Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine based on information received as of 18:00 (Kyiv time), 30 December

This report is for media and the general public. 

The SMM continued to monitor the implementation of the provisions of the Minsk Protocol and Memorandum and the work of the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC). The SMM followed up on media reports about interruption of public transportation from Ukrainian mainland to the Crimean peninsula.

The secretary of Luhansk city council informed the SMM that a centre for rebuilding infrastructure had been established under the “Lugansk People’s Republic” (“LPR”) “ministry of housing and utilities”. The interlocutor said that the centre is mainly in charge of distributing building materials donated by the Russian Federation for the reconstruction of destroyed buildings. According to the interlocutor priority was given to allocating material for the immediate restoration of schools and hospitals, whereas renovation of residential buildings would follow at a later stage. In the meantime, people whose homes had been destroyed during the armed conflict were being placed in temporary accommodation.

At the JCCC HQ in government-controlled Debaltseve (55km North East of Donetsk) the SMM met with officers from the General Staffs of Ukraine (GSU) and the Russian Federation (GSRF), who informed the SMM about a working group meeting held in the city of Donetsk on 29 December. According to both interlocutors the discussion focused on ceasefire violations in areas adjacent to Donetsk airport, such as Pisky (7km North West of Donetsk, government-controlled), Avdiivka (13km North West of Donetsk, government-controlled), Spartak (7km North West of Donetsk, "Donetsk People’s Republic – DPR” controlled), and the Volvo Center ("DPR" controlled, and located at the southern entrance to Pisky).

The Ukrainian Major-General at the JCCC expressed his satisfaction with the Ukrainian Army rotation at Donetsk airport. He stated that it had gone smoothly, since the commanders of both parties had reached an agreement on the cessation of artillery and small arms fire during the rotation. Both the Ukrainian and Russian Major Generals informed the SMM that the ceasefire in the Luhansk region had held for the past 24 hours since 29 December and welcomed this positive development.

The Ukrainian Major-General gave details about the incident that took place on 29 December in Pisky (see SMM Daily Report, 30 December 2014). He stated that six individuals approached the Ukrainian position and threw a grenade at the soldiers, killing three servicemen. Five of the perpetrators managed to escape, whereas one was captured by the Ukrainian army.

Logbooks agreed by all sides at the JCCC in Debaltseve recorded 24 incidents, 11 of which involved artillery in the period from 29 December 10:00hrs until 30 December 10:00hrs throughout the whole JCCC area of coverage.

The SMM met with the mayor of government-controlled Kirovske (65 km South West of Donetsk), who said that the water supply system in the village was damaged in September during the armed conflict. The Ukrainian Government delivers non-potable water twice a week. He said that the school and kindergarten in the village were working normally. The village has regular electricity with no power outages. The SMM saw that local shops were well stocked, and people were visiting the local market.

On the outskirts of government-controlled village of Kodemna (51km North East of Donetsk), the SMM observed two places marked with unofficial mine warning signs. The signs were indicating that the fields next to the main road were mined.

The Commander of the Ukrainian Army Battalion 20 who met with the SMM in government-controlled Novobakhmutivka (20km North of Donetsk), said that within the last 24 hours there was no shelling or any other incident in his area of responsibility, which covers the territory from Avdiivka (7km North of Donetsk) to Mykhailivka (27km North East of Donetsk).

In the settlement of government-controlled Shevchenko (50km West from Donetsk) inhabitants told the SMM that they had been cut off from electricity twice for five hours over the recent four weeks. The village is connected neither to water supply nor to a gas system, which means the locals rely on water from wells and on liquefied gas. According to the inhabitants Ukrainian pensions and salaries have been paid regularly and continuously.

With regards to the interruption of public transportation from Ukrainian mainland to the Crimean peninsula (see SMM Daily Report 30 December 2014), the SMM received conflicting information. According to a Kherson Border Guard duty officer, the checkpoint Chonhar at the administrative boundary line (ABL) was closed, whereas the Border Guard commander in charge of the checkpoints Arabat Spit and Novooleksiivka (190km South East of Kherson) claimed the contrary, without giving further details. The latter said that no private busses and public transport were running from Arabat Spit and Novooleksiivka to Crimea. The SMM spoke to the dispatcher at Novotroitsk (165km South East of Kherson) bus station who said the last bus for Simferopol had left on 29 December.        

The situation in Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, Chernivtsi, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv and Kyiv was calm.