Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine, based on information received as of 19:30hrs, 21 March 2016

This report is for the media and general public.

SMM observed a decrease in the number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region compared to previous days. The situation in Luhansk region remained stable. The Mission continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons. It observed a calm situation at border areas not controlled by the Government, and elsewhere faced restrictions to its freedom of movement*. The SMM monitored the humanitarian situation and freedom of movement for civilians near the contact line, and observed public gatherings in Kyiv and Kharkiv.

The SMM observed a decrease in the number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region[1] while the situation in Luhansk region remained stable. The SMM continued to note a significant concentration of ceasefire violations in an area between Yasynuvata (16km north-east of Donetsk) and Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk); and the north-eastern and northern outskirts of Donetsk city. The main exchanges of fire occurred between positions in “DPR”-controlled Spartak (9km north of Donetsk) and government-controlled Avdiivka, and “DPR”-controlled Yasynuvata and Avdiivka. Shortly after 09:30hrs, at a “DPR”-controlled checkpoint between Avdiivka and Yasynuvata, a “commander” told the SMM that it was difficult to maintain a ceasefire in the Yasynuvata-Avdiivka area because the sides are positioned closely together. The SMM observed that the Ukrainian Armed Forces and armed “DPR” members were in each other’s direct line of vision, 70m apart.

While the SMM was in the area, it noted a calmer situation prevailing. When the SMM left the immediate area around the checkpoint, SMM patrols in surrounding locations observed the beginning of an intense exchange of fire. In an approximately one and a half hour stretch, from the late morning to the early afternoon, the SMM heard 29 undetermined explosions and nine bursts of small-arms fire 2-5km north and 3-5km north-north-west (toward Spartak) of its position at the Donetsk central railway station (6km north-west of Donetsk city centre). During a three-hour stretch, encompassing the same time period mentioned above, the SMM heard 64 undetermined explosions, 50-64 outgoing rounds from an automatic grenade launcher and well over 200 bursts of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire at a distance of over 4km west and south-west of Yasynuvata.  

Following its visit to the checkpoint between Avdiivka and Yasynuvata, the SMM spoke with the chief engineer of the Donetsk water filtration station. The interlocutor told the SMM that the station was working at full capacity and providing approximately 400,000 residents of Yasynuvata, Avdiivka and parts of Donetsk city with water.

Over the last week, the SMM has been facilitating the access of workers to ensure the functioning of the water filtration station. Of the 117 staff members at the station, 17 reside in government-controlled areas, according to the chief engineer. The engineer said that approximately 900kg of chlorine were delivered to the station on a daily basis from a chlorine distribution station in “DPR”-controlled Mineralne (12km north of Donetsk).

The situation around “DPR”-controlled Horlivka (39km north-east of Donetsk), government-controlled Mariupol (103km south of Donetsk) and in Luhansk region was stable, as the SMM recorded only isolated incidents of fire from small arms and heavy machine-guns, and undetermined explosions.

In relation to the implementation of the Addendum to the Package of measures, the SMM revisited a Ukrainian Armed Forces permanent storage site whose location corresponded with the withdrawal lines and observed that two tanks (T-72) were missing.

In violation of the respective withdrawal lines the SMM observed what appeared to be a mortar (2B9 Vasilek, 82mm) being towed by a military-type truck, travelling east in “DPR”-controlled Leninskyi district in Donetsk city.

The SMM continued to monitor the withdrawal of heavy weapons as foreseen in the Minsk Package of Measures. The SMM has yet to receive the full information requested in the 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 visited such locations and observed six towed howitzers (D-30, 122mm) and eight multiple launch rocket systems (BM-27 Uragan, 220mm).

Beyond the withdrawal lines but outside of storage sites, the SMM observed five anti-tank guns (MT-12 Rapira, 100mm) being towed north-west by military trucks in government-controlled Ksenivka (34km north-west of Mariupol).

The SMM observed the presence of other hardware in Donetsk and Luhansk region. Near “LPR”-controlled Stakhanov (50km west of Luhansk), the SMM observed one armoured personnel carrier (APC) mounted with a 14.5mm anti-aircraft gun travelling to the east. The SMM also observed two military-type trucks with an undetermined number of armed men on board and two APCs (MTLB), one mounted with an anti-aircraft gun, in the same area. In “LPR”-controlled Kalynove (58km west of Luhansk), the SMM observed nine MTLBs in a stationary position facing east on a dirt-track road. In “LPR”-controlled Veselohorivka (64km south-west of Luhansk), the SMM observed six infantry fighting vehicles (BMP-2), two MTLBs, and two refuelling trucks in a stationary position facing east on a tarmac road. Over government-controlled parts of Zolote (60km west of Luhansk), an SMM mini UAV observed three armoured combat vehicles (BMP-1 and BMP-2).

The SMM continued to monitor the situation of civilians near the contact line. In government-controlled Manhush (25km south-west of Mariupol), the deputy head doctor of a hospital told the SMM that they provide medical services for more than 26,800 inhabitants. According to him, the hospital is in urgent need of medicine and equipment. In “LPR”-controlled Pershozvanivka (26km south of Luhansk), the SMM spoke with residents who complained about lack of employment in the village, particularly due to the closure of coal mines in the area. At least three other groups of civilians in the area have mentioned the closure of mines in the region to the SMM.

In Mariupol, the chief judge of the Prymorskyi District Court told the SMM that the court had handled more than 20 applications for the issuance of Ukrainian birth and death certificates to people residing in areas not controlled by the Government in Donetsk region, with new cases registered every day. The applications have been processed under recent amendments to the Civil Procedure Code of Ukraine which came into effect on 24 February 2016. The interlocutor went on to say that the court has relied on documentation from hospitals located in areas not controlled by the Government in Donetsk region and witness testimony, since it cannot use documents from “DPR”. According to him, the court has instructed Ukrainian institutions to issue birth or death certificates in every case.

The SMM observed long lines at checkpoints close to the contact line. At a government checkpoint near government-controlled Marinka (23km south-west of Donetsk), the SMM observed a 1.7-km long queue of approximately 260 civilian vehicles and eight buses travelling west. There were no vehicles heading east. At the “LPR” checkpoint at the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge (16km north-east of Luhansk), the SMM observed approximately 100 civilians waiting to travel to the government-controlled side of the bridge and 12 travelling in the opposite direction. An armed man told the SMM that lately the overall number of civilians crossing the bridge had increased. Later in the morning, the SMM observed approximately 500 civilians (many elderly) waiting to travel toward government-controlled area at the government checkpoint. There was no line in the opposite direction.

The SMM monitored border areas not controlled by the Government. The SMM observed little traffic at border crossing points in Novoborovytsi (79km south of Luhansk) and Dovzhanskyi (85km south-east of Luhansk).

In Kyiv and Kharkiv, the SMM monitored public gatherings in front of the Russian Federation Embassy and Consulate, respectively. On the morning of 21 March, at the Embassy in Kyiv, the SMM observed four elderly women placing flowers at the gate in memory of those who had died in an airliner crash in Rostov-on-Don. Later in the morning, 15 men and women (of various ages) left posters and banners calling for the release of Nadiya Savchenko at the gate. The site was guarded by 15 National Guard officers. In Kharkiv, the SMM observed 60 protestors (40-60 years old, 40 women) holding banners calling for the release of Savchenko. Approximately 100 police and 60 officers of the National Guard were present in front of the Consulate, and 40 additional National Guard officers were on standby in the vicinity. All gatherings monitored were peaceful.

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

Delay:

• Armed men refused to allow the SMM to travel toward the contact line at an “LPR”-controlled checkpoint near Sokilnyky (39km north-west of Luhansk). The SMM contacted the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination and was allowed to pass after 45 minutes.

Other impediments:

• An SMM UAV came under small-arms fire near Zolote. The SMM heard 50 to 60 shots and bursts of small-arms fire assessed as having come from the direction of Ukrainian Armed Forces positions. After co-ordinating with Ukrainian Armed Forces commanders, the UAV resumed operations and was not targeted again. The UAV was not hit or damaged in the incident.

[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”.