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

This report is for media and the general public.

In Donetsk region, the SMM observed more ceasefire violations on 18 June compared to the previous day, but fewer on 19 June compared to each 17 and 18 June. In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations on each day compared to 17 June. The Mission assessed damage to houses in Kominternove, Sakhanka and Trudivskyi district of Donetsk city, and continued to monitor the build-up of armed positions at Stanytsia Luhanska bridge. The SMM monitored the withdrawal of weapons and the presence of unexploded ordnance. It facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs in Vesela Hora, Holubivske and Berezivske. The SMM visited three border areas not controlled by the Government*. The Mission’s freedom of movement was restricted on two occasions, in areas not controlled by the Government, and once by Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel.*

The SMM observed more ceasefire violations[1] in Donetsk region on 18 June and fewer in the region overall on 19 June as compared to 17 June.

On 18 June, positioned in “DPR”-controlled Yasynuvata (16km north-east of Donetsk) over the course of the day, the SMM heard 184 undetermined explosions and numerous bursts of small arms 2-8km west and north-west of its position. In government-controlled Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk), within 15 minutes in the morning the SMM heard 19 outgoing bursts of infantry fighting vehicle (BMP2) cannon fire approximately 1-1.5km and two undetermined explosions 3km south-east from its position. In the afternoon, within one minute, the SMM heard five explosions assessed as caused by 82mm mortar round impacts 3km east-south-east of its position.  

During the late night hours of 17-18 June, the SMM camera in Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) recorded 11 rounds of undetermined indirect fire from north-north west and north-west to south-south-east and south east, all at unknown a distance north of its location. During the night of 18 June, two episodes of ceasefire violations, including at least 17 undetermined explosions, four outgoing rounds, one illuminated flare, at least 11 tracer rounds, from east to west all at unknown distance north-east of the camera.

Whilst at the “DPR”-controlled Donetsk central railway station (6km north-west of Donetsk city centre), on 18 June, the SMM heard some 48 undetermined explosions 4-7km north-north-east and north-east of its position.

In the evening hours of 18 June, the SMM heard six bursts of heavy machine-gun fire in Svitlodarsk (government-controlled, 57km north-east of Donetsk) within five minutes from 3-5km south-east of its position.

On 19 June, positioned in “DPR”-controlled Yasynuvata over the course of the day, the SMM heard 93 undetermined explosions, mostly 2-6km south-west, west-south-west, west and north-west of its position.

Whilst in government-controlled Avdiivka, the SMM heard 12 explosions in a 30-minute period, all assessed as caused by outgoing mortar rounds, 3-6km west-south-west and south-west of its position.

Whilst in “DPR”-controlled Sakhanka (97km south of Donetsk), on 19 June, the SMM saw and heard two explosions assessed as caused by impacts of 120mm mortar rounds 2-2.5km west of its position.

The SMM observed fewer ceasefire violations in Luhansk region on 18 June compared to 17 June and no ceasefire violation during the day on 19 June. Most of the ceasefire violations were recorded during the night hours of 18 June, when whilst in “LPR”-controlled Kadiivka (formerly Stakhanov, 50km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard nine explosions assessed as 120mm mortar rounds 8-10km west of its position.

The SMM followed up on reports of shelling. On 18 June, in the vicinity of the Ukrainian Armed Forces checkpoint near government-controlled Marinka (23km south-west of Donetsk) a civilian (man) showed the SMM damage to his car, which was in the queue to cross the checkpoint, he said had occurred 20 minutes earlier. The SMM assessed the damage as caused by a 5.56mm bullet. Meanwhile, a crowd surrounded the SMM and expressed their anger and frustration at the closure of the checkpoint. Shortly before the man had approached the SMM, the checkpoint commander had told the SMM that the checkpoint had been temporarily closed due to shelling. In an area east of the Marinka checkpoint, the SMM was also approached by a group of approximately 20 civilians (20-60 years old, of men and women) who expressed their frustration at waiting in the queue and the closure. The people demanded food, potable water and sanitary facilities along the queue route and generally complained of the long waiting times for crossing the contact line, many reporting they had been waiting for over eight hours.

On 19 June, the SMM observed two fresh craters in “DPR”-controlled Sakhanka (97km south of Donetsk) and assessed the impact at both sites as caused by artillery (122mm or 152mm). The craters were located some 200m apart in a field south-west of the village and the SMM assessed the rounds had been fired from a westerly direction.

In “DPR”-controlled Trudovskyi district of Donetsk city (19km south-west of Donetsk) the SMM conducted crater analysis at several locations. The SMM saw two craters about 5m apart in the garden of a house. The SMM analysed two other craters in the area: one on unused land 50m from a recently burned-out house, another in the garden of a house. At the latter location, the SMM saw that a concrete fence had been destroyed and windows of neighbouring houses had been broken. At all locations, the SMM assessed the craters as caused by 122mm artillery fired from a north-easterly direction. No casualties were reported at the locations the SMM visited.

In “DPR”-controlled Kominternove (“DPR”-controlled, 23km north-east of Mariupol), the SMM observed damage to a house in the north-western part of the village. On the north-north-west facing walls of a two-storey house the SMM saw it had been perforated by what the SMM assessed as an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV; BMP-1) projectile. The SMM saw the tail fin of a self-propelled projectile stuck in the wall with the rest of the projectile on the floor of the living room. Shrapnel had also damaged the garage door (facing north-north-west) and a vehicle parked inside the garage. The SMM assessed that the round had been fired from a north-westerly direction. There were no civilian casualties reported. The SMM also observed a fresh bullet hole in the gas pipeline near a checkpoint at the western entrance to the village.

In government-controlled Krasnohorivka (21km west of Donetsk), the SMM observed damage from shelling. The SMM saw that the east-facing wall of School number 5 in the village had sustained a direct hit at a height of 6-7m above the ground (the first floor of the building). At the school, the SMM saw three other impact sites on the same floor and found remnants of a 125mm projectile. At a second location in the village, the SMM observed damage to the eastern side of the roof of a four-storey residential building and found remnants of a 125mm projectile. At a third location, the SMM saw damage to the ceiling of a flat on the fourth floor in a residential building. The SMM assessed the damage at all locations as caused by 125mm projectiles fired from an easterly direction. No casualties were reported at the locations the SMM visited in the village.

“LPR” members continued to maintain an armed position north of the Siverskyi Donets river, beyond the contact line, at Stanytsia Luhanska bridge (see SMM Daily Report 13 June). The SMM observed continuing work to reinforce the new Ukrainian Armed Forces position (see SMM Daily Report 16 June) on both 18 and 19 June. The SMM continued to urge the Joint Centre for Control and Co-Ordination (JCCC) to ensure and co-ordinate compliance with the Minsk Memorandum and continued to facilitate dialogue between the sides to reduce tensions. The SMM noted that a previously observed infantry fighting vehicle (IFV; BMP-2) had been moved across the street from the position. On 18 June, the SMM heard one undetermined explosion 100m north-east of its position at the bridge, which it assessed as caused by the detonation of an anti-tank mine. At the same time, pedestrians continued to cross the bridge in both directions throughout the day. On both 18 and 19 June, the SMM noted pedestrians suffering from hyperthermia. The SMM observed a usual number of pedestrians waiting to cross in both directions, with higher numbers observed in the morning hours on both days.  

In relation to the implementation of the Addendum to the Package of Measures, beyond withdrawal lines but outside storage sites, the SMM observed in “LPR”-controlled areas on 19 June, at a training range in Myrne (28km south-west of Luhansk), 16 stationary tanks (T-64).

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.

In violation of respective withdrawal lines, the SMM observed in government-controlled areas: on 17 June, 13 anti-tank guns (MT-12 Rapira, 100mm) in Kremenivka (27 north-west of Mariupol); on 19 June, two tank destroyers (MT-LB, 9P149) fitted with a radio guided anti-tank system (9K114 Shturm, 134mm) facing south in Avdiivka.

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 notification. In “DPR”-controlled areas beyond the respective withdrawal lines, the SMM revisited such locations and observed eight self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm), and eight towed howitzers (two D-30; and six 2A65 Msta-B, 152mm). At one of the areas the SMM also observed two vehicles fully loaded with ammunition.

The SMM observed the presence of armoured combat vehicles in the security zone. In government-controlled areas, the SMM saw three armoured personnel carriers (APC; one BTR-60; and two BRDM-2), one armoured combat vehicle mounted with a machine-gun near Trokhizbenka (32km north-west of Luhansk), two APCs (one BTR-60 and one BTR-4) near Popasna (69km west of Luhansk), three APCs (BTR-70) near Shchastia (20km north of Luhansk), and one IFV (BMP-2) near Stanytsia Luhanska (16km north-east of Luhansk).

The SMM continued to observe the presence of explosive remnants of war (ERW). In Debaltseve (“DPR”-controlled, 58km north-east of Donetsk), 1.6km north-west of the city centre the SMM saw remnants of a multiple-launch rocket system rocket stuck in the asphalt road. The SMM assessed it was not due to a recent incident. A woman (30 years old), who lived in the vicinity, stated that her family had reported it to local “authorities”. 

The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to essential infrastructure and removal of unexploded ordnance (UXO). On 18 June, in “LPR”-controlled Vesela Hora (16km north of Luhansk), the SMM facilitated and observed ongoing repair work on electricity pylons. The SMM monitored repairs to power lines in the area of “LPR”-controlled Holubivske (51km west of Luhansk) and “LPR”-controlled Holubivka (formerly Kirovske, 51km west of Luhansk). The power line is part of the electricity system connecting the area with the Shchastia power station across the contact line. The SMM also facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to high-voltage lines in the vicinity of “LPR”-controlled Berezivske (53km north-west of Luhansk). In Betmanove (formerly, Krasnyi Partyzan, “DPR”-controlled, 23km north-east of Donetsk) the SMM facilitated the safe removal of two pieces of UXO (one automatic grenade launcher projectile and one 40mm grenade). In government-controlled Verkhnotoretske (23km north of Donetsk), the SMM facilitated the work of a Ukrainian Armed Forces demining team, which recovered and destroyed two pieces of UXO (one automatic grenade launcher projectile and one 40mm grenade).

The SMM monitored three areas alongside the border with the Russian Federation outside government control*. On 19 June, at the Ulianivske pedestrian crossing point (“DPR”-controlled, 62km south-east of Donetsk), the SMM observed a calm situation. At the Voznesenivka (formerly Chervonopartyzansk) border crossing point (“LPR”-controlled, 64km south-east of Luhansk) the SMM observed within one hour: 29 civilian cars (27 with Ukrainian licence plates and two with Russian Federation ones), one covered commercial truck (with Ukrainian licence plates), one motorcycle and one bicycle crossing into the Russian Federation. The SMM also saw 20 civilian cars (19 with Ukrainian licence plates and one with Russian Federation ones) cross into Ukraine within 30 minutes. The SMM also observed 16 cars (all with Ukrainian licence plates) and three taxis (all with Ukrainian licence plates) in the parking lot. The SMM saw three pedestrians (women) cross into Ukraine. At the “LPR”-controlled Izvaryne crossing point (52km south-east of Luhansk), the SMM saw 33 cars (27 with Ukrainian licence plates and six with Russian Federation plates), four busses (with Ukrainian licence plates, two marked “Stakhanov-RF-Kharkiv” in Russian, two unmarked) and five covered cargo trucks (Ukrainian licence plates)  waiting in the queue to cross into the Russian Federation. The SMM also observed around 50 pedestrians crossing in each direction within one hour. The SMM spoke to nine people (45-55 years old, men and women) waiting to enter the Russian Federation who said that the higher number of people was due to an upcoming religious holiday and the start of summer vacation for schoolchildren. They also said they had been waiting for 40 minutes, but that the process was now much faster than during the winter.

*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:

• On 18 June, in “LPR”-controlled Makariv Yar (formerly Parkhomenko, 29km east of Luhansk) armed “LPR” members asked to see the SMM patrol plan. The SMM refused to comply. The SMM contacted the JCCC, but the intervention was unsuccessful.
• On 19 June, armed “DPR” members denied the SMM access through a checkpoint west of Verkhnoshyrokivske (formerly Oktiabr, 29km north-east of Mariupol) unless the SMM provided the patrol plan and a list of monitors’ names. The SMM did not comply and contacted the JCCC. The SMM left some 60mins later.
• On 19 June, at a checkpoint near government-controlled Troitske (70km west of Luhansk) Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel denied the SMM access to the village, despite the presence and facilitation efforts of Ukrainian Armed Forces JCCC representatives.

[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.