Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine, based on information received as of 19:30, 5 September 2016

This report is for media and the general public.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region on 5 September, with five recorded explosions compared to 43 during the previous day. In Luhansk region the SMM continued to note a relatively calm situation, with no ceasefire violations recorded during the reporting period. The SMM followed up on a report of a non-civilian casualty in the Avdiivka industrial zone and continued to observe the withdrawal of weapons. It monitored the presence of armoured combat vehicles, anti-aircraft weapons, and ammunition boxes in the security zone; and mine hazard signs and military personnel near residential areas. The SMM facilitated repairs to the Shchastia power plant and noted that a number of civilian cars were still present between entry-exit checkpoints along the contact line after the closure of passport control areas. The SMM monitored three border areas currently not under government control. It encountered impediments to its freedom of movement on two occasions, both in areas controlled by the Government, and followed up with the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) regarding damaged and missing SMM camera equipment in the “DPR”-controlled Oktiabr mine area. The SMM continued to monitor a calm situation along the administrative boundary line between the mainland and Crimea and followed up on reports of a fire at the office of a television station in Kyiv.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations[1] in Donetsk region than during the previous day, including five explosions during the reporting period compared with 43 on 4 September.

Positioned near government-controlled Maiorsk (45km north-east of Donetsk) on the evening of 4 September, the SMM heard six bursts of small-arms fire 3km north-east of its position. The SMM heard four single shots of small-arms fire while at the same location the next day, 1km north-east of its position. On 5 September, positioned in government-controlled Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk), the SMM heard one undetermined explosions 2-4km south-east of its position. The SMM camera in Avdiivka recorded four explosions assessed as impacts of rounds from undetermined weapons 8-9km south-south-west of its location on the same day.

The SMM observed no ceasefire violations in Luhansk region during the reporting period on 5 September, compared with three single shots of small-arms fire on 4 September.

The SMM followed up on reports of a non-civilian casualty at a hospital in “DPR”-controlled Donetsk city. At the hospital the SMM spoke with a man wearing camouflage pants who said he had been hit by a single bullet while located with his unit at a position near the summer houses in the Avdiivka industrial zone on the evening of 4 September. The man had a bandage on his abdomen and shoulder. Medical personnel confirmed that the man had been treated at the hospital after having been brought from the Avdiivka industrial zone with a gunshot wound to his abdominal area.

The SMM continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons, in accordance with the Package of Measures and its Addendum, as well as the Minsk Memorandum.

In violation of the withdrawal lines, the SMM observed a surface-to-air missile system (9K35 Strela-10, 120mm) near a government-controlled area of Zolote (60km west of Luhansk).

Beyond the withdrawal lines, but outside assigned areas, in government-controlled areas the SMM observed 18 stationary towed howitzers (2A65 Msta-B, 152mm) in Zachativka (74km south-west of Donetsk) and one tank (T-72) being transported east from Novookhtyrka (55km north-west of Luhansk) towards Novoaidar (49km north-west of Luhansk) on 5 September; as well as four self-propelled howitzers (2S3 Akatsiya, 152mm) (also observed by the SMM on previous dates) near Malynivka (62km south-west of Donetsk) and six towed howitzers (2A65 Msta-B, 152mm) being transported towards a railroad line in Khlibodarivka (65km south-west of Donetsk) on 4 September. Aerial surveillance imagery available to the SMM revealed the presence of six MLRS (MB-21 Grad, 122mm) near government-controlled Kramatorsk (83km north of Donetsk) on 4 September. At a known training area in “LPR”-controlled Uspenka (23km south-west of Luhansk) the SMM observed 14 tanks (T-64).

The SMM observed weapons that could not be verified as withdrawn as their storage does not comply with the criteria set forth in the 16 October 2015 notification. The SMM revisited such Ukrainian Armed Forces areas and saw 12 self-propelled howitzers (2S3 Akatsiya, 152mm) and 12 multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS; BM-21 Grad, 122mm); and noted as missing 11 self-propelled howitzers (2S3 Akatsiya, 152mm) and 12 MLRS (BM-21 Grad, 122mm).

The SMM observed the presence of armoured combat vehicles, anti-aircraft weapons, and boxes of ammunition in the security zone. In government-controlled areas the SMM observed three armoured personnel carriers (APC; one BTR-70, one MT-LBu, two MT-LB) near Zolote, one of which was mounted with an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23); two infantry fighting vehicles (IFV; two BMP-2) in Novotoshkivske (53km west of Luhansk); and two IFVs (BMP-2) in Krymske (42km north-west of Luhansk). In “DPR”-controlled areas the SMM observed a light military-type vehicle pulling a trailer loaded with approximately 20 green ammunition boxes in Horlivka (39km north-east of Donetsk). Aerial surveillance imagery available to the SMM also revealed the presence of nine armoured vehicles in Donetsk city on 4 September.

Beyond the withdrawal lines, the SMM monitored the presence of weapons at the Melioratyvne train station (32km north-east of Dnepropetrovsk) in Dnipropetrovsk region on 3 and 4 September. The SMM saw 18 tanks (T-64), 11 anti-tank guns (MT-12 Rapira, 100mm), six MLRS (BM-21 Grad, 122mm), three anti-aircraft artillery systems (2S6M Tunguska, 220mm), and three surface-to-air missile systems (9K35 Strela-10, 120mm).

The SMM observed the presence of military forces near civilian infrastructure in government-controlled Lopaskyne. Following up on reports from residents, Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel told the SMM that they were using two houses in the settlement.

The SMM continued to observe the presence of mines and mine hazard signs. At a Ukrainian Armed Forces checkpoint 2km east of government-controlled Zolote (60km west of Luhansk), the SMM observed two new red signs with the word “mines” written in Russian. Approximately 20m further south along the same road, the SMM observed a line of posts and two additional mine hazard signs (all observed by the SMM on previous dates). The SMM saw four previously reported anti-tank mines (TM-62M), in a field behind one of the signs. On 4 September, the SMM observed a barrier with an improvised mine hazard sign partially blocking the road between the government-controlled settlements of Lopaskyne and Lobacheve (respectively, 17 and 24km north-west of Luhansk).

The SMM facilitated and monitored repairs to the power plant in government-controlled Shchastia (20km north of Luhansk).

At the JCCC headquarters in government-controlled Soledar (79km north of Donetsk), the SMM enquired with representatives of the Ukrainian and Russian Armed Forces to the JCCC what steps had been taken in response to the latest violations related to the SMM’s freedom of movement and impediments to monitoring and verification, including an incident in which an armed “DPR” member had threatened an SMM patrol with an automatic rifle (see SMM Daily Report 3 September). On this incident, the JCCC did not report any progress made in holding the perpetrators accountable. In addition, the SMM was told that the JCCC had on 4 September successfully addressed a violation near Novooleksiivka (32km north of Mariupol) but was not informed of any other steps taken, either by the JCCC or the respective leaderships that might reduce the frequency or seriousness of such violations. The SMM also raised the issue of its missing and damaged camera equipment (see SMM Daily Report 5 September) which had been located in the “DPR”-controlled area of Oktiabr mine (8km north-east of Donetsk city centre). The JCCC referred the SMM to the “DPR” and stated that it was not the JCCC’s obligation to look into the matter.

The SMM continued to observe queues at entry-exit checkpoints along the contact line. In the early afternoon on 4 September, at a government checkpoint near Zaitseve (62km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM observed 59 vehicles and approximately 500 pedestrians queuing to travel towards government-controlled areas and 74 vehicles and approximately 150 pedestrians waiting to move in the opposite direction. At the same time, at a series of three checkpoints not controlled by the Government near “DPR”-controlled Horlivka, the SMM observed a total of 187 vehicles waiting to travel towards government-controlled areas and 282 waiting to travel in the opposite direction. At 18:30 approximately 50 vehicles travelling towards government-controlled areas were left in an area between the last “DPR” and the first government checkpoints. A Ukrainian border guard commander told the SMM that the cars would not be allowed to proceed as the passport checkpoint had already been closed and that the travellers would likely opt to remain in the area so as not to lose their place in the queue. In the early afternoon on 4 September, at the southernmost government checkpoint at the bridge south of Stanytsia Luhanska (16km north-east of Luhansk), the SMM observed approximately 300 pedestrians waiting to enter government-controlled areas and 50 people waiting to travel in the opposite direction.  On the early morning of 5 September, at the “LPR” checkpoint south of the bridge, the SMM observed 350 people waiting in line to move towards government-controlled areas and 50 people waiting to walk in the opposite direction.

The SMM monitored three border areas currently not under government control. At the border crossing point in Dovzhanskyi (84km south-east of Luhansk), in just under one hour, the SMM observed 34 cars, three buses and two covered civilian trucks (almost all with Ukrainian licence plates) waiting to leave Ukraine. The SMM also observed ten cars, one fuel tanker, one covered civilian truck and one bus (the majority with Ukrainian licence plates) crossing into Ukraine. While at the border crossing point in Izvaryne (53km south-east of Luhansk) for over one hour, the SMM observed 31 cars, one bus, one fuel tanker and two covered trucks (the majority with Ukrainian licence plates) waiting to exit Ukraine. The SMM observed 30 pedestrians and six cars and two buses with Ukrainian licence plates entering Ukraine during the same time period. While at the pedestrian border crossing point of Novoborovytsi (79km south of Luhansk) for 20 minutes, the SMM observed one woman leaving Ukraine on a bicycle.

The SMM continued to monitor the situation along the administrative boundary line between the mainland and Crimea. At the crossing points in Kalanchak, Chaplynka and Chonhar (67, 77 and 163km south-east of Kherson, respectively) and in adjacent areas, the SMM observed a generally calm situation. The SMM noted that the infrastructure of military positions in Chaplynka and at the administrative boundary line on the Arabat spit had been strengthened, as well as observing a military excavator digging near Pershokostiantynivka (92km south-east of Kherson). From the Ad Peninsula, the SMM saw a large crane on the Crimean peninsula setting concrete blocks into an excavated area to the south east, as well as observing a second construction site approximately 600-700m farther to the south-east, and a third site in a westerly direction.

In Kyiv, the SMM followed up on reports that premises belonging to the television channel Inter had been set on fire on 4 September. On the evening of 4 September, the SMM observed that a glass door to the entrance of the Inter building was smashed and that there were visible burn marks around five windows on the second floor of the building. Approximately 10-15 burned or partially burned tires were scattered on the ground in front of the building. Graffiti with the words, “Inter – an agent of Moscow”, written in Ukrainian, were seen on the wall of the building. The SMM noted that the area had been cordoned off and several police cars, three police vans, two fire trucks, a crane from a fire brigade and one ambulance were present on the scene. On 5 September, the SMM observed a demonstration of approximately 100 people (90 per cent men, 30-40 years old, a few were wearing camouflage clothing) in front of a second Inter office in central Kyiv. Protestors had brought at least ten small tents to the scene. The SMM observed more than 200 law enforcement officers present. Approximately 20 police officers seized tires that had been brought to the street by protestors.

*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 4 September, at a checkpoint approximately 700m north-west of Lobacheve, Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel did not allow the SMM to travel on a road leading further to the east.

Conditional access:

• A border guard unit commander escorted the SMM during its observation in Kherson region near the administrative boundary line on the Arabat spit (Valok resort, 205km south-east of Kherson) (see SMM Daily Report 5 September), where the border guard position is located. The SMM waited for 30 minutes for the commander to arrive.

[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.