Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine, based on information received as of 19:30hrs, 19 January 2016

This report is for media and the general public

The SMM observed relative calm with only a small number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk region. “LPR” members prevented the SMM from travelling to Chervonyi Zhovten, near the border area. The Mission continued to facilitate and monitor adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs of critical infrastructure in Donetsk region. It observed an 82mm mortar set-up on the outskirts of “DPR”-controlled Donetsk city.

The SMM observed a relative calm with a small number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region[1]. From a position at “DPR”-controlled Donetsk railway station (6km north-west of Donetsk city centre), the SMM observed no ceasefire violations between 08:50 and 13:40hrs[2]. In Zaitseve (50km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard two single shots fired in an area 500m south-west of its position.

Positioned near “LPR”-controlled Nyzhnii Naholchyk (64km south-west of Luhansk), the SMM heard 10-12 heavy artillery explosions two kilometres to the west assessed as live-fire exercises.

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storage sites whose locations corresponded with the withdrawal lines and found that all weapons, previously verified as withdrawn to the sites, were present.

In violation of withdrawal lines, the SMM observed the following Addendum-regulated weapon: a set-up 82mm mortar with wooden boxes nearby, possibly containing ammunition, and five men wearing military-type fatigues in an area approximately 11km south-west of “DPR”-controlled Donetsk city centre.

Beyond the withdrawal lines and outside storage sites the SMM observed approximately 20 tanks (T-64, 125mm) – static, with their engines running – near “LPR”-controlled Myrne (41km south-west of Luhansk) and one additional tank (T-64) being loaded onto a flatbed trailer truck on the H-21 highway nearby.

The SMM continued to monitor the withdrawal of heavy weapons foreseen in the Minsk Package of Measures. The SMM has yet to receive the full information requested in the 16 October notification. The SMM revisited locations known to the SMM as heavy weapons holding areas, even though they do not comply with the specific criteria set out for permanent storage sites in the 16 October 2015 notification.

In government-controlled areas beyond the respective withdrawal lines, the SMM revisited such holding areas and observed 11 self-propelled howitzers (2C1 Gvozdika, 122mm); 16 towed howitzers (2A65 Msta-B, 152 mm); 24 anti-tank guns (MT-12 Rapira, 100mm) and 16 Addendum-regulated mortars (13 2B11, 120mm and three PM38, 120mm). The SMM initially found one of these areas to be empty, but on a return visit later in the day it was found to contain weapons.

In violation of the respective withdrawal lines, the SMM observed two anti-tank guided missiles (one 9K113 Konkurs, 135mm, one 9K111 Fagot, 120mm) in the area of government-controlled Popasna (69km west of Luhansk).

Beyond withdrawal lines but outside storage sites or holding areas the SMM observed approximately ten static self-propelled howitzers (2C1 Gvozdika, 122mm), at a training area in “LPR”-controlled Uspenka (23km south-west of Luhansk).

Following up on recent instances of shelling and firing in and around Horlivka (39km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM met with 12 residents (one man, the rest women, all between 50-70 years of age) who said they heard shelling during recent nights and small-arms, heavy-machine-gun-fire and automatic grenade launcher shots on the evening of 18 January. They told the monitors that they live in constant fear of attack.

In a “DPR”-controlled area on the H15 highway (11.5km south-west of Donetsk), the SMM observed five “DPR” members armed with sniper rifles, walking on the road and a military-type truck parked nearby.

In “LPR”-controlled Novooleksandrivka (62km west of Luhansk), the SMM spoke with four residents (three men, one woman aged between 30 and 50 years of age) to follow-up on an alleged shooting incident on 13 January that killed one woman and wounded two people travelling in a car towards “LPR”-controlled Pervomaisk (57km west of Luhansk) (see SMM Daily Report, 18 January 2016). The residents told the SMM that the wounded persons had been admitted to hospital in Pervomaisk. The chief doctor of the hospital in Pervomaisk told the SMM that one man and one woman had been admitted with gunshot wounds, but would not specify the date. Both were in a stable condition, he said. The doctor said he did not know of a third casualty. When the SMM asked to speak to the patients, the doctor called the “mayor’s” office to see if that was possible, but permission was denied.*

The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs of critical infrastructure in an area between Maiorsk (45km north-east of Donetsk) and Zaitseve. Shortly after repair work started on the power line, the SMM heard two single shots at approximately 10:35hrs. Following this the monitors left the area.

The chief engineer of the Popasna Voda Kanal at the Karbonit water supply plant in government-controlled Zolote (60km north-west of Luhansk) told the SMM that only one of three water pipes crossing the contact line was operational in this area, with repairs pending for the others. According to him, a stretch of approximately 500m needed to be cleared by the demining team from the Ministry of Emergency Services before all repairs could be fully completed. He also stated that the digging of trenches to lay new pipes could not yet start as heavy equipment could get stuck in the muddy ground, and estimated that repairs would take 45 days.

The SMM visited a collective centre housing 82 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Kyiv’s Holosiivskyi district which, according to multiple sources, had its electricity supply disconnected on 18 January. The SMM observed that the building was without electricity and heating. The directors in charge of administration of the building told the SMM that the electricity had been cut – after repeated warnings from the energy company - as the centre had accumulated large debts. Although some IDPs showed their receipts from paying utility bills to the SMM, the directors claimed that several others had not paid. According to the directors, they may cut the water supply themselves to stop pipes from freezing. In such a case, IDPs would be prevented from accessing these rooms as they would become uninhabitable. The SMM attended a meeting organized by the District State Administration in Holosiivskyi where a commission of relevant interlocutors, including IDPs, representatives from the relevant ministry and the Red Cross, among others, requested an urgent restoration of electricity.

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

*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:

• “LPR” “border guards” prevented the SMM from proceeding through a checkpoint near  Diakove (70km south of Luhansk) in the direction of Chervonyi Zhovten (95km south of Luhansk) – which the SMM has been able to visit only once, in March 2015.
• “DPR” members stopped the SMM near Rozdolne (48 km south-east of Donetsk) and denied further travel towards Petrivske (44km south-east of Donetsk). 
• Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers denied the SMM passage through a checkpoint in Novotroitske (67km north of Mariupol).
• The “mayor’s” office in Pervomaisk, relaying information through the head doctor of the hospital, denied the SMM permission to speak with patients alleged to have been admitted with gunshot wounds.

[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”.

[2] All times in this report refer to Eastern European Time