Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 2 October 2017

This report is for the media and the general public.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region compared with the previous 24 hours and no ceasefire violations in Luhansk region. The Mission followed up further on reports of civilian casualties in Mariupol and Shchastia.  The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote, and Petrivske, and recorded a calm situation in all three. Its access remained restricted in the three disengagement areas and in Boikovske.* In violation of the withdrawal lines, an SMM unmanned aerial vehicle spotted a tank behind a house in Verkhnoshyrokivske. The SMM visited a heavy weapons permanent storage site; it also observed weapons outside designated storage sites. The Mission facilitated and monitored repairs and maintenance of the thermal power plant in Shchastia, water pipelines in Zolote, a pumping station near Artema, water wells near Krasnyi Lyman and the railway station in Verkhnotoretske. The Mission visited two border areas not under government control.

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations,[1] including 23 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (13 explosions).

On the evening of 1 October, the SMM camera in government-controlled Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk) recorded, in sequence, 50 tracer rounds in flight from west to east and three tracer rounds from east to west, all 3-4km east-south-east. The following day, the same camera recorded an undetermined explosion 3-5km east-south-east.

On the night of 1-2 October, the SMM camera in Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) recorded, in sequence, one tracer round in flight from east to west, one tracer round from west to east, one tracer round from east to west, six tracer rounds from west to east, 74 tracer rounds and one rocket-assisted projectile in flight from east to west, two tracer rounds from west to east, one impact explosion, one illumination flare in flight from east to west, one illumination flare and three tracer rounds from west to east, two outgoing explosions, 38 tracer rounds and one illumination flare from east to west, 12 tracer rounds from west to east, 25 tracer rounds from east to west, two tracer rounds from west to east, and seven tracer rounds from east to west, all at undetermined distances north.

Positioned in government-controlled Marinka (23km south-west of Donetsk) on 2 October, the SMM heard nine undetermined explosions and ten bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire, 1-3km east.

In Luhansk region the SMM recorded no ceasefire violations. The SMM recorded 11 ceasefire violations including four explosions during the previous reporting period.

The SMM followed up further on reports of civilian casualties. Police in Mariupol informed the SMM that on 11 September a man (aged 47) had been killed in the city’s Livoberezhnyi district following an explosion in his apartment attributed to a hand grenade. Staff at a morgue in Mariupol told the SMM they had received the body of a man for autopsy.

A Ukrainian Armed Forces officer in government-controlled Starobilsk (85km north of Luhansk) told the SMM that a man had been shot on 6 September while crossing the Shchastia bridge. Previously, a Ukrainian Armed Forces officer of the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) had told the SMM that, on 6 September, a man had been shot by the Ukrainian Armed Forces while crossing the Shchastia bridge. Medical staff at a hospital in Shchastia told the SMM that the man had been brought to the hospital by Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers on 6 September and had died from severe haemorrhage, adding that the man had three wounds in the lower part of his body.

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.*

Positioned in 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 non-government-controlled Verkhnoshyrokivske (formerly Oktiabr, 87km south of Donetsk), an SMM mid-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted a tank (T-64) in the backyard of a house. Near “LPR”-controlled Khrustalnyi (formerly Krasnyi Luch, 56km south-west of Luhansk), the SMM saw ten multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) (BM-21 Grad, 122mm).

Beyond the respective withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites, in government-controlled areas, the SMM observed 14 tanks – six T-64 moving south near Bakhmut (formerly Artemivsk, 67km north of Donetsk), one (type unknown) stationary near Zatyshne (64km south-west of Donetsk) and seven (type unknown) stationary near Andriivka (61km south of Donetsk); the SMM observed the latter seven positioned 50-70m apart in a treeline. Near Kalynove (former Kalinine; 65km south-west of Donetsk), the SMM observed eight self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm). Near Rivnopil (65km south-west of Donetsk), the SMM observed 12 multiple MLRS (BM-21) and in Azovske (22km south-west of Mariupol), the SMM observed four towed howitzers (2A36 Giatsint-B, 152mm).

The SMM revisited an “LPR” heavy weapons permanent storage site beyond withdrawal lines. The SMM noted that one towed howitzer (2A65 Msta-B, 152mm), three propelled howitzers (2S1), four MLRS (BM-21), and five towed howitzers (D-30 Lyagushka, 122mm) were missing. Additional weapons were observed at the site for the first time.                                                                                                         

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles[2] in the security zone. In government-controlled areas on 29 September, the SMM’s mid-range UAV spotted an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (BMP-1) and an armoured personnel carrier (APC) (BTR-70) near Myronivka (64km north-east of Donetsk). On 2 October, the SMM observed an IFV (BMP-1) next to a checkpoint in Myronivka, three IFV (BMP-2) near Andriivka and one IFV (BMP-2) loaded on a northbound flatbed truck in Zolote.

In non-government-controlled areas on 1 October, the SMM’s mid-range UAV spotted an APC (BTR-70) near Verkhnoshyrokivske and another APC (MT-LB) near Kulykove (85km south of Donetsk). Also on 1 October, the SMM observed a stationary IFV (BMP-2) at an “LPR” checkpoint near Vesela Hora (16km north of Luhansk).

The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repairs and maintenance, co-ordinated by the JCCC, to the thermal power plant in Shchastia, water pipelines in Zolote, the Petrivske water pumping station near government-controlled Artema (26km north of Luhansk), water wells near “LPR”-controlled Krasnyi Lyman (30km north-west of Luhansk) and the railway station in government-controlled Verkhnotoretske (23km north-east of Donetsk).

In Novooleksandrivka (65km west of Luhansk) three residents (men aged between 45 and 60 years old) told the SMM that they needed coal for the winter, as it was becoming more difficult to obtain wood for heating.

At the cargo railway station in “LPR”-controlled Dovzhansk (formerly Sverdlovsk, 60km south-east of Luhansk) – about 12km from the border – the SMM saw about 50 stationary railroad wagons filled with coal.

The SMM visited two border areas not under government control. During the course of about an hour at the border crossing point near Dovzhanske (84km south-east of Luhansk), the SMM observed eight cars (five with Ukrainian and three with Russian Federation licence plates), two buses (both with Ukrainian licence plates), seven trucks (all with Ukrainian licence plates and with covered cargo areas), and 14 pedestrians (men and women, aged 20‑60) entering Ukraine, as well as twelve cars (seven with Ukrainian, two with Russian Federation and one with Azerbaijan licence plates, as well as one with “LPR” plates and one with “DPR” plates), two buses (both with Ukrainian licence plates), one truck (with Ukrainian licence plates and a covered cargo area), and six pedestrians (five men and one woman, aged 20-55) exiting Ukraine.

Positioned at the border crossing point near Marynivka (78km east of Donetsk) for about 30 minutes, the SMM observed 15 cars (nine with Ukrainian and three with Russian Federation licence plates, and three with “DPR” plates) entering Ukraine as well as 17 cars exiting 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, 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:

• Two unarmed “DPR” members stopped an SMM patrol near “DPR”-controlled Boikivske (formerly Telmanove, 67km south-east of Donetsk) and said the road was blocked due to training activity.

Related to disengagement areas and mines/UXO:

• 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 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 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 could not travel across the bridge in government-controlled 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 report for a complete breakdown of the ceasefire violations as well as a 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.