Spot report by the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), 25 August 2014: The SMM, in Luhansk city, monitored the impact of the ongoing fighting

This report is for media and the general public.

On 24 August the SMM entered Luhansk city which, due to heavy fighting, it had last visited on 21 July.

On its way to the city the SMM stopped in the town of Stanytsia-Luhanska (25 km to the northeast), which appeared deserted with signs of battle-damage. Local inhabitants informed the SMM that they had no water and no electricity since 2 August, but that gas was still available. They also stated that the police, the civilian administration and Ukrainian military personnel were not present in the town.

The SMM entered Luhansk from the eastern outskirts. Whilst the area looked generally deserted, the “Eastern Market” appeared to be functioning. As it moved into the city, the SMM observed no civilian traffic. Shell damage and burnt cars were visible on most of the streets. In the city centre, the cathedral and other civilian buildings, including a school, appeared to have been damaged during the fighting.

At the regional administration building the SMM met with new representatives of the so-called “Luhansk People’s Republic” (“LPR”). In particular, the SMM spoke to Hennadiy Mykolaiovych Tsypkalov, self-declared “LPR Prime Minister”, Oleksiy Viacheslavovych Karyakin, self-declared “Chair of LPR Parliament”, who has retained this position despite an earlier media announcement about his departure, and Vasyliy Oleksandrovych Nikitin, self-declared “LPR First Deputy Prime Minister”.

Issues related to the situation in the city and the conditions of the civilian population were discussed. The SMM explained the Mission’s mandate to the new interlocutors and underlined the importance of access to the city. “LPR” representatives informed the SMM that they plan to start the school year on 1 September and expressed concern over the security situation, adding that only schools provided with shelters would be open.

SMM will undertake additional visits in order to assess the impact of the ongoing fighting on the civilian population.