Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 22 December 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 reporting period. The Mission followed up on reports of a civilian casualty in Lysychansk. The SMM observed damage to civilian properties in residential areas of Yasynuvata. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations inside the Petrivske disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in the disengagement areas and elsewhere, including at checkpoints near Verkhnoshyrokivske and Rozdolne.* The Mission saw weapons in violation in Oleksandropil. The SMM observed long queues of civilians at the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge.

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations[1], including about 320 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 190 explosions).

On the evening and night of 21-22 December, the SMM camera at the Donetsk Filtration Station (15km north of Donetsk) recorded, in sequence, about 30 projectiles in flight from east to west, two projectiles from west to east, an undetermined explosion, followed by a total of about 80 undetermined explosions, about 660 projectiles (435 from east to west, about 200 from west to east, eight from north-east to south-west, 12 from south-west to north-east, three from south-east to north-west, and two from south to north), ten tracer rounds in flight from east to west, a tracer round from west to east and two illumination flares (one in flight from east to west and one from west to east), all 1-3km south. The following day, the camera recorded an undetermined explosion 1-3km south.

On the evening and night of 21-22 December, the SMM camera at the entry-exit checkpoint in government-controlled Maiorsk (45km north-east of Donetsk) recorded, in sequence, six tracer rounds in flight from east to west, three undetermined explosions, two projectiles in flight from south to north and two projectiles from east to west 2-4km south-east. The following day, the camera recorded a projectile in flight from south to north 2-4km south-east.

On the evening of 21 December, while in government-controlled Svitlodarsk (57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard about 40 explosions (three assessed as outgoing mortar (82mm and 120mm) rounds, five as impacts and the remainder undetermined) and about 160 shots and bursts of heavy-machine-gun and automatic-grenade-launcher fire, all 2-7km at directions ranging from east-south-east to west-south-west. The following day, while at the same location, the SMM heard about 60 undetermined explosions and 180 shots and bursts of small-arms fire 3-7km south-east.

On the evening and night of 21-22 December, the SMM camera 1km south-west of Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) recorded, in sequence, about 40 projectiles in flight from east to west, five projectiles from west to east, followed by a total of about 70 tracer rounds in flight (about 60 from east to west and about ten from west to east) and two illumination flares in vertical flight, all 5-8km north. The following day, the same camera recorded, in sequence, seven undetermined explosions, four illumination flares in flight from east to west and a total of 19 projectiles in flight (16 from east to west and three from west to east), all 5-8km north.

During the day on 22 December, positioned in “DPR”-controlled Debaltseve (58km north-east of Donetsk) for almost five hours, the SMM heard 82 undetermined explosions and 13 shots and bursts of small-arms and heavy-machine-gun fire, all 3-5km at directions ranging from south-south-west to north-north-west.

Positioned at the railway station in “DPR”-controlled Yasynuvata (16km north-east of Donetsk) for about three hours, the SMM heard 20 undetermined explosions and about 20 shots and bursts of small-arms and heavy-machine-gun fire, all 2-6km north-west.

Positioned in “DPR”-controlled Dokuchaievsk (30km south-west of Donetsk) for about one hour, the SMM heard ten undetermined explosions 3-5km west.

Positioned about 3km south-east of government-controlled Lebedynske (16km east of Mariupol), the SMM heard 13 undetermined explosions at undetermined distances north-north-east.

In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations (and no explosions) compared with the previous reporting period (280 explosions).

The SMM followed up on reports of a civilian casualty. On 21 December, police in government-controlled Lysychansk (75km north-west of Luhansk) told the SMM that the body of a man had been found in an area close to government-controlled Hirske (63km west of Luhansk) on 8 December and had been brought the same day to a morgue in Lysychansk. On 22 December, medical staff at the morgue in Lysychansk told the SMM that the man had been found in the area between government-controlled Zolote-4 (60km north-west of Luhansk) and “LPR”-controlled Zolote-5 (61km north-west of Luhansk) on 9 December. He added that the man (aged 37) was a resident of Hirske and had died due to shrapnel wounds to his chest.

The SMM followed up on reports of damage to civilian properties in residential areas caused by shelling. On 22 December, the SMM observed impact sites in Yasynuvata.

At 10 Kvartal 102 Street, the SMM observed 20 shattered windows on the outer west-facing side of a five-storey apartment building. Inside an apartment on the second floor of the building, the SMM saw fresh shrapnel damage to the wooden partition of a west-facing balcony, three shattered windows on the same balcony and shattered windows in the kitchen and bathroom, all west-facing. The SMM assessed the damage as caused by an artillery round (of a calibre of at least 122mm) fired from a north-westerly direction. The occupant of the apartment, a 78-year-old woman, told the SMM that shelling had started at around 22:00 on 20 December and that a 50-year-old man in the neighbouring apartment had died the same evening due to shrapnel wounds (see SMM Daily Report 22 December 2017).

At 11 Kvartal 102 Street, the SMM observed shrapnel damage to the outer north-facing walls on the first floor of a six-storey apartment building and that at all windows – at least 100 – on the same side were shattered. It saw a fresh impact on the upper left corner of one of the shattered windows on the fifth floor of the building and shrapnel damage to the façade as well as to the roof above the window. On the roof, the SMM saw two fresh impacts and, about 1-5m east of them, two destroyed chimneys. The SMM saw a crater in the soil about 5m north of the building. The SMM visited an apartment on the fifth floor, where it observed shrapnel damage to the eastern and southern walls of the living room; all windows of the apartment had shattered glass and were covered with plastic. A 34-year-old woman, the occupant of the apartment, told the SMM that shelling had started at about 22:00 on 20 December. The SMM assessed the damage as caused by an artillery round (of a calibre of at least 122mm) fired from a north-westerly direction. 

The SMM observed a fresh crater in a yard between two one-storey houses at 36 and 38 Zavodska Street (approximately 4.5m east of the former and 5m west of the latter). The SMM saw that the fence between the two properties had been destroyed. It observed shrapnel damage to the east-facing side of a house at 38 Zavodska Street and broken east-facing windows in the garage next to the house. It also saw that the south-facing corner of a barn located about 20m south of the crater and an outdoor lavatory about 25m south of the crater had had been  destroyed. The SMM assessed the damage as caused by an artillery round (of a calibre of at least 122mm) fired from a north-westerly direction. The occupant of the house at 36 Zavodska Street told the SMM that shelling had started at about 22:00 on 20 December.

At 47 Karla Marksa Street, the SMM observed a fresh crater in a yard about 20m north of a one-storey house. It saw that a gas pipeline about 8m east of the crater had been damaged and workers were repairing it while the SMM was present. It assessed the damage as caused by an artillery round (of a calibre of at least 122mm) fired from a north-westerly direction.

At 45 Karla Marksa Street, the SMM saw a crater in the soil about 20m north-east of house, assessed it as caused by an artillery round (of a calibre of at least 122mm) fired from a north-westerly direction.

At 66 Karla Marksa Street, the SMM saw shrapnel damage to the north-east facing side of the roof and shattered north-east facing windows and that the north-east facing corner of a one-storey house had been destroyed. It saw that a fence about 3m north of the house had also been destroyed. The SMM saw a crater in the yard about 15m south of the house and about 5m east of a shed which had sustained shrapnel damage to its east-facing side and to an east-facing window. The SMM assessed the damage as caused by an artillery round (of a calibre of at least 122mm) fired from a north-westerly direction. A woman (aged 40-50) told the SMM that she was the granddaughter of the owner of the house, an 81-year-old woman, who had sustained shrapnel injuries at around 22:00 on 20 December and had been admitted to a hospital in Yasynuvata. (See SMM Daily Report 22 December 2017.)

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 21 December, while on the eastern edge of government-controlled Stanytsia Luhanska, the SMM heard a burst of heavy-machine-gun fire and three shots of small-arms fire 2km south (assessed as outside the disengagement area).

During the day on 22 December, positioned in “DPR”-controlled Petrivske for about one hour, the SMM heard eight bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire and ten shots of small-arms fire 1-4km south (assessed as outside the disengagement area), six bursts of small-arms fire 1-2km south (assessed as inside the disengagement area) and an undetermined explosion 4-5km south-south-east (assessed as outside the disengagement area). On the same day, the SMM also heard and saw an undetermined explosion 500-700m south (assessed as outside the disengagement area) and heard two undetermined explosions 1-3km north-west (assessed as outside the disengagement area).

Positioned 2km east of government-controlled Bohdanivka (41km south-west of Donetsk), west of the Petrivske disengagement area, the SMM heard two undetermined explosions, five bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire and three shots of infantry fighting vehicle (BMP-2) cannon (30mm) fire, all 2-5km south-south-east (assessed as outside the disengagement area).

During the day on 22 December, positioned near the Stanytsia Luhanska and Zolote disengagement areas, the SMM observed a calm situation.

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 withdrawal lines, in a government-controlled area, an SMM mid-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted, on 21 December, eight self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) on the western edge of Oleksandropil (43km north of Donetsk).

Beyond withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites in government-controlled areas, an SMM mid-range UAV spotted, on 21 December, 16 towed howitzers (D-20, 152mm) in Novoolenivka (48km north-west of Donetsk), eight tanks (T-64) in Zelene Pole (40km north-west of Donetsk) and seven tanks (T-72) near Kalynove (31km north-west of Donetsk). In non-government-controlled areas, aerial imagery revealed, on 22 December, the presence of 31 tanks (T-64 or T-72) near Kruhlyk (31km south-west of Luhansk), 26 howitzers (17 towed howitzers (D-30 Lyagushka, 122mm) and nine self-propelled howitzers (2S3 Akatsiya, 152mm)), eight mortars (2B11 Sani, 120mm) and 25 tanks (T-64 or T-72) near Myrne (28km south-west of Luhansk).

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 a government-controlled area, beyond the respective withdrawal lines, the SMM saw four anti-tank guns (MT-12 Rapira, 100mm) for the first time.

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles[2] in the security zone. In a government-controlled area, the SMM saw a reconnaissance vehicle (BRDM-2) in Buhas (44km south-west of Donetsk).

The SMM observed demining activities. The SMM saw eight armed “DPR” members with demining prodders and detectors on both sides of a road about 5km north of “DPR”-controlled Petrivske.

The SMM observed long queues at the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge. On 22 December, positioned near an “LPR” checkpoint on the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge, the SMM saw about 1,000 people queuing to exit government-controlled areas and about 2,000 in the opposite direction. 

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 Joint Centre for Control and Co-operation (JCCC) should contribute to such response and co-ordinate mine clearance. Nonetheless, the armed formations in parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions frequently deny the SMM access to areas adjacent to Ukraine’s border outside control of the Government, citing orders to do so. (See, for example, SMM Daily Report 2 December 2017.) 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:

• At a checkpoint approximately 3km north of “DPR”-controlled Rozdolne (46km south-east of Donetsk), eight “DPR” members (three of whom were armed with AK-47 assault rifles) stopped the SMM. They told the SMM that it was allowed to proceed only after providing the “patrol route plan”. The SMM did not provide it and left the area.
• At a checkpoint on the western edge of “DPR”-controlled Verkhnoshyrokivske (formerly Oktiabr, 29km north-east of Mariupol), three unarmed “DPR” members stopped the SMM and did not allow it to pass, saying that it was unsafe due to “subversive activities and shooting near the contact line.”

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.
• The SMM was prevented from accessing secondary roads in the Zolote disengagement area due to the possible presence of mines and UXO. A Ukrainian Armed Forces officer of the JCCC at a checkpoint on the northern side of the Zolote disengagement area told the SMM that he was not authorized to disclose information about whether demining had taken place during the previous 24 hours. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed and informed Ukrainian Armed Forces officers of 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 Ukrainian Armed Forces officers of the JCCC.
• The SMM could not travel across the bridge in government-controlled Shchastia (20km north of Luhansk) 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 Ukrainian Armed Forces officers of the JCCC.

 

[1] For a complete breakdown of the ceasefire violations, please see the annexed table. Four SMM cameras continue to be tested until the end of December 2017.

[2] This hardware is not proscribed by the provisions of the Minsk agreements on the withdrawal of weapons.