Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine, based on information received as of 19:30, 16 November 2016

This report is for media and the general public.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region compared with the previous reporting period; most of them were concentrated in the Avdiivka-Yasynuvata Donetsk airport area. In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations compared with none recorded in the previous reporting period. The Mission followed up on reports of shelling and civilian casualties. The SMM continued to monitor the disengagement process in Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote, and Petrivske and faced restrictions of its freedom of movement in all three areas.* It observed long queues at the entry-exit checkpoints near Stanytsia Luhanska during the morning hours. In Kyiv, the Mission observed peaceful public gatherings outside the National Bank of Ukraine, the Parliament and the Ministry of Infrastructure with a total of some 1,500 people in attendance.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations [1] in Donetsk region, including 105 explosions, compared with about 190 during the previous reporting period. Of these explosions more than 81 were recorded in the Avdiivka-Yasynuvata-Donetsk airport area.

Positioned in government-controlled Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk) for approximately 2.5 hours, the SMM heard: 39 explosions assessed as 82mm mortar rounds (18 impacts, 11 outgoing rounds and ten undetermined) 4km east and south-east; 21 undetermined explosions, four explosions assessed as recoilless gun (SPG-9) rounds (two outgoing rounds and two undetermined), three explosions assessed as outgoing 73mm infantry fighting vehicle (IFV; BMP-1) cannon rounds, all 3-5km east and south-east. The SMM camera in Avdiivka recorded six undetermined explosions, three air bursts, 22 undetermined projectiles in flight from north-west to south-east and nine undetermined projectiles in flight from south to north, all at distances 3-7km south-east.

Positioned in “DPR”-controlled Yasynuvata (16km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard seven undetermined explosions, and nearly 140 shots and several bursts of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all 2-5km south-west and west.

During the evening of 15 November while in government-controlled Svitlodarsk (57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard three undetermined explosions 6-8km south-east and 25 and 35 bursts of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, respectively, at 4-5km south-east.

Positioned 2.5km north-east of government-controlled Hnutove (20km north-east of Mariupol), the SMM heard five undetermined explosions at unknown distances south-east.

In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded 20 explosions, while it had recorded no ceasefire violations in the previous reporting period. At 02:24 on 16 November, the SMM camera positioned in the government-controlled part of Zolote (60km north-west of Luhansk) near the disengagement area recorded one undetermined projectile in flight from north-west to south-east at an unknown distance. Three kilometres south of the bridge in government-controlled Stanytsia Luhanska (16km north-east of Luhansk), the SMM heard two undetermined explosions 10km north-west. While in “LPR”-controlled Pervomaisk (58km west of Luhansk) near the disengagement area, the SMM heard two undetermined explosions 10km east-north-east.  While in government-controlled Orikhove-Donetske (44km north-west of Luhansk), the SMM heard five explosions 10km south-west. From two different locations near government-controlled Muratove (51km north-west of Luhansk), the SMM heard eight undetermined explosions at locations ranging 3-8km south-west and south-east.

The SMM followed up on reports of shelling and civilian casualties. In government-controlled Marinka (23km south-west of Donetsk), a Ukrainian Armed Forces officer of the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) led the SMM to a school, where the SMM observed a 2m wide impact in the concrete roof of the school garage, which had destroyed parts of the concrete roof entirely, collapsing into the garage in some places, and severely deformed the rebar reinforcements inside the destroyed concrete. The SMM observed shrapnel damage on the eastern wall of the garage and nearly 45 damaged windows. The SMM assessed that the damage was caused by 122mm artillery rounds fired from and easterly and north-easterly direction.  

Despite speaking with medical staff and local authorities to follow up, the SMM could not confirm media reports of injuries to civilians, including a 16-year-old man allegedly killed by stepping on a mine on 12 November in “DPR”-controlled Yasne (30km south-west of Donetsk) or a 59-year-old woman, who allegedly sustained injuries to her leg the morning of 14 November in Marinka.

The SMM continued to monitor the disengagement process and to pursue full access to the disengagement areas of Stanytsia Luhanska (16km north-east of Luhansk), Zolote (60km west of Luhansk) and Petrivske (41km south of Donetsk), as foreseen in the Framework Decision of the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) relating to disengagement of forces and hardware of 21 September 2016. The SMM’s access remained restricted in all three areas,* but the Mission was able to partially monitor them. Contrary to the requirement of the TCG’s decision, the SMM noted no demining or fencing off of mines in any of the three areas during the reporting period.

In “LPR”-controlled areas of the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area, the SMM’s freedom of movement was restricted on multiple occasions.

At an “LPR” checkpoint south of the Zolote disengagement area an armed “LPR” member told the SMM that “LPR” members were not planning to open the crossing point, despite preparations being undertaken on government-controlled side. (See SMM Daily Reports 14 November 2016 and 15 November 2016.)  

In the Petrivske disengagement area an armed “DPR” member refused to tell the SMM whether demining had taken place and said he could not guarantee the safety and security of the SMM. From a location near the SMM camera in Petrivske, the SMM heard ten undetermined explosions 6-10km east, south-east and north-west.

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

In violation of withdrawal lines the SMM observed a tank (T-72, 125mm) near government-controlled Halytsynivka (29km north-west of Donetsk).

Beyond withdrawal lines but outside storage areas, the SMM observed three surface-to-air missile systems (9K33 Osa, 210mm) 5km north-north-west of government-controlled Selidove (41km north-west of Donetsk).

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles in the security zone [2]. In government-controlled areas, the SMM observed one IFV (BMP-1) near Stanytsia Luhanska (outside the disengagement area); two IFVs (BMP-2) near Popasna (69km west of Luhansk); three IFVs (BMP-1) near Krasnohorivka (21km west of Donetsk); and one IFV (BMP-2) in Marinka. An SMM mini unmanned aerial vehicle spotted two IFVs (BMP-1) near Stanytsia Luhanska (one inside the disengagement area).

The SMM continued to observe long queues at entry-exit checkpoints along the contact line. Just before the opening at 08:00 of the “LPR” checkpoint on the bridge in Stanytsia Luhanska, the SMM observed a queue of about 1,800 pedestrians waiting to travel toward government-controlled areas. At 11:30, there was still a line of 600 pedestrians waiting to travel toward government-controlled areas, and 500 pedestrians lined up and waiting to travel in the other direction. At the government checkpoint north of the bridge at 09:00, the SMM counted approximately 250 pedestrians waiting to exit government-controlled areas and 50 pedestrians waiting to travel in the other direction. Later the same day, a woman at that checkpoint told the SMM that it took her three-hours to cross from “LPR”-controlled areas to government-controlled areas.

The SMM continued to monitor the situation of civilians living along the contact line. A “DPR” member in “DPR”-controlled Olenivka (23km south-west of Donetsk) told the SMM that residents remained without potable water following damage to the electricity lines during shelling in April 2016. In “LPR”-controlled Zolote-5 (60km west of Luhansk), the SMM saw 12 people waiting in front of the main water tank in the village square. The water tank was empty and the people told the SMM that they had been waiting for the arrival of the water truck. At a checkpoint near “LPR”-controlled Molodizhne (63km north-west of Luhansk), an armed “LPR” member told the SMM that inhabitants of Novooleksandrivka (65km west of Luhansk) were still prohibited by armed “LPR” members from leaving the village to travel to other areas, as previously reported to the SMM by local residents (see SMM Daily Report 17 October 2016). 

The SMM monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to critical infrastructure. Near Pervomaisk, the SMM monitored repairs to an electricity line.  In “LPR”-controlled Krasnyi Lyman (30km north-west of Luhansk) the SMM observed repair work on a water pipeline, while in in government-controlled Artema (26km north of Luhansk) the SMM observed repairs to electrical lines used to power the water supply system that will supply water to both sides of the contact line; both repair projects were co-ordinated by the JCCC.

In Kyiv, the SMM observed several public gatherings with a total of some 1,500 people attending, overseen by some 200 law enforcement officials. The SMM observed a crowd (men and women, mostly aged between 50 and 70) up to about 1,000 protestors standing in front of the National Bank of Ukraine (see SMM Daily Report 15 November 2016), guarded by approximately 120 law enforcement officers. The crowd dispersed peacefully by 14:00.

Around the Parliament (Verkhovna Rada), the SMM saw two consecutive demonstrations of 60 people (80 per cent men, aged 20-60) and 150 people (both men and women, mostly aged between 50 and 70), respectively.  Both demonstrations ended peacefully with limited police presence, in the first case, and no police presence in the second case. In front of the Ministry of Infrastructure, the SMM observed a group of 150 people (all middle aged men), demanding the resignation of the Minister based on allegations of corruption. The SMM saw approximately 30 law enforcement officials sitting in a bus nearby and observed that the protest ended peacefully.

The SMM continued monitoring in Kherson, Odessa, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kharkiv, Dnipro, and Chernivtsi.

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

The SMM’s monitoring and freedom of movement are restricted by security hazards and threats, including risks posed by mines, unexploded ordnance, 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:

• At an “LPR” checkpoint south of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge, an armed “LPR” member told the SMM that no demining had taken place on the road leading from the parking lot to the summer house area located east of the bridge (between pedestrian and rail road bridges) although the “MINES, No Entrance” sign had been removed. The SMM informed the JCCC.
• While located south of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge (inside the disengagement area), the SMM was not able to proceed west on the road leading from Prince Ihor Monument south of the bridge as it observed a metallic cross, assessed to be a warning sign. The SMM informed the JCCC.
• At a checkpoint at the southern edge of the Zolote-Pervomaisk disengagement area, an armed “LPR” member told the SMM that fields and areas other than roads located in the disengagement area had not been cleared of mines. The SMM was therefore not enabled to access the area fully. The SMM informed the JCCC.
• While at a government checkpoint in the disengagement area in Zolote (60km north-west of Luhansk), the SMM could not proceed west toward government-controlled Zolote-3 due to the presence of red mine hazard signs with “Mines” written in Cyrillic lying on the ground, concrete blocks and barbed wire blocking the road. The SMM informed the JCCC.
• The SMM was not able to travel further west from “DPR”-controlled Petrivske (41km south of Donetsk) as an armed “DPR” member present did not guarantee the security of the SMM and the Russian Federation Armed Forces officer of the JCCC did not assist in ensuring security for the SMM. The SMM informed the JCCC.
• The SMM was prevented from travelling on the road between government-controlled Popasna and government-controlled Katerynivka (69 and 64km north-west of Luhansk, respectively). Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers at a checkpoint in Popasna told the SMM that they had received orders not allow the SMM to pass. The SMM informed the JCCC.
• The SMM could not proceed across the bridge south of government-controlled Shchastia (20km north of Luhansk) from either side. Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel and armed “LPR” members present at their respective checkpoints told the SMM that the bridge was still mined. The SMM informed the JCCC.
• A Ukrainian Armed Forces checkpoint commander north of the bridge in government-controlled Shchastia (20km north of Luhansk) told the SMM not to conduct a flight of its mini unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flight near the bridge, referring the SMM to the brigade commander. The SMM spoke with the commander about the UAV flight, who also told the SMM not to conduct the flight. The SMM informed the JCCC.

Delay:

• At a government checkpoint 9km north of Mariupol, a Ukrainian Armed Forces soldier stopped the SMM at the checkpoint and prevented the SMM from proceeding citing an ongoing police operation. After 21 minutes, the SMM was allowed to proceed. The SMM informed the JCCC.  

[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.   

[2] This hardware is not proscribed by the provisions of the Minsk agreements on the withdrawal of weapons.