Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 3 October 2017

This report is for the media and the general public.

The SMM recorded overall fewer ceasefire violations, however, more explosions, in Donetsk region and more ceasefire violations in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM assessed damage to facilities at an entry-exit checkpoint in Maiorsk. 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 there and elsewhere.* In violation of the withdrawal lines, an SMM unmanned aerial vehicle spotted a probable mortar in Mykolaivka. The Mission facilitated and monitored repairs and maintenance of the thermal power plant in Shchastia, water pipelines in Zolote, a pumping station near Artema, and power lines near Novozvanivka. The Mission visited four border areas not under government control. The SMM monitored a peaceful gathering in Sievierodonetsk. It followed up on reports of a fire at a branch of Sberbank in Lviv.

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations,[1] including, however, more explosions (46), compared with the previous reporting period (23 explosions).

On the night of 2-3 October, the SMM camera in government-controlled Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk) recorded, in sequence, one projectile in flight from north-west to south-east, two projectiles from east to west and four projectiles from north-west to south-east, all 3-5km east-south-east. During the day on 3 October, positioned in Avdiivka, the SMM heard an undetermined explosion and 15 shots of small-arms fire 3-6km south-east and east-south-east.

On the night of 2-3 October, the SMM camera in Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) recorded, in sequence, three tracer rounds in flight from east to west, 13 tracer rounds from west to east, an undetermined explosion, two tracer rounds from west to east, three rocket-assisted projectiles (one from east to west and two from south-west to north-east), all at unknown distances north. During the day on 3 October, the same camera recorded eight explosions assessed as impacts, all at unknown distances north.

On the morning of 3 October, the SMM camera at the Donetsk Filtration Station (15km north of Donetsk) recorded three explosions assessed as impacts 1-2km south.

During the day on 3 October, positioned at the railway station in “DPR”-controlled Yasynuvata (16km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard nine undetermined explosions and three shots of small-arms fire, all 1-5km at directions ranging from west to north. Positioned at the south-western edge of Yasynuvata, the SMM heard 14 undetermined explosions, nine bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire and 15 shots of small-arms fire, all 3-6km at directions ranging from west to north.

During the day on 3 October, positioned in “DPR”-controlled Oleksandrivka (20km south-west of Donetsk), the SMM heard seven undetermined explosions 3-5km north-west.

During the day on 3 October, positioned at the central railway station in “DPR”-controlled Donetsk city (6km north-west of Donetsk city centre), the SMM heard an undetermined explosion 3-5km north-north-west. Positioned in the Trudivski area of Donetsk city’s Petrovskyi district (15km south-west of Donetsk city centre), the SMM heard an undetermined explosion 2-3km south-west.

During the morning of 3 October, positioned on the north-western edge of government-controlled Pavlopil (26km north-west of Mariupol), the SMM heard about 100 bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire, four shots of automatic-grenade-launcher fire, four shots of infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (BMP-2) cannon (30mm) fire and three bursts of small-arms fire, all 700m-2km north-north-east.

During the day on 3 October, positioned about 3km north-north-west of government-controlled Lebedynske (16km north-east of Mariupol), the SMM heard three explosions (two assessed as impacts and one as outgoing) 3km east.

During the day on 3 October, positioned in “DPR”-controlled Pikuzy (formerly Kominternove, 23km north-east of Mariupol), the SMM heard 20 shots of small-arms fire 500m west and three bursts of small-arms fire 300m north; it also heard two explosions assessed as impacts of mortar rounds 1km west. 

In Luhansk region the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including six explosions. There were no ceasefire violations in the previous reporting period.

During the evening on 2 October, while in government-controlled Popasna (69km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard six shots of IFV (BMP-2) cannon fire 5km south-east.

During the day on 3 October, positioned in government-controlled Loskutivka (72km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard three bursts of IFV (BMP-2) cannon fire and six undetermined explosions 8-10km south-west, assessed as part of a live-fire exercise.

The SMM followed up on reports of damage to facilities at an entry-exit checkpoint caused by gunfire. On 3 October, at a checkpoint in government-controlled Maiorsk (45km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM saw two holes in the south-east facing wall of a container belonging to the State Border Guard Service, as well as damage to a billboard located 2m north of the container and to a metal fence located 1.5m west of the container. The SMM assessed all the damage consistent with small-arms fire from a southerly direction. An official of the State Border Guard Service told the SMM that his staff had heard gunfire between 06:00 and 06:40 on 26 September and between 06:20 and 06:50 on 1 October. 

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 3 October, positioned in all three disengagement areas, the SMM observed calm situations.

On 2 October, the SMM saw two cameras inside the government-controlled area of the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. An officer of the Ukrainian Armed Forces told the SMM that they had installed them.  

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, an SMM mid-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted, on 2 October, a probable mortar (120mm) near Mykolaivka (40km south of Donetsk).

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles, anti-aircraft weapons,[2] tracks of military-type vehicles and other indications of military presence in the security zone. In government-controlled areas, the SMM saw, on 3 October, an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23, 23mm) mounted on a truck (Ural) 1.5km north-east of Novozvanivka (70km west of Luhansk) heading north. An SMM mid-range UAV spotted, on 2 October, five IFVs (BMP-2) and an armoured personnel carrier (APC) (MT-LB) near Mykolaivka; an IFV (BMP-2) and two APCs (an MT-LB variant and a BTR-80) near Novotroitske (36km south-west of Donetsk).  

In areas outside of government control, the SMM saw an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23) mounted on a truck (Kamaz) heading north near Smile (31km north-west of Luhansk); fresh tracks assessed as those of an IFV (BMP-variant) leading north near Smile; fresh tracks assessed as those of an APC (MT-LB) leading from south-west to north-east near Metalist (7km north-west of Luhansk); tracks assessed as those of a tank (T-80) leading north in the Trudivski area of Donetsk’s city Petrovskyi district; and fresh tracks of two APCs (MT-LB) near the Donetsk central railway station leading south-west. On 30 September, an SMM mini UAV spotted two APCs (an MT-LB and a BRDM-2) near Petrivske (40km south-east of Donetsk) and two trench diggers (a TMK-2 and an MDK-2) near Novozarivka (47km south-east of Donetsk).    

The SMM observed mine hazard signs. On 2 October, the SMM saw again a few dozen mine hazard signs (red squares with “mines” written in Russian) along both the northern and the southern banks of the Siverskyi Donets River in “LPR”-controlled Zhovte (17km north-west of Luhansk).

The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repairs and maintenance, co-ordinated by the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC), to the thermal power plant in government-controlled Shchastia (20km north of Luhansk), water pipelines in Zolote, the Petrivske water pumping station near government-controlled Artema (26km north of Luhansk), and power lines near Novozvanivka.

The SMM visited four border areas not under government control. Positioned for about 30 minutes at the border crossing point near Ulianivske (61km south-east of Donetsk), the SMM saw two women (aged 20 and 50) exiting Ukraine.

Positioned at the border crossing point near Uspenka (73km south-east of Donetsk) for about 30 minutes, the SMM saw five trucks (three with Ukrainian, one with Russian Federation licence plates and one with “DPR” plates), 15 cars (seven with Ukrainian, six with Russian Federation licence plates and two with “DPR” plates), and a bus (with Ukrainian licence plates) in a queue to exit Ukraine. The SMM saw seven cars (six with Ukrainian and one with Russian Federation licence plates), a bus (with Ukrainian licence plates), two mini-vans (with Russian Federation licence plates) and 25 pedestrians enter Ukraine.

Positioned at the border crossing point near Izvaryne (52km south-east of Luhansk) for about an hour, the SMM saw 76 cars (42 with Ukrainian, 27 with Russian Federation, two with Lithuanian, two with Georgian, one with Kazakhstan licence plates, one with “DPR” and one with “LPR” plates) and three buses (all with Ukrainian licence plates; one marked “Luhansk-Kyiv” with about 45 passengers on board; the second one marked “Luhansk-Moscow” with tinted windows; the third one marked “Stakhanov-Kharkiv” with about 35 passengers on board) in a queue to exit Ukraine. The SMM saw a convoy consisting of three sport utility vehicles (SUVs) (one with Ukrainian, one with Georgian licence plates and one with “DPR” plates), a minibus (with Ukrainian licence plates) and two cars (both with “LPR” plates, one dark blue car and the other one with blue lights on top) escorting the convoy, skipping the queue and exiting Ukraine. The SMM saw 95 pedestrians (50 women, 44 men and one child) exiting Ukraine and 116 pedestrians (46 women, 67 men and three children) entering Ukraine. The SMM saw 21 cars (ten with Ukrainian and ten with Russian Federation licence plates and one with “DPR” plates) and a bus (with Ukrainian licence plates and marked “Luhansk-Moscow” with about 65 passengers on board) enter Ukraine.   

Positioned for about 30 minutes at the border crossing point near Sievernyi (50km south-east of Luhansk), the SMM saw three pedestrians (two women and one child) exit Ukraine and eight pedestrians (six women and two men) enter Ukraine.

The SMM monitored a peaceful gathering in Sievierodonetsk (74km north-west of Luhansk). On 3 October, the SMM saw approximately 1,000 people (mostly men aged 30-50) gathered at Myru Square in front of the City Hall in Sievierodonetsk. The gathering then moved to Peremohy Square, where some participants delivered speeches calling for the improvement of the situation of workers at the Company Luhansk Energy Association and at the Azot chemical factory. The SMM noticed the presence of about 50 National Guard officers and 40 police officers. The gathering ended without incident.

The SMM followed up on media reports about a fire at a branch of Sberbank in Lviv. On 3 October, at 2a Chornovola Avenue in Lviv, the SMM saw that the premises of a branch of Sberbank, located on the ground floor of a two-storey building, had been destroyed by fire and that the area around the branch had been cordoned off. During about two hours, the SMM observed a calm situation and no police presence at the scene. Police told the SMM that according to their initial findings they were treating the case as arson and had launched an official investigation. According to police, the fire had been set at about 02:40 on 3 October and that no casualties were reported. 

The SMM continued monitoring in Kherson, Odessa, 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:

Related to disengagement areas and mines/UXO:

• 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 was unable to travel east towards Petrivske from government-controlled Bohdanivka (41km south-west of Donetsk) due to the possible presence of mines. The Mission 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.