Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 28 May 2017

This report is for the media and the general public.

The SMM’s operations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions remained restricted following the fatal incident of 23 April near Pryshyb; these restrictions continued to limit the Mission’s observations. Between the evenings of 26 and 27 May the Mission recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region but fewer in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. Between the evenings of 27 and 28 May the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous 24-hour period. The Mission observed damage to multiple civilian houses due to shelling in Krasnohorivka, Dokuchaievsk and Pikuzy. The SMM monitored a weapon in violation of withdrawal lines. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. Its access remained restricted there and elsewhere.* The SMM observed a white flare fired near the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. The Mission observed the removal of remnants of explosive devices near Shchastia. The SMM monitored two border areas not under government control. The SMM monitored public gatherings in Kharkiv and Lviv.

In Donetsk region the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations[1] between the evenings of 26 and 27 May, including about 330 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 240 explosions), and more between the evenings of 27 and 28 May, including, however, fewer explosions (about 320), compared with the previous 24-hour period.

On the night of 26-27 May, while in “DPR”-controlled Donetsk city centre, the SMM heard 19 undetermined explosions 6-10km north-north-west. On the evening and night of 27-28 May the SMM heard eight undetermined explosions 5-7km north.

On 27 May, positioned at the “DPR”-controlled Donetsk central railway station (6km north-west of Donetsk city centre) for about two hours, the SMM heard seven undetermined explosions 3-5km west and about 120 bursts and 130 shots of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire 1.5-5km at directions ranging from north-west to north. The following day, the SMM, in about 90 minutes, heard 25 undetermined explosions, two minutes of uncountable overlapping bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire and about 60 bursts and shots of small-arms fire, all 2-6km at directions ranging from west-north-west to north-north-east.

On the evening and night of 26-27 May the SMM camera at the “DPR”-controlled Oktiabr mine (9km north-west of Donetsk city centre) recorded, in sequence, 17 projectiles in flight from east to west, 15 projectiles in flight from west to east, one airburst, one undetermined explosion assessed as an impact of a round of an undetermined weapon, followed by aggregated totals of ten undetermined explosions, one airburst, 213 projectiles in flight (185 from west to east and 28 from east to west) and 64 tracer rounds in flight (44 from west to east and 20 from east to west), all 5-7km north-east. On the evening and night of 27-28 May the same camera recorded, in sequence, one explosion assessed as an impact, one projectile in flight from north to south, one undetermined explosion, one projectile in flight from west to east, three undetermined explosions, two projectiles in flight from east to west, followed by aggregated totals of one explosion and 261 projectiles in flight (213 north to south, 23 south to north, 17 west to east and eight east to west), all 4-6km north-north-east.

On the evening and night of 26-27 May the SMM camera in government-controlled Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk) recorded, in sequence, ten undetermined explosions assessed as impacts of rounds of undetermined weapons, one illumination flare in vertical flight, five projectiles in flight from south to north, 30 projectiles in flight from north to south, followed by aggregated totals of 32 explosions (two undetermined and 30 assessed as impacts of rounds of undetermined weapons) and 13 projectiles in flight (eight from south to north and five from north to south), all 3-5km east-south-east. The following day, the same camera recorded six undetermined explosions and one airburst, all 4-5km east-south-east. On the evening and night of 27-28 May the camera recorded, in sequence, one airburst, 13 explosions (two undetermined, eleven assessed as impacts of rounds of undetermined weapons), two projectiles in flight from north to south, three undetermined explosions, seven projectiles in flight from east to west, one undetermined explosion, twelve projectiles in flight from north to south, three projectiles in flight from east to west, three projectiles in flight from south to north, followed by aggregated totals of four undetermined explosions and 94 projectiles in flight (69 west to east, 14 south to north and eleven north to south), all 4-5km east-south-east. The following day, the camera recorded 27 undetermined explosions 4-6km east-south-east.

On 27 May, positioned in “DPR”-controlled Yasynuvata (16km north-east of Donetsk) for about six hours, the SMM heard 25 undetermined explosions and five minutes of uncountable overlapping bursts of small-arms fire, all 1-7km south-west and west-south-west. The following day, the SMM, in about six hours, heard 67 undetermined explosions, 25 minutes of uncountable overlapping bursts of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire and about 70 bursts and 110 shots of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all 1-7km at directions ranging from south-west to north.

On 27 May, positioned in DPR”-controlled Makiivka (12km north-east of Donetsk) for about one hour, the SMM heard 25 undetermined explosions 2-5km west-north-west.

On the evening and night of 26-27 May, while in “DPR”-controlled Horlivka (39km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard 88 explosions (69 undetermined, eleven assessed as impacts of automatic-grenade-launcher rounds, eight as outgoing rounds of infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (BMP-1) cannon (73mm) and recoilless gun (SPG-9, 73mm) fire) and about 70 bursts of heavy-machine-gun, anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23, 23mm) and small-arms fire, all 3-8km south-west and west. On the evening and night of 27-28 May the SMM heard 13 explosions (five undetermined, eight assessed as outgoing rounds of IFV (BMP-1), recoilless gun (SPG-9) and rocket-propelled-grenade-launcher (RPG) fire) and two minutes of uncountable overlapping bursts and shots of small-arms fire, all 7-8km south-west.

On the evening and night of 26-27 May, while in government-controlled Svitlodarsk (57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard 16 undetermined explosions and about 20 bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire 2-8km at directions ranging from south-east to south west, and 37 explosions (nine undetermined, 28 assessed as outgoing rounds of undetermined weapons) 2-10km at directions ranging from north-west to north-north-east. On the evening and night of 27-28 May the SMM heard about 140 undetermined explosions and 70 bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire, all 3-8km at directions ranging from north-east to south-east.

On the evening and night of 26-27 May the SMM camera in Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) recorded, in sequence, three undetermined explosions, five tracer rounds in flight from west to east, three undetermined explosions, 32 tracer rounds in flight from west to east, one undetermined explosion, 72 tracer rounds in flight from west to east, nine tracer rounds in flight from east to west, followed by aggregated totals of 42 undetermined explosions and over 530 tracer rounds in flight (about 450 from west to east and 80 from east to west), all at unknown distances north-north-east. On the evening and night of 27-28 May the same camera recorded, in sequence, two rocket-assisted projectiles in flight from east to west, two tracer rounds in flight from west to east, followed by aggregated totals of over 710 tracer rounds in flight (about 600 from west to east, 60 from east to west and 50 in vertical flight) and 82 projectiles in flight (75 from east to west and seven from west to east), all at unknown distances north-east and north-north-east.

In Luhansk region the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations between the evenings of 26 and 27 May, including one explosion, compared with the previous reporting period (66 explosions). Between the evenings of 27 and 28 May it recorded more ceasefire violations, including 15 explosions, compared with the previous 24-hour period.

On 27 May, positioned at the southern end of government-controlled Popasna (69km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard one explosion assessed as outgoing recoilless gun (SPG-9) fire 1.5-2km south.

On 28 May, positioned 2.5km south of government-controlled Muratove (51km north-west of Luhansk), the SMM, in about ten minutes, heard three bursts and 25 shots of heavy-machine-gun fire about 5km south.

The SMM continued to follow up on reports of damage to civilian properties in residential areas caused by shelling. On 26 May, the SMM observed five fresh impact sites (some of which had multiple craters) in government-controlled Krasnohorivka (21 km west of Donetsk). The SMM saw a fresh crater (four metres in diameter and two metres deep) about 30m north of the Krasnohorivka Hospital, assessed as caused by a 152mm artillery round fired from an east-south-easterly direction. On the northern side of the hospital building, the SMM saw all the windows broken.

At 9/2 Studentska Street, the SMM saw a fresh crater (four metres in diameter and two metres deep) in the garden of a house, assessed as caused by a 152mm artillery round fired from an east-south-easterly direction. The SMM saw that the south-facing windows of the house were shattered. The owner of a house (man, aged about 60) told the SMM that shelling had occurred at about 20:20 on 25 May.

At 53 Lomonosova Street, the SMM saw a fresh crater (four metres in diameter and two metres deep) one metre east of the gate of a house, assessed as caused by a 152mm artillery round fired from an east-south-easterly direction. At 51 and 55 Lomonosova Street, the SMM saw the roofs of houses damaged and several east- and west-facing windows broken. The SMM also saw shrapnel pieces in the surrounding area, assessed as remnants of 122mm artillery and 82mm mortar rounds. A dozen residents of the area told the SMM separately that shelling had occurred at about 20:30 on 25 May.

At 2A Sadova Street, the SMM saw a house with its walls severely damaged and south-facing windows shattered and the house’s garden shed completely destroyed. The SMM also saw two fresh craters five metres north of the wall of the house and 300m north of the house, both of which were assessed as caused by 82mm mortar rounds fired from an easterly direction. At the same location, the SMM saw a tree damaged by what the SMM assessed had been airburst of an undetermined weapon.

At School No.3 in Krasnohorivka, the SMM saw two fresh craters five metres and ten metres south of the school building, assessed as caused by 122mm artillery rounds fired from an east-south-easterly direction. A teacher of the school (woman, aged about 40) told the SMM that shelling had occurred at about 21:15 on 25 May.

On 26 May, accompanied by a Russian officer of the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) and armed “DPR” members, the SMM observed three impact sites (some of which had multiple craters) in “DPR”-controlled Dokuchaievsk (30km south-west of Donetsk). At 52 Maiakovskoho Street, the SMM saw a fresh crater 20m south of a house, assessed as caused by a 122mm artillery round fired from a south-westerly direction. The SMM saw a south-facing wall destroyed and south- and west-facing windows broken. The owner of the house (man, aged about 40) told the SMM that the impact had occurred at about 3:50 on 26 May.

At 48 Yakovytskoho Street, the SMM saw a fresh crater about three metres north of a two-storey house assessed as caused by a 122mm artillery round fired from a south-south-westerly direction. The SMM saw south- and west-facing walls of the house, which had formed a porch on the front door of the house, completely destroyed. A resident (woman, aged about 50) of the house told the SMM that some shrapnel had entered through a south-facing wall inside the house and fell onto her bed. The shrapnel was not located but the hole in the interior wall was clearly visible. The SMM also saw that four north-facing windows of a house located about six metres south of the crater were broken. The owner of the house (woman, aged about 60) told the SMM that she had heard two explosions close and three more in the distance at about 3:30 on 26 May.

At 32-34 Kripkoho Street, the SMM saw six fresh craters at an agricultural compound that housed agricultural machinery, assessed as caused by 122mm artillery rounds fired from a south-south-westerly direction. The SMM saw a grain storage building destroyed and two windows of the house of a guard of the compound broken. The guard told the SMM that shelling had occurred at about 3:30 on 26 May. At all impact sites in Dokuchaievsk, no injuries were reported.

On 28 May, the SMM saw a pipe at 52 Akhmatovoi Street with shrapnel damage in “DPR”-controlled Pikuzy (formerly Kominternove, 23km north-east of Mariupol). Residents (two men 50-60 years old, three women 55-65 years old) separately told the SMM that the damage had occurred during shelling late on the night of 27 May. They said that repair workers had fixed the pipe in the morning of 28 May, but that the village remained without gas supply. At 56 Akhmatovoi Street, the SMM saw damage to a shed with a caved-in wooden roof and collapsed wooden walls. Due to security constraints the SMM was not able to reach the site of the alleged impact craters.

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 relating to disengagement of forces and hardware of 21 September 2016. The SMM’s access remained restricted but the Mission was able to partially monitor them.*

On 28 May, positioned 3km north of “LPR”-controlled Pervomaisk (58km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard 14 undetermined explosions about 4km west and seven shots of small-arms fire 2km west. Positioned 1.5km west of government-controlled Zolote-4 the SMM heard one explosion 3-5km west-south-west. These ceasefire violations were assessed as outside the disengagement area.

The same day, positioned about 70m south of an “LPR”-controlled checkpoint south of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge, the SMM saw ten armed men wearing military-style clothes with no insignia standing in a static position and a white flare fired by an unarmed “LPR” member 50m north of the checkpoint. Russian officers of the JCCC and an “LPR” member onsite told the SMM that the flare had been fired to signal readiness to disengage.

The SMM continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons, in implementation of the Memorandum, the Package of Measures and its Addendum.

In violation of withdrawal lines, on 27 and 28 May the SMM saw a static tank (T-64) in “DPR”-controlled Nikishyne (59km north-east of Donetsk).

Beyond withdrawal lines but outside assigned areas, the SMM saw on 27 May in government-controlled areas five tanks (two T-64, three T-72) on trucks travelling south near Soledar (79km north of Donetsk); on 28 May, the SMM saw an anti-aircraft missile system (9K33 Osa) travelling south-east near Pidhorodne (73km north of Donetsk), 12 self-propelled howitzers (11 2S3 Akatsiya, 152mm; one 2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) static at a railway station in Rubizhne (84km north-west of Luhansk), and 16 self-propelled howitzers (nine 2S1; seven 2S3) and an anti-aircraft missile system (9K35 Strela-10, 120mm) static near Zolotarivka (85km north-west of Luhansk).

On 28 May, the SMM revisited an “LPR” permanent storage site, whose location corresponded with the withdrawal lines, and observed that all weapons previously verified as withdrawn to the site were present.

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles (ACV)[2] in the security zone. In government-controlled areas, the SMM saw on 26 May an IFV (BMP-2) on a trailer travelling west near Nyzhnie (56km north-west of Luhansk); on 27 May, the SMM saw an IFV (BMP-1) travelling south-east near Stanytsia Luhanska and an armoured personnel carrier (APC) (MT-LB), 11 IFVs (BMP-2), and a recoilless gun (SPG-9, 73mm) near Popasna; on 28 May, the SMM saw six IFVs (BMP-2) near Novotoshkivske (53km west of Luhansk), two ACVs (Kraz Cougar) with mounted heavy-machine-guns – one static near Zolote and one travelling north near Zolote-4 – and two amphibious transport vehicles (PTS-2), one near Muratove and one near Kapitanove (49km north-west of Luhansk).

In non-government-controlled areas, the SMM saw on 27 May an APC (BTR-80) at the eastern end of Pikuzy.

The SMM observed the removal of explosive devices and the presence of mine hazard signs. In government-controlled Shchastia (20km north of Luhansk) on 26 May, the SMM saw a group of six armed Ukrainian Armed Forces members and three men in civilian clothing remove two pieces about 200m north-west of the bridge from a paved road leading to the bridge, assessed as remnants of a multiple launch rocket system (BM-21 Grad, 122mm).

At a “DPR” checkpoint of Nikishyne on 28 May, the SMM saw a static tank (T-64) parked about 100m from the checkpoint (see above) and three men in civilian clothing with “DPR” signs conducting demining activities. They told the SMM that the tank was used for demining. The SMM also noted about five out of the 20 plots of land (100 square metres each) delineated with plastic tapes that indicated mine hazard signs.

The SMM monitored two border areas not under government control. On 27 May, in about 30 minutes at the border crossing point in “DPR”-controlled Marynivka (78km east of Donetsk), the SMM saw five trucks with Ukrainian licence plates, nine civilian vehicles (three with Ukrainian, five with Russian Federation and one with Lithuanian licence plates) and two buses carrying about 15 passengers (one with Ukrainian and one with Russian Federation licence plates) in a queue to exit Ukraine. The SMM also observed four commercial vehicles with “DPR” plates entering Ukraine.

The same day, at the border crossing point in Uspenka (73km south-east of Donetsk), in about 30 minutes, the SMM saw 65 trucks (55 with Ukrainian, six with Belarusian, two with Russian Federation licence plates and two with “DPR” plates), 15 civilian vehicles (nine with Russian, five with Ukrainian and one with Georgian licence plates) and three microbuses with Ukrainian licence plates in a queue to exit Ukraine. The SMM also observed four civilian cars (three with Russian Federation plates and one with “DPR” plates) and one microbus with Russian Federation licence plates enter Ukraine.

On 26, 27 and 28 May, the SMM monitored public gatherings in Kharkiv and Lviv. On both 26 and 27 May, the SMM observed 500-750 people participating in worship services at the Annunciation Cathedral in Kharkiv. Participants told the Mission that the services were held by a council of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church marking the anniversary of a council of archbishops held in Kharkiv in May 1992. The SMM saw about ten police officers providing security for the services, each of which took place peacefully.

On 28 May, the SMM monitored a range of events on the occasion of the “Day of Heroes” in Lviv. The commemorative event started with the laying of flowers at Lychakiv cemetery and was followed by reciting of a prayer by the local clergy. The SMM observed approximately 1,000 participants, including civil society activists, members of youth organizations as well as local and regional authorities. Another commemoration took place in front of Taras Shevchenko monument with approximately 2,200 people. The SMM observed approximately 20 police officers and one ambulance on the site. All events passed peacefully. 

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

*Restrictions of 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, UXO 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. They have also agreed that the JCCC should contribute to such response and co-ordinate mine clearance.

Denial of access:

• On 27 and 28 May, a Ukrainian officer of the JCCC told the SMM that no demining activities had taken place during the previous 24 hours in the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area and that, with the exception of the main road, the Mission’s safety could not be guaranteed in the surrounding areas due to the possible presence of mines and UXO. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed and informed the JCCC.
• On 27 May, an armed “LPR” member told the SMM that that he could not guarantee the safety of the Mission in the Zolote disengagement area due to the possible presence of mines and UXO. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed and informed the JCCC.
• On 27 and 28 May, the SMM could not travel across the bridge in Shchastia as Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel said no demining had taken place and that the road south of the bridge remained mined. The Mission informed the JCCC.

Delay:

• On 28 May, an armed and apparently intoxicated “DPR” member delayed the SMM at an entry-exit checkpoint near “DPR”-controlled Oleksandrivka (20km south-west of Donetsk) for ten minutes. The SMM informed the JCCC.
• On 27 May, an armed “DPR” member delayed the SMM at an entry-exit checkpoint near “DPR”-controlled Naberezhne (33 km north-east of Mariupol) for 33 minutes. The SMM informed the JCCC.

Other impediments:

• At a hospital in Horlivka on 26 May, the SMM could not confirm a civilian casualty as the medical staff refused to provide information or allow the SMM to speak to the civilian in question and told the SMM to get permission from senior “DPR” members.
• On 27 May, while the SMM was preparing to depart near “DPR”-controlled Yakovlivka (10km north of Donetsk) after a planned unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flight, a military-type truck (Kamaz) with three “DPR” members in military-style clothes, stopped nearby. One of them, with no visible weapon, began recording the SMM on his phone, and the Mission heard him making unsubstantiated allegations about the SMM. When the SMM attempted to engage the man in conversation to explain the SMM’s work and mandate, he shouted, “Do not come close to me, I am armed!” while continuing to record. Another “DPR” member was in the middle seat of the truck’s cabin, holding an assault rifle (AK-variant). The man recording the SMM eventually returned to the truck, which then departed.

[1] Please see the annexed table for 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.