Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine, based on information received as of 19:30hrs, 24 January 2016

This report is for media and the general public.

Due to adverse weather and other operational requirements, the SMM limited its patrolling in Donbas in order to conduct first aid, evacuation and medical evacuation drills. The SMM however, did observe ceasefire violations in Donetsk region. The Mission monitored the situation at crossing points at the administrative boundary line between Kherson region and Crimea. In Lviv, the Mission monitored a meeting between the Regional Council and representatives of different Russian national cultural organizations. The SMM monitored events marking the Day of Unity of Ukraine on 22 January in Chernivtsi and Lviv.

Due to adverse weather and other operational requirements the SMM limited its patrolling and instead conducted first aid, evacuation and medical evacuation drills in all its duty stations in eastern Ukraine.

In Donetsk region, whilst in Svitlodarsk (government-controlled, 57km north-east of Donetsk), between 17:15 and 19:00hrs on 22 January, the SMM recorded undetermined fire, tracer fire, and air-bursts of artillery, mortars, and heavy machine-gun and small-arms fire at a distance 8-10km south-east of its position.[1] On 24 January, between 9:15 and 11:15hrs the SMM heard sporadic fire occurring 4.5km south-east of its location. The SMM assessed the fire to be consistent with small arms and heavy machine-gun, as well as possibly automatic grenade launcher and mortar.

The SMM monitored the situation at the tent settlements of the “Crimea blockade” close to the crossing point in Chonhar and Kalanchak (167km and 90km south-east of Kherson, respectively) at the administrative boundary line between Kherson region and Crimea. The SMM saw 12 “Crimea blockade” activists in camouflage uniforms, without visible insignia, present in the tent settlement in Kalanchak and two activists in Chonhar. The SMM spoke to “Crimea blockade” activists in Kalanchak, who said that since 17 January they had ceased stopping vehicles at the crossing point and checking them. One of them told the SMM they would start “checking the work of border guards and customs” as of 1 February 2016.

The SMM followed up on the situation of the Russian Cultural Centre in Lviv (see SMM Daily Report 8 January 2016). The SMM talked to a representative of the Russian community on 20 January and the General Consul of the Russian Federation in Lviv on 22 January and monitored a roundtable discussion between Russian cultural organizations, including the current user of the Russian Cultural Centre, and the Lviv Regional Council on the situation of the centre on 21 January. As a result, the SMM established that there were competing claims of two Russian cultural organizations with regard to the right to use the premises. The Deputy Head of the Regional Council said that a preliminary decision on depriving the current users of the premises had been drafted. The General Consul of the Russian Federation expressed his concern about the possible eviction of the Russian communities from the Centre.

The SMM monitored events marking the Day of Unity of Ukraine on 22 January in several cities. In Chernivtsi, some 300 people (men and women, different age groups) gathered at the central square. The SMM observed three police officers. Participants grouped around a large Ukrainian flag, singing the national anthem. The SMM saw flags of the Azov volunteer battalion (under the Ministry of Internal Affairs) and the Right Sector (Pravyi Sektor). At another rally held the same day, on a bridge (70km north-east of Chernivtsi) connecting central and western Ukraine, the SMM observed some 250 people (men and women, different age groups) passively participating in the festivities with a number of patriotic speeches. At least 20 men were dressed in camouflage uniforms. The SMM observed 14 police officers. In Lviv, the SMM monitored a commemoration at the Lychakiv cemetery and in front of the Shevchenko monument. Some 100 people (the majority of whom were middle aged men) gathered by the graves of Maidan protestors and fallen anti-terrorism operation (ATO) servicemen. Representatives of regional authorities, law enforcement agencies and public institutions laid flowers on the graves. The event was monitored by ten police officers. All events passed off peacefully.

The SMM continued to monitor the situation in Odesa, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kharkiv, Dnepropetrovsk and Kyiv.

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

The SMM is restrained in fulfilling its monitoring functions by restrictions imposed by the parties and security considerations, including mine threats, damaged infrastructure, and the unpredictability of the situation in Donbas. “LPR” members continue to prevent the SMM from monitoring many areas alongside the border in parts of Luhansk region not controlled by the Government.

Besides the abovementioned general restrictions that continue, on 23 and 24 January the SMM was not subject to any specific restriction of its freedom of movement.

[1] For a complete breakdown of the ceasefire violations, please see the annexed table.