Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine, based on information received as of 19:30hrs, 4 May 2016
This report is for media and the general public.
The SMM recorded a similarly low number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region as the previous day and a similar number of violations in Luhansk region when compared to the previous day. It observed the presence of weapons in violation of the respective withdrawal line on both sides of the contact line. The SMM also observed several hundred civilian vehicles and pedestrians waiting to cross the contact line.*
The SMM continued to observe a low number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region with a total of 52 explosions.[1]
Whilst in government-controlled Svitlodarsk (57km north-north-east of Donetsk) the SMM heard 51 undetermined explosions all occurring before midnight on 3 May at locations 5-10km south-east of its position. In government-controlled Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk) the SMM heard at 15:30 five bursts of small-arms and heavy-machine-gun fire 23km east-south-east of its position.
From its position on the eastern edge of government-controlled Berdianske (18km east of Mariupol) the SMM heard one undetermined explosion assessed as occurring in the area of government-controlled Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol). The SMM recorded two bursts of small-arms fire one kilometre south-south-east of its position at the Ukrainian Armed Forces checkpoint in government-controlled Pyshchevyk (25km north-east of Mariupol).
During the evening hours of 3 May the SMM camera located south-west of Shyrokyne recorded 30 bursts of undetermined tracer fire and 33 rounds of undetermined fire north-east and east-north-east of its location.
In Luhansk region the SMM recorded ten ceasefire violations. Whilst positioned 7km south-east of government-controlled Novoaidar (50km north-west of Luhansk), the SMM heard eight bursts of small arms and two explosions assessed as mortar rounds from live-fire training exercises outside the security zone at a location 6-8km north-east of the SMM’s position.
In relation to the implementation of the Addendum to the Package of Measures, the SMM revisited permanent storage sites in government-controlled areas whose locations corresponded with the withdrawal lines and observed that eight tanks (T-64) were missing from one of those sites. The SMM also revisited a permanent weapons storage site in “LPR”-controlled area and observed that all weapons previously verified as withdrawn to the site were present.
In violation of the respective withdrawal lines, the SMM observed seven tanks (T-72) in “LPR”-controlled Luhansk city. Aerial surveillance imagery available to the SMM revealed the presence of four tanks in “DPR”-controlled Donetsk city, on 2 May.
Beyond the respective withdrawal lines but outside storage sites, the SMM observed one mortar (2B9, 82mm) towed by a truck moving towards a training ground in government-controlled Dmytrivka (43km north of Luhansk). Aerial surveillance imagery available to the SMM revealed the presence of 21 tanks near “LPR”-controlled Miusynsk (62km south-west of Luhansk), on 2 May.
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 the respective withdrawal lines the SMM observed, in government-controlled areas: two anti-tank guided missiles (9M113 Konkurs, 120mm) each mounted on an armoured personnel carrier (APC, BMP-2) in Makarove (19km north-east of Luhansk), one anti-tank guided missile (9M113 Konkurs, 120mm) mounted on an armoured personnel carrier (APC:BMP-2) in Valuiske (20km north-east of Luhansk); in “LPR”-controlled areas, seven multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS, BM-21Grad, 122mm), seven self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm), ten towed howitzers (five 2A65 Msta-B, 152mm, and five D-30, 122mm), and seven surface-to-air missile systems (9K35 Strela-10, 120mm) in Luhansk city. Aerial surveillance imagery available to the SMM revealed the presence of five self-propelled howitzers in “DPR”-controlled Donetsk city, 14 MLRSs in “LPR”-controlled Miusynsk, on 2 May.
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: 12 self-propelled howitzers (2S3 Akatsiya, 152mm), 12 towed howitzers (D-30, 122mm) and six Addendum-regulated mortars (2B11, 120mm). The SMM found one of those areas was empty as it had also noted on 1 May, with six self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) missing.
Beyond the respective withdrawal lines but outside storage sites, aerial surveillance imagery available to the SMM revealed the presence of 18 self-propelled howitzers/mortars and seven towed howitzers/mortars in “LPR”-controlled Miusynsk, on 2 May.
The SMM observed the presence of armoured combat vehicles and other hardware within the security zone: in government-controlled areas: one armoured infantry fighting vehicle (IFV:BMP-1) near Pobeda (27km south-west of Donetsk) and one APC (BTR-70) near Staryi Aidar (21km north-west of Luhansk); in “LPR”-controlled areas: seven APCs (BTR-80) and seven IFVs (BMP-2), one APC (BTR-70) towed by a military-type truck in Luhansk city. On 3 May, an SMM long-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted the presence of two APCs near government-controlled Novhorodske (35km north-east of Donetsk) and four APCs near government-controlled Troitske (28km north of Donetsk).
Aerial surveillance imagery available to the SMM revealed the presence of 47 armoured vehicles and 203 military-style trucks in “DPR”-controlled Donetsk city, and 16 armoured vehicles in “DPR”-controlled Debaltseve (58km north-east of Donetsk), on 2 May.
The SMM monitored the situation at checkpoints near the contact line. At a “DPR” checkpoint 14km south-west of Donetsk on the H15 road the SMM observed at least 25 civilian vehicles waiting to travel west. At one of the Ukrainian Armed Forces checkpoints near Marinka the SMM observed at least 560 civilian vehicles and 200 pedestrians waiting to travel west. There were no vehicles waiting to travel east. At the second Ukrainian Armed Forces checkpoint at Marinka the SMM observed a line of at least 80 civilian vehicles and 30 pedestrians waiting to travel west and 15 civilian vehicles waiting to travel east.
The SMM observed between 600-700 pedestrians at the “LPR” checkpoint south of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge (16km north-east of Luhansk) waiting to cross the bridge towards government-controlled areas. North of the bridge, the SMM observed a line of 500-600 pedestrians waiting at the Ukrainian Armed Forces checkpoint to enter government-controlled areas, and 20 waiting to cross in the opposite direction. In the afternoon the SMM observed a line of 250-300 pedestrians, mainly elderly, waiting to enter government-controlled areas. A group of men and women (55-65 years old) told the SMM that most people crossing were going to collect their pensions and several of them worried they would not get through the checkpoint and back again before it closed for the day. The Ukrainian Armed Forces commander at the checkpoint informed the SMM that the checkpoint would stay open until 19:30.
The SMM followed up on information received from the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) about sniper activity in Marinka and visited the hospital in government-controlled Kurakhove (40km west of Donetsk) where they spoke with the deputy chief doctor who stated that no wounded civilians had been brought in for several days. She also stated that on 3 May one Ukrainian Armed Forces soldier had been brought to the hospital with a gunshot wound to the head and was transferred to Dnepropetrovsk for further treatment. A doctor in the trauma unit told the SMM that a male civilian (37 years old) with a gunshot wound to his left shoulder had been admitted on 30 April. The doctor said that the victim had told him he had sustained the injury that day while walking on a street in Marinka. The doctor said the wound had not been life threatening and the patient had been released on 4 May.
At a children’s library in “DPR”-controlled Horlivka (39km north-east of Donetsk) two library staff members told the SMM that in their observation children who use the library show signs of psychological trauma.
The SMM continued to observe the marking of mined areas and presence of mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO). The SMM observed a four-man demining team working approximately 500 metres south-west of the checkpoint in “DPR”-controlled Debaltseve (58km north-east of Donetsk).
In Horlivka two SMM vehicles parked on Peresypkina Street were approached by an unknown man (age 30-35) dressed in civilian clothes who took photos of the SMM vehicles. Showing his “DPR” member ID card he verbally harassed the SMM members and expressed his dislike of the SMM. He unsuccessfully attempted to get into one of the OSCE vehicles. The man grabbed and bent the flag poles of both vehicles, taking the two flags with him. The SMM left the area unharmed.
The SMM continued to monitor the situation in Kherson, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Dnepropetrovsk, Chernivtsi and Odessa.
*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:
- In the afternoon on 3 May, at the southern entrance of the “DPR” checkpoint in “DPR”-controlled Oktiabr (29km north-east of Mariupol), an armed “DPR” member denied the SMM passage when SMM refused to hand over their passports to be registered into the “DPR” database.
- The following day, at the same checkpoint in Oktiabr, the SMM was again denied passage by armed “DPR” members when the SMM refused to show their passports.
- The SMM was blocked by a civilian car at the exit of “LPR”-controlled Izvaryne (53km south-east of Luhansk) whilst heading towards Vlasivka village on their way to the “LPR”- controlled Verkhnoharasymivka pedestrian border crossing point (56km south-east of Luhansk). Two men in civilian clothes (30-35 years old) who identified themselves as “LPR” members told the SMM that it did not have permission to proceed, and escorted the SMM to the Krasnodon (45km south-east of Luhansk) junction (M-04). The SMM informed the JCCC representatives.
Conditional Access:
- On two separate occasions armed “DPR” members at a checkpoint 17km south-west of Donetsk insisted on seeing the passports of SMM monitors, refusing to accept OSCE identification.
Delay:
- Armed “DPR” members insisted on escorting the SMM from “DPR”-controlled Yasynuvata (14km north-east of Donetsk) city limits to the Yasynuvata train station.
Impediment:
The SMM was advised by telephone that a previously scheduled meeting with the head of the Kharkiv patrol police set for the same day had been cancelled and were told that from now on SMM was required to send an official letter of request to get an approval letter from the Ministry of the Interior in Kharkiv granting SMM permission to enter the premises. This was the first time the SMM experienced this formality with the patrol police in Kharkiv.
[1] Please see the annexed document for a complete breakdown of the ceasefire violations as well as a map of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions marked with locations featured in this report.