mines on the road south of the bridge. The SMM informed the JCCC.

[1] Please see the annexed table for complete breakdown of the ceasefire violations as well as 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.