Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine, based on information received as of 19:30hrs, 10 May 2016

This report is for media and the general public.

In Donetsk region, the SMM noted a sharp increase in the number of recorded ceasefire violations compared with previous days. In Luhansk region it continued to note a low level of ceasefire violations. The Mission continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons and to observe mine hazard signs in the security zone. The SMM noted long queues at the contact line. It monitored a demonstration by veterans in Ivano-Frankivsk. The SMM’s freedom of movement was restricted on numerous occasions.*  

The SMM noted a sharp increase in ceasefire violations registered in Donetsk region compared to previous days, with more than 600 explosions recorded.[1] Over a 2-hour period on the night of 9 May whilst in government-controlled Svitlodarsk (57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard more than 225 explosions (including at least 100 caused by automatic-grenade-launcher and 25 caused by mortar fire of unknown calibre) and more than 400 bursts of mainly heavy-machine-gun fire, but also anti-air-craft-cannon (ZU-23, 23mm) and small-arms fire, 2-5km south-east. From 17:30-18:00 on 10 May, the SMM heard approximately 40 explosions assessed as outgoing 122mm artillery and 82mm mortar fire 0.5km south-east.

Fighting also intensified again in the area between government-controlled Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk) and “DPR”-controlled Yasynuvata (16km north-east of Donetsk). In a two hour period from the late morning of 10 May through the early afternoon, the SMM recorded 159 undetermined explosions, mainly caused by automatic grenade launchers but also by mortars (predominantly 82mm), and 33 bursts of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire as well as approximately 100 bursts of cannon fire from an infantry fighting vehicle (BMP-2) 2-6.5km south-east of its position in Avdiivka. The SMM camera in Avdiivka recorded smoke from at least two additional undetermined explosions in the same timeframe 2-4km south-east. Over roughly the same time period, the SMM heard over 30 undetermined explosions 3km south-west of its position in Yasynuvata, and approximately 60 explosions 5-10km north-east of the SMM’s position at the “DPR”-controlled central railway station (6km north-west of Donetsk city centre) in Donetsk city.

During the evening and night of 9 May, the SMM camera in Shyrokyne (government-controlled, 20km east of Mariupol) recorded 23 rounds of undetermined direct and indirect fire at an undermined distance, mainly from easterly to westerly directions from 21:40-00:20, save five rounds fired from the south-west to the north-east from 21:59-22:52.

On 10 May, south-east of “DPR”-controlled Dokuchaievsk (32km south-west of Donetsk), while operating its mini unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) over the area, the SMM heard approximately 20 rounds of small-arms fire near its UAV. The UAV did not sustain any damage.*

The situation in Luhansk region remained quiet, however, while positioned in Luhansk city, the SMM heard 78 explosions it assessed as caused by an anti-aircraft cannon at an undetermined distance, and as related to 9 May commemorations. The SMM also heard eight undetermined explosions assessed as originating from an “LPR” training area near Uspenka, 23km south-west of Luhansk, outside of the security zone.

In relation to the implementation of the Addendum to the Package of Measures, the SMM revisited a Ukrainian Armed Forces permanent storage site, whose locations corresponded with the withdrawal lines, and noted that four Addendum-regulated mortars (2B11, 120mm) and ten tanks (T-64) previously observed at the site, were missing.

The SMM also revisited permanent weapon storage sites in “LPR”-controlled areas and observed that all weapons previously verified as withdrawn to the site were present.

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 2015 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 locations and observed: 24 multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS; BM-21 Grad, 122mm), 45 self-propelled howitzers (18 2S3 Akatsiya, 152mm; and 27 2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm), six towed howitzers (D-20, 152mm), and 30 towed anti-tank guns (MT-12 Rapira, 100mm). The SMM noted that 13 self-propelled howitzers (eight 2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm; and five 2S3 Akatsiya 152mm) were missing. The SMM found seven self-propelled howitzers (three 2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm and four 2S3 Akatsiya, 152mm) present for the first time. The SMM observed that three areas remained abandoned, as they had been since 1 April, 1 March and 11 February; with 11 self-propelled howitzers (five 2S3 Akatsiya, 152mm; and six 2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) and 31 tanks (T-64) still missing.

The SMM observed the presence of armoured combat vehicles, anti-aircraft guns and other hardware within the security zone. In areas not controlled by the Government the SMM noted one stationary armoured personnel carrier (APC) in “DPR”-controlled Styla (34km south of Donetsk) and one APC and one military-type truck, both armed with a heavy machine gun and carrying a total of  eight armed individuals wearing camouflage clothing and balaclavas, in Donetsk city.

The SMM continued to observe the presence of mines and mine action. Approximately 1km north of government-controlled Zoriane (30km west of Donetsk), the SMM observed two improvised mine hazard signs with the word “mines” written in red Cyrillic letters. A Ukrainian Armed Forces commander in Krymske (43km north-west of Luhansk) confirmed to the SMM that one serviceman had been killed and two wounded (one seriously) when they had stepped on an antipersonnel mine between the two government-controlled villages of Krymske and Zholobok (48km north-west of Luhansk) on 8 May.

The SMM monitored the situation of civilians at checkpoints near the contact line. In the morning, at a Ukrainian Armed Forces checkpoint in government-controlled Marinka (23km south-west of Donetsk), the SMM noted approximately 600 civilian cars and 500 pedestrians waiting to travel towards government-controlled areas. In the afternoon, at the same checkpoint, the SMM observed a queue of approximately 500 civilian cars and 50 pedestrians waiting to travel west.

In the morning hours, at the “LPR” checkpoint south of the bridge near government-controlled Stanytsia Luhanska (16km north-east of Luhansk), the SMM observed approximately 25 people waiting to walk towards government-controlled areas and no one waiting to pass the checkpoint in the opposite direction. At the Government checkpoint north of the bridge the SMM observed approximately 1,200 pedestrians waiting to enter government-controlled areas and 35 people waiting to pass in the opposite direction. People crossing the bridge said that they were concerned about rumours that the bridge could close after 10 May. The crowd exiting government-controlled areas did not have enough room to pass at times, due to the high level of traffic. There was no shade in the queuing area and the SMM observed several people lying on the side of the road from exhaustion. Emergency services staff at the Government checkpoint told the SMM that they had had to call an ambulance for at least two persons because they were feeling unwell. In the morning, two women (40-60 years old) told the SMM that they had waited for over an hour at the government checkpoint. Medics from the emergency services later told the SMM that most medical problems involved elderly civilians. While on the bridge, the SMM observed an elderly woman (over 80 years old) who had fainted and was subsequently moved by “LPR” members in a wheelbarrow. The SMM raised their concern to Ukrainian checkpoint personnel about the long lines after which it observed that the speed at which people passed through the checkpoint increased. However, around noontime, approximately 800 people were still waiting to enter government-controlled areas and 35 people were waiting to walk in the opposite direction.

In Ivano-Frankivsk, the SMM monitored a gathering of approximately 250 military veterans in front of the city council building. The majority of the veterans were from the Anti-Terrorism Operation (ATO) in Donbas and were wearing uniforms. They were also joined by smaller groups of Afghan and Chernobyl veterans in civilian clothes. Speakers at the demonstration stated that 800 applications for land plots and 300 applications for apartments remained unanswered, even though some veterans had waited for up to two years. They called for the local government to provide veterans with medical rehabilitation, and demanded that volunteers and non-governmental organizations should not have to fulfil the functions of the Government. The veterans then walked to the mayor’s office and delivered their demands with raised voices to the mayor in a city council assembly room, threatening that they would force him to resign if their demands were not met. Surrounded by approximately 250 veterans who had left their seats, the mayor signed a memorandum and promised that the document would be addressed at the next city council meeting. Separately, in Lviv, the head of the Association of ATO participants in Lviv region told the SMM that the allocation of land plots continued to be a major challenge faced by demobilized veterans.

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

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

The SMM’s monitoring is restrained by security hazards and threats, including risks posed by mines and unexploded ordnance, and by restrictions of its freedom of movement and other impediments – which vary from day to day. The SMM’s mandate provides for safe and secure access throughout Ukraine. All signatories of the Package of Measures have agreed on the need for this safe and secure access, that restriction of the SMM’s freedom of movement constitutes a violation, and on the need for rapid response to these violations.

Denial of access: 

• The SMM was forced to land its UAV when it heard 20 single shots of small-arms fire near the UAV over “DPR”-controlled area near Dokuchaievsk. Upon retrieving the UAV, the SMM immediately left the area. The Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) was informed of the incident.

• At an “LPR” checkpoint at Stanytsia Luhanska bridge, an armed man prevented the SMM from crossing the checkpoint. The SMM reported the incident to the JCCC and departed from the site.

Conditional:

• At a Ukrainian Armed Forces checkpoint west of government-controlled Novobakhmutivka (28km north of Donetsk), patrol members were asked to present their national passports. After the driver of the first car showed his passport the patrol was allowed to proceed without further limitations.

Delay:

• At a “DPR” checkpoint near Yasynuvata the SMM was delayed for 25 minutes, allegedly due to difficulties in reaching a “commander” over the phone.

Other impediments:

• Two kilometres north of government-controlled Mykolaivka (40km south of Donetsk), the SMM observed that a road leading towards “DPR”-controlled Dokuchaievsk had been deliberately blocked by two large trees on government-controlled areas. The SMM had informed the JCCC of the obstacle last week.

[1]  Please see the annexed table for a complete breakdown of the ceasefire violations as well as map of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions marked with locations featured in this report.