Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine: Spot Report on Damage to Donetsk City Water Supply, 15 June 2014

Fighting near Semyonovka (five kilometres southeast of Sloviansk in the Donetsk region) has caused damage to the Donetsk city water supply, with potentially serious consequences for its one million inhabitants and three million others.

The SMM met on 15 June the elected Donetsk City Mayor Lukyanchenko at the City Administration building The interlocutor said that a water pumping station and a section of pipeline in the area of Semyonovka - astride the main Donetsk-Sloviansk road (M-03/E40), five kilometres southeast from central Sloviansk and 110 kilometres north of Donetsk - had been damaged in recent fighting between Government forces and their armed opponents.

This pumping station and pipeline constitute the main water supply for Donetsk city's population of one million, and a further three million inhabitants of the region. The effects of this disruption are not yet felt in the city, but this would alter, the Mayor said, 'in a very short while'. His workforce began repairs - expected to take three days - at 0900 hrs this morning, but these were interrupted at 1320 by reports of renewed gunfire between both Government and 'Donetsk People’s Republic' forces, despite the truce brokered with all sides by the Mayor.

The Mayor asked for OSCE assistance in communicating the seriousness of any interruption to this arterial water-supply to the city, and its surroundings. The SMM is carrying out the necessary contacts in order to allow resumption of repair work.