Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine based on information received as of 19:30 (Kyiv time), 19 May 2015

This report is for the media and the general public.

The SMM monitored the implementation of the “Package of measures for the Implementation of the Minsk agreements”.  Its monitoring was restricted by third parties and security considerations *.  In Minsk the Chief Monitor of the SMM chaired the Trilateral Contact Group's Working Group on Security.  The SMM observed continuing ceasefire violations in and around Donetsk over an extended period during night and daytime hours.

In Minsk the SMM Chief Monitor chaired the Trilateral Contact Group's Working Group on Security. The participants intensively discussed security issues, in particular the situation in and around Shyrokyne but did not reach an agreement.

The SMM observed continuing ceasefire violations in the area of “Donetsk People’s Republic” (“DPR”)-controlled Donetsk.  From two observation  points,  the SMM heard over 300 explosions caused by incoming and outgoing heavy weapons fire, including artillery, and mortar during the night period from 20:48 hours on 18 May to 02:02 hours on 19 May and during the daytime period of 09:10 until 17:25 hours on 19 May.[1]  The SMM observed that the explosions occurred at locations to the west, north, north-east, and south of its Donetsk city centre and Donetsk central railway station positions at distances ranging from 2km to 8km from its positions. The SMM concluded that the explosions had occurred in or around the “DPR”-controlled Donetsk airport (10km north-west of Donetsk), Spartak (10km north-north-west of Donetsk), and the southerly part of Donetsk city, as well as government controlled Pisky (7km west of Donetsk) and Opytne (12km north-west of Donetsk).

The SMM met with the Ukrainian Armed Forces Major-General and the Russian Federation Armed Forces Colonel-General at the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination  (JCCC) HQ in Soledar (government-controlled, 77km north-north-east of Donetsk). The incident logs provided to the SMM by each party differed in attribution of responsibility, but both logs showed a total of 71 ceasefire violations, representing an increasing level of fighting in the general area of Donetsk (“DPR”-controlled) and in the directions of Horlivka (“DPR”-controlled, 43km north-east of Donetsk), and Pisky (government-controlled, 7km north-west of Donetsk).

The SMM, jointly with JCCC officers representing both Russian Federation Armed Forces and Ukrainian Armed Forces, travelled to Pisky (government-controlled, 7km north-west of Donetsk), where it met with the Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander of a unit located in the south-eastern part of Pisky, who informed that during shelling in the evening of 18 May two soldiers were wounded, one seriously. The SMM was then guided to a spot allegedly impacted by a white phosphorus mortar grenade. According to one of the soldiers, the shelling occurred around midnight on 18 May. The SMM noted a crater of less than 1m in diameter and 50cm deep, and assessed it to be an impact of an 82mm mortar. Although both representatives of the JCCC claimed incoming white phosphorus mortar grenades were observed, the SMM was not able to confirm their usage, based on available evidence and analysis at the scene.

The SMM observed that the overall security situation in Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) remained relatively calm for the fourth consecutive day, but the SMM heard 56 explosions late in the day at a distance of 5km E of SMM observation point at Sopyne (government-controlled 4.5km west of Shyrokyne, 16km east of Mariupol), from 17:45 to 18:04 hours.

In Mariupol (government-controlled, 103km south of Donetsk) at 10:00 hours, a group of around 25 citizens of various ages and including women and children, held a demonstration in front of the local SMM patrol hub. They expressed their opposition to proposed plans for the disengagement of forces in Shyrokyne, which they believe would make Mariupol vulnerable to attack. Many were wrapped in Ukrainian flags and some held placards. The SMM engaged with the protesters, listening to their concerns and explaining that the sides present in the JCCC worked out a plan to protect civilians in Shyrokyne.  After 10 minutes, the protesters dispersed. Some 10-15 media representatives covered the event, which took place in a peaceful and quiet atmosphere.

In the Luhansk region the SMM observed that the overall security situation remained calm.

In government-controlled Troitske (69km west of Luhansk), the SMM spoke to three male interlocutors in their sixties who told the SMM that they are unable to plant their crops this year for fear of mines in the fields. The interlocutors’ concerns are based on information about mines apparently communicated to the villagers by soldiers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and by an SMM-investigated incident on 24 March 2015 where a women lost her leg due to a mine.

The SMM spoke to the “mayor” of “Lugansk People’s Republic” (“LPR”)-controlled Krasnodon (43km south-east of Luhansk), who told the SMM that agriculture has suffered because of the conflict with 6000 out of 24,000 hectares in the district of Krasnodon affected by mines and unexploded ordnance. The district “emergency situations institution” has managed to clear approximately 4000 hectares and is expecting to clear the remaining 2000 hectares in the next few months to be able to plant. According to the interlocutor, agriculture is considered the second most important economic resource in this district, just after mining. It presently generated 12% of revenues for Krasnodon. According to the interlocutor, 4500 people work in agriculture, mostly for the 117 agricultural enterprises located in the area.  As a result of the conflict, production of vegetables has fallen (from formerly 230 hectares being cultivated to now 30 hectares).

Despite claims that the withdrawal of heavy weapons has been completed, the SMM observed nine tanks (T-72) in the general vicinity of Torez (“DPR”-controlled, 58km east of Donetsk). The SMM also observed a total of another eight tanks (T-64) in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions, four in government-controlled areas and four in “LPR”-controlled areas.

The SMM, along with representatives of the European Union Advisory Mission and Amnesty International, visited two allegedly Russian soldiers at the Central Military Hospital in Kyiv, where the two men are detained and under strong guard. The short 10-minute visit was conducted as part of the SMM monitoring function, under the supervision of the State Security Service of Ukraine. The responsible doctors told the SMM and the other international visitors that the two men were being treated after being injured in fighting around the town of Shchastya (government-controlled, 20km north of Luhansk). (See the SMM daily report of 19 May 2015 (//www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/158871).

The SMM attempted to escort an OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) delegation to Donetsk from Dnepropetrovsk. However, while en route near Slavyanka (government-controlled, 123km east of Dnepropetrovsk), the ODIHR delegation received a phone call from “DPR spokesperson” Denis Pushilin and were advised the “DPR” would not allow them to come to Donetsk. The ODIHR delegation then travelled to Kramatorsk with the SMM.

The SMM continued to monitor the situation in Kharkiv, Odessa, Kherson, Chernivtsi, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Lviv.

* Restrictions on SMM access and freedom of movement:

The SMM is restrained in fulfilling its monitoring functions by restrictions imposed by third parties and security considerations including the lack of information on whereabouts of landmines.

The security situation in Donbas is fluid and unpredictable and the ceasefire does not hold everywhere.

• The SMM was stopped by two Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers approximately 400m from a UAF military position near Luhanske village (government-controlled, 58km north-east of Donetsk). Access to part of the village was denied on the grounds that it was a restricted military area.

• The SMM dispatched a patrol to a heavy weapons holding area previously monitored by the SMM. The Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander did not allow access to the site on the grounds that an appointment was necessary.

• The SMM visited a “DPR” shooting range near Ternove (“DPR”-controlled, 163km north-east of Donetsk) and spoke to the personnel at the location. The SMM was informed that the SMM would not be able to observe the heavy weapons for security reasons.

[1]  For a complete breakdown of ceasefire violations, please see the annexed table.