Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 31 August 2017
This report is for the media and the general public.
The SMM recorded a similar number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations inside the Petrivske area and near the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in the disengagement areas and elsewhere, including near Novoazovsk.* The Mission saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. It facilitated and monitored repairs and maintenance of essential infrastructure in Shchastia, Krasnyi Lyman, Vesela Hora and Zolote. The Mission spoke with teachers on both sides of the contact line ahead of the start of the school year. The SMM followed up on reports that a member of the Kharkiv Regional Council had been attacked.
The SMM recorded a similar number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region, including five explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 35 explosions).[1]
On the night of 30-31 August the SMM camera in Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) recorded, in sequence, two tracer rounds in flight from west to east, one undetermined explosion, eight tracer rounds from west to east, nine from east to west, four from west to east, 18 from east to west and two from west to east, followed by a total of 98 tracer rounds (93 from east to west, four from west to east and one from south-west to north-east), all at undetermined distances north.
On the night of 30-31 August the SMM camera at the Donetsk Filtration Station (15km north of Donetsk) recorded, in sequence, one tracer round in flight from south-east to north-west, one projectile in flight from north-west to south-east, 15 tracer rounds from south-east to north-west, two from north-west to south-east, three from south-east to north-west, seven from south-east to north-west, one from south-east to north-west and one from north-west to south-east, all 1-3km south.
In “DPR”-controlled Pikuzy (formerly Kominternove) (23km north-east of Mariupol), three armed men in military-type clothing together told the SMM that they had received information about the recommitment to cease fire from their “commanders”.
In Luhansk region the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations compared with the previous reporting period (one shot), including four explosions and over 100 bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire.
The SMM continued to monitor the disengagement process and to pursue full access to the disengagement areas near 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.*
While on the eastern edge of government-controlled Stanytsia Luhanska on the night of 30-31 August, the SMM heard – over a 30-minute period – about 130 bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire 5km south-west (assessed as outside the disengagement area).
On the night of 29-30 August the SMM camera in “DPR”-controlled Petrivske recorded, in sequence, 16 projectiles in flight from west to east, 12 from east to west, 46 from west to east and two from east to west, all 1-2km south (assessed as inside the disengagement area).
The SMM continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons, in implementation of the Package of Measures and its Addendum, as well as the Memorandum.
In violation of the respective withdrawal lines in non-government-controlled areas, the SMM observed two self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) and one multiple launch rocket system (BM-21 Grad, 122mm) in firing positions at a firing range near Oleksandrivske (formerly Rozy Liuksemburh, 90km south-east of Donetsk).
Beyond the withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites in non-government-controlled areas the SMM observed two mortars (2B9 Vasilek, 82mm) towed by trucks moving west near Oleksandrivske.
The SMM observed weapons that could not be verified as withdrawn, as their storage does not comply with the criteria set out in the 16 October 2015 notification from the SMM to the signatories of the Package of Measures on effective monitoring and verification of the withdrawal of heavy weapons. In government-controlled areas beyond the respective withdrawal lines the SMM observed nine mortars (eight M-120-15 Molot, 120mm; and one BM-37, 82mm). At the same storage site the SMM noted that 11 mortars (eight M-120 and three 2B11 Sani, 120mm) and six towed howitzers (D-30 Lyagushka, 122mm) continued to be absent, while eight mortars (four M-120 and four 2B11) were observed as absent for the first time.
The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles and anti-aircraft weapons[2] in the security zone. In government-controlled areas an SMM mid-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted a stationary infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (BMP-variant) near Luhanske (59km north-east of Donetsk) on 30 August.
In non-government-controlled areas the SMM saw one stationary IFV (BMP-1) at an “LPR” checkpoint south of the bridge near Shchastia (20km north of Luhansk). An SMM mid-range UAV spotted an armoured personnel carrier (APC) (MT-LB) near Kalynove (60km west of Luhansk) and about 230 rocket (BM-21 Grad, 122mm) crates, three towed mine-laying trailers (PMZ-4) and one APC (BTR-80A) in a compound in the south-western part of Kadiivka (formerly Stakhanov, 50km west of Luhansk) on 28 August.
The SMM saw about 200 anti-tank mines and three mine-laying vehicles at a compound near government-controlled Vodiane (42km south-west of Donetsk).
The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repairs and maintenance, co-ordinated by the Joint Centre for Control and Coordination (JCCC), to the power plant in government-controlled Shchastia, to the Vesela Hora-Khrystove power transmission line near “LPR”-controlled Vesela Hora (16km north of Luhansk), to a power line in “LPR”-controlled Krasnyi Lyman (30km north-west of Luhansk) and to the water pipeline in Zolote.
Ahead of the start of the school year the SMM spoke with teachers on both sides of the contact line. At a school in a non-government controlled area, as a teacher was telling the SMM of concerns about the presence of tanks close to a kindergarten, the teacher was interrupted by a colleague who told the SMM that the teachers needed permission from their supervisor to provide more information. In government-controlled Myrne (40km north-east of Mariupol), the vice principal of the school told the SMM that one floor of the school needed repair. He also said that an international non-governmental organization (NGO) provided counselling to children and training on counselling to teachers in weekly visits to the school. In “DPR”-controlled Novoazovsk (40km east of Mariupol), a regular interlocutor told the SMM that all 15 schools in the area will open on 1 September with the exception of the school in Pikuzy that had been destroyed by shelling three years ago. He told the SMM that only the school in “DPR”-controlled Sakhanka (24km east of Mariupol) needed repair, having sustained damage in shelling. A teacher at a school in “LPR”-controlled Metalist (7km north-west of Luhansk) said she was not allowed to talk to the SMM.
The SMM followed up on reports of an attack on a member of the Kharkiv Regional Council. At Hospital no. 4 in Kharkiv, the SMM spoke with the councillor (also a member of the Kharkiv Anti-Corruption Centre NGO), who had a blood-stained bandage on his head. His right ear and the right side of his face were swollen. Medical staff told the SMM that he also had two broken ribs. According to the councillor, two unknown middle-aged men had attacked and beaten him near his home on 30 August. The SMM observed a protest in response to the incident outside the Regional State Administration building in Kharkiv on 31 August organized by the councillor’s political party (Samopomich) which attracted about 100 persons of mixed age and gender. The protest passed off peacefully.
The SMM continued monitoring in Kherson, Odessa, Lviv, 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, unexploded ordnance (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. 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.
Denial of access:
- Armed men stopped the SMM patrol at a checkpoint north of “DPR”-controlled Novoazovsk and denied it access toward the border area.
- An armed man stopped the SMM near a known firing range near Oleksandrivske and denied it access, citing a live-fire exercise in the area. The SMM remained at the spot for about 30 minutes but did not hear any firing. From this location the SMM observed weapons (see above).
Related to disengagement areas and mines/UXO:
- The SMM was prevented from accessing secondary roads south of the Zolote disengagement area due to the possible presence of mines and UXO. Armed “LPR” members positioned on the southern side of the Zolote disengagement area told the SMM that no demining had taken place during the previous 24 hours. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed and informed the JCCC.
- The SMM was prevented from accessing secondary roads in the Zolote disengagement area due to the possible presence of mines and UXO. Ukrainian Armed Forces officers of the JCCC at a checkpoint on the northern side of the Zolote disengagement area told the SMM that no demining had taken place during the previous 24 hours. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed and informed the JCCC.
- The SMM was prevented from accessing parts of the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area, with the exception of the main road, due to the possible presence of mines and UXO. A Ukrainian Armed Forces officer of the JCCC told the SMM that no de-mining had taken place during the previous 24 hours. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed and informed the JCCC.
- The SMM could not travel across the bridge in Shchastia due to the presence of mines. A Ukrainian Armed Forces officer of the JCCC said there were mines on the road south of the bridge. The SMM informed the JCCC.
Conditional access:
- Armed men stopped the SMM patrol at a checkpoint north of “DPR”-controlled Novoazovsk and asked where the SMM planned to travel to. The SMM said it had a planned meeting in the town. After a few minutes, an interlocutor arrived and escorted the SMM to Novoazovsk. Later the same day the SMM was stopped at the same checkpoint and denied passage toward the border area (see above).
[1] For a complete breakdown of the ceasefire violations, please see the annexed table. During this reporting period the SMM camera at the Oktiabr mine (Donetsk) remained non-operational.
[2] This hardware is not proscribed by the provisions of the Minsk agreements on the withdrawal of weapons.