Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine, based on information received as of 19:30hrs, 20 December 2015

This report is for media and the general public.

The SMM observed a number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The SMM also observed fresh craters and impact of shelling in Donetsk region. It encountered restrictions to its freedom of movement, including to a border area not controlled by the Government. The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor the demining and repair of power lines in Luhansk region.

The SMM observed a number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region on 19 and 20 December[1]. On 19 December, positioned at the “Donetsk People’s Republic” (“DPR”)-controlled Donetsk railway station (6km north-west of Donetsk city centre), the SMM heard a total of 15 undetermined explosions and sporadic bursts of heavy- machine-gun and automatic-grenade-launcher fire 3-4km north-north east, north-west, west-north west and west of its position. At the same location on 20 December, the SMM heard a total of 13 undetermined explosions, seven explosions caused by outgoing automatic grenade launcher (AGL) fire and several bursts of small-arms fire, all 3-6km north of its position.

On 19 December, in a field 1km from the centre of Zaitseve village (50km north of Donetsk), the SMM observed four fresh craters and assessed three of them to have been caused by 120mm mortar fired from a south-south-easterly direction. The Ukrainian Armed Forces commander present told the SMM that the impacts had been caused on 17 December. Whilst in the village, the SMM also heard two shots of small-arms fire from an undetermined direction. The next day in the village, the SMM also heard several bursts and shots from small arms.

On the same day, in government-controlled Marinka (23km south-west of Donetsk), residents informed the SMM that they had heard explosions and shooting – incoming and outgoing – the previous night. The SMM observed the tail of a self-propelled-grenade (RPG-7) lying in a garden and fresh shrapnel on the roof of a residential house. 

On 20 December, in government-controlled Novhorodske (34km north of Donetsk), the SMM followed up on reports that two houses and a school in the village had been damaged by shelling on 18 December. The SMM could not see damage to the school as the roof had allegedly already been repaired, while it observed two houses had been hit several times by automatic-grenade-launcher fire, which had caused damage to the south-eastern side of the walls, and the roofs.

In Luhansk region the SMM observed several firing incidents. On 19 December, in “Lugansk People’s Republic” (“LPR”)-controlled Veselohorivka (64km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard and saw eight impacts of a combination of rocket-propelled-grenades (RPG-9) and  mortar (82mm) rounds, which the SMM assessed to have been fired from a north-easterly direction. On 20 December, at a checkpoint on the “LPR”-controlled side of Stanytsia Luhanska bridge (16 km north-east of Luhansk), the SMM heard two explosions 300m east of its position but it was unable to reach the area due to security concerns. Armed “LPR” members present told the SMM that the explosions had been caused by landmines (MON-50 anti-personnel landmine), triggered by stray dogs.

On 19 December, in government-controlled Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk) – one of the designated priority areas where mine clearance work is expected to be conducted – the SMM heard seven explosions (impacts) caused by self-propelled-grenades (RPG-9) and an automatic grenade launcher (AGL) and several rounds of heavy-machine-gun and anti-aircraft gun fire. On 20 December, in  “LPR”-controlled Pervomaisk (57km west of Luhansk) - another area prioritized for demining - the SMM heard an undetermined explosion of mortar 150m east of its position.

In relation to the implementation of the Addendum to the Package of measures, the SMM revisited Ukrainian Armed Forces permanent weapons storage sites whose locations corresponded with the withdrawal lines and found that all weapons, previously verified as withdrawn to the sites, were present.

In areas beyond the withdrawal lines and outside storage sites, the SMM observed the following Addendum-regulated weapons: 30 tanks (T64 and T72) stationary in a training area near “LPR”-controlled Kruhlyk (31km south-west of Luhansk) on 19 December; one tank loaded on a truck near government-controlled Starobilsk moving south toward Novoaidar (84 and 49km north-west of Luhansk, respectively) on 19 December; a total of 31 tanks stationary inside and outside a training area near “DPR”-controlled Ternove (57km east of Donetsk) on 20 December.

The SMM continued to monitor the withdrawal of heavy weapons foreseen in the Minsk Package of measures. The SMM is yet to receive the full information requested in the 16 October notification (see SMM Daily Report 14 December 2015).

The SMM revisited a “DPR” heavy weapons permanent storage site and observed all previously observed weapons present. 

The SMM revisited locations beyond the respective withdrawal lines known to the SMM as heavy weapons holding areas, even though they did not comply with the specific criteria set out in the 16 October notification.

In government-controlled areas beyond the respective withdrawal lines, the SMM revisited such holding areas. For the first time, it observed that they were abandoned and a total of six mortars (2S12, 120mm) were missing.

At such “DPR” holding areas, the SMM observed: 12 self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika 122mm), six multiple launcher rocket systems (BM21 Grad, 122mm), eight towed howitzers (D30, 122mm) and ten anti-tank guns (MT-12 Rapira, 100mm).

The SMM continued to observe a Ukrainian Armed Forces presence in government-controlled Pavlopil (26km north-east of Mariupol), where the SMM saw a bridge had been recently built by the Ukrainian Armed Forces across the Kalmius River. In several villages north and north-east of Mariupol, the SMM also noted strengthened military presence compared to previous visits, including on-going construction work of fortification.

On 20 December, following up on reports about an explosion incident alleged to have occurred that morning on the “LPR”-controlled side of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge (16km north-east of Luhansk), the SMM visited the area. An “LPR” member told the SMM that he had heard the explosion, adding that two civilians (men aged 75 and 79) had been killed by landmines (MON-50 anti-personnel landmine), while crossing through a heavily mined “LPR”-controlled area close to the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge. The SMM observed that the bodies of the victims were recovered by the Luhansk hospital ambulance.

The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor adherence to the ceasefire to enable demining and repairs to the power lines and transformer station in “LPR”-controlled Zolote-5/Mykhailivka (59km west of Luhansk). On 20 December, the chief engineer of the station told the SMM that two out of 12 electrical lines originating from government-controlled Shchastia (19km north of Luhansk) have been functioning and a total of 49 pylons had not been working because of conflict-related damages or ageing-related damages.

The SMM monitored the security and humanitarian situation in an area near the contact line. On 19 and 20 December the SMM visited Zaitseve (50km north-east of Donetsk), where approximately 15 families live in the areas between Ukrainian Armed Forces positions to the north and “DPR” positions to the south. A number of residents, who the SMM spoke with, complained about continuous firing throughout the night. According to some of them, the village has now a population of 500, compared to 2,000 before the conflict.

“LPR” members stopped and prevented the SMM from travelling towards the border areas of Izvaryne and Sverdlovsk (54 and 61km south-east of Luhansk, respectively), while the SMM was allowed to proceed further to the border area near “LPR”-controlled Klunykove (75km south of Luhansk) on condition of being escorted*.

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

*Restrictions to SMM’s freedom of movement or other impediments to the fulfilment of its mandate

The SMM is restrained in fulfilling its monitoring functions by restrictions imposed by the parties and security considerations, including mine threats, damaged infrastructure, and the unpredictability of the situation in Donbas. “LPR” members continue to prevent the SMM from monitoring many areas alongside the border in parts of Luhansk region not controlled by the Government.

Denial of access:

• On 20 December, at a checkpoint in “LPR”-controlled Sverdlovsk (61km south-east of Luhansk), two armed “LPR” members stopped the SMM and prevented it from proceeding, citing that operations to counter diversion groups have been conducted in the area. At the same time, the SMM noted that civilian cars were allowed to pass.
• On 20 December, at a checkpoint near “LPR”-controlled Uralo Kavkaz (45km south-east of Luhansk), “LPR” members stopped the SMM and prevented its further travel towards Izvaryne (54km south-east of Luhansk) border crossing point on the grounds that a demining operation was being conducted in the area. At the same time, the SMM observed civilian cars passing the checkpoint.

 Conditional access:

• On 19 December, in “LPR”-controlled Novokrasnivka (70km south of Luhansk), “LPR” members – who described themselves as “border guards” –   stopped the SMM and demanded to see the SMM’s patrol plan. They allowed the SMM to proceed further to the border area near “LPR”-controlled Klunykove (75km south of Luhansk) on condition that they are escorted.
• On 20 December, at two “DPR” heavy weapons holding areas, armed “DPR” members allowed only three members of the SMM to enter the sites. At one of the areas, the SMM was not allowed to check whether the weapons were loaded with ammunitions or not.

Delay:

• On 19 December, at a checkpoint in government-controlled Pryovrazhne (19km north-east of Mariupol), Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel held the SMM for 27 minutes, asking  to see the SMM’s patrol plan.
• On 20 December, at a checkpoint 10km north of  government-controlled Mariupol (102km of Donetsk), Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel held the SMM for 20 minutes, asking about the nationalities of the SMM members. The SMM provided the nationality of one of its members and was thereafter allowed to proceed.
• On 20 December, at a checkpoint in government-controlled Staryi Aidar (19km north-west of Luhansk), Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel held the SMM for 15 minutes taking photographs of licence plates of the SMM vehicles.

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

* Please see the section at the end of this report entitled “Restrictions to SMM’s freedom of movement or other impediments to the fulfilment of its mandate”.