Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine, based on information received as of 19:30hrs, 2 December 2015

This report is for media and the general public.

The SMM received documents related to the withdrawal of heavy weapons in Luhansk region. The SMM recorded some explosions in Donetsk region, including in the area around Donetsk airport, and small-arms fire in Luhansk region*. The SMM continued to monitor the humanitarian situation in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions and followed up on reports about water, electricity and fuel shortage in areas not controlled by the Government. Its freedom of movement was restricted four times in areas not controlled by the Government, resulting, in one instance, in not being able to reach the respective border regions*.

The SMM continued to observe a relative calm, but recorded ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions[1]. The SMM, positioned at “Donetsk People’s Republic” (“DPR”)-controlled Donetsk railway station (6km north-west of Donetsk city) between 08:00 and 14:00hrs[2], heard three undetermined explosions at locations ranging from 4-8km in areas to the north-west.

The SMM heard up to 100 rounds of small-arms fire near government-controlled Trokhizbenka (33km north-west of Luhansk) assessed as live-fire training exercises.

In relation to the implementation of the Addendum to the Package of measures, the SMM revisited Ukrainian Armed Forces permanent storage sites, the locations of which corresponded with the withdrawal lines and observed that all previously recorded weapons were present.

In areas beyond the withdrawal lines – but outside storage sites – the SMM also observed relevant weapons: a convoy of eight military trucks transporting tanks at the outskirts of Kostiantynivka (government-controlled, 60km north of Donetsk) moving south on the H20 road in the direction of Avdiivka (government-controlled, 17km north of Donetsk and escorted by four civilian cars with blue flashing lights); in “Lugansk People’s Republic” (“LPR”)-controlled Kruhlyk (31km south-west of Luhansk), the SMM observed 20 tanks (T-64).

The SMM continued to monitor the withdrawal of heavy weapons foreseen in the Minsk Package of measures. Members of the “LPR” provided the SMM with an inventory list of heavy weapons, their serial numbers, including information as to where these weapons were supposedly located. “DPR” has yet to provide the requested inventory of heavy weapons, or locations of designated permanent storage sites for these weapons as requested by the SMM on 16 October. The Ukrainian military authorities had earlier provided an inventory list of military equipment featuring weapons systems as well as their serial numbers. The SMM revisited locations beyond the respective withdrawal lines known to the SMM as heavy weapons holding areas, even though these did not comply with the specific criteria set out in the 16 October notification.

The SMM revisited such holding areas in “DPR”-controlled areas beyond the respective withdrawal lines and observed six self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) and two anti-tank guns (MT-12 Rapira, 100mm). The SMM was denied access to one such area. In Ukrainian Armed Forces holding areas beyond the respective withdrawal lines, the SMM noted 24 multiple launch rocket systems (BM-21 Grad, 122mm).

In violation of the respective withdrawal lines, the SMM saw three self-propelled howitzers (one 2S1, one 2S9, one type unknown) in Opytne (government-controlled, 12km north-west of Donetsk).

The SMM followed up on reports of an “LPR” member killed and another one injured in a mine-related incident on 1 December near “LPR”-controlled Sokilnyky (38km north-west of Luhansk). A local “LPR” “commander” told the SMM that one man had died on the spot and another one was injured. The SMM also spoke to the head doctor at the hospital in “LPR”-controlled Slovianoserbsk (28km north-west of Luhansk), who confirmed the body was in the morgue.

The SMM spoke with residents in locations near the contact line. In government-controlled Kriakivka (37km north-west of Luhansk), residents told the SMM that the village did not have electricity since 1 December. At the outskirts of the village, the SMM met a team from the electricity distribution company, who were repairing the power transformer. They said the power transformer had been damaged by small-arms fire. The SMM observed two bullet holes in the two oil-cooling containers and assessed the direction of fire was from the south-east. In “LPR”-controlled Stakhanov (50km west of Luhansk), the “deputy mayor” (man, 40) told the SMM that the city of approximately 90,000 inhabitants still faced a problem with running water supply from government-controlled Lysychansk (75km north-west of Luhansk) as it had since summer 2014. In “LPR”-controlled Obozne (18km north of Luhansk) several residents (mixed age and gender) told the SMM that the village had been without electricity for almost a week. The SMM spoke to an employee of an electricity company, who said that the company was aware of the problem, but could not fix it because the area where the repair has to be made was mined.

The SMM continued to observe fuel shortages in “LPR”-controlled areas. Between Myrne (28km south-west of Luhansk) and Krasnyi Luch (55km south-west of Luhansk), as well as along the road H21 between Uspenka (23km south-west of Luhansk) and Luhansk city, the SMM noted that there was no fuel available and the operators were unable to explain the reasons for the shortage, nor when resupply was expected (see SMM Daily Report 29 November 2015).

The SMM monitored a number of locations – not controlled by the Government – in the border regions. In “DPR”-controlled Novoazovsk (53km east of Mariupol), the SMM observed a queue of around 70 civilian cars, most with Ukrainian number plates, three with Russian Federation plates, waiting to cross into Russia. There were also 11 civilian trucks and one civilian bus waiting. Two people waiting (approximately 20 and 50 years old) told the SMM that during the past two hours there had been no movement. When the SMM left after some 50 minutes, the queue had not moved. At “DPR”-controlled Uspenka border crossing (73km south-east of Donetsk), the SMM observed 64 civilian trucks (most with Ukrainian licence plates, six with Russian licence plates, several Belarusian plates, one Latvian and one Lithuanian) and 40 civilian cars (the majority with Ukrainian plates and several Russian plates) queuing to cross into Russia.

The SMM followed up on the disrupted power supply across the administrative boundary line between Kherson region and Crimea. At the site of the damaged power supply pylons near the village of Chaplynka (80km south-east of Kherson), the SMM met two blockade activists who introduced themselves as former members of Aidar volunteer battalion. The activists told the SMM that the repair works on the Kakhovka-Titan line had been completed but the electricity supply had not been re-established, which corresponds with the SMM’s observations and public information (see SMM Daily Report 1 December 2015).

The SMM monitored several small-scale peaceful protests. On 1 December, the SMM monitored protests against the re-elected mayor in Kryvyi Rih (137km south-west of Dnepropetrovsk). At the city hall building, the SMM noted two military-type tents with around 15 individuals, mainly male, some of whom wore camouflage fatigues. Inside the city council building the SMM also observed ten protesters (mainly middle-aged women) at three desks near the entrance of the main hall, who were taking complaints from citizens. In Odessa, on 1 December, the SMM monitored a demonstration in front of the commercial court of appeals building, where 120 trade union members (mostly men, aged 40-70) protested against delays in payment of salaries and expressed support for the Odessa Federation of Trade Unions in its legal case for retaining ownership of the Trade Union Building.

The SMM continued to monitor the situation in Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kharkiv and Chernivtsi, 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 close to the border with the Russian Federation in parts of Luhansk region not controlled by the Government.

Denial of access:

• In the vicinity of the border regions, an armed man stopped the SMM near “LPR”-controlled Diakove (70km south of Luhansk). He told the SMM that on 30 November, a group of weapons’ smugglers, who tried to cross into the Russian Federation had been apprehended and search operations were on-going in the area. He then escorted the SMM to the checkpoint located 5km from the border and did not allow the SMM to proceed further.
• Near “DPR”-controlled Zaichenko (26km north-east of Mariupol) an armed man did not allow the SMM to visit the village, but only to drive through it.
• A “DPR” member denied the SMM access to Debaltseve (“DPR”-controlled, 58km north-east of Donetsk), citing unspecified security concerns.
• Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel at a checkpoint near government-controlled Lozovatske (35km north-east of Donetsk) denied the SMM passage.
• An armed “DPR” member denied the SMM access to a heavy weapons holding area unless the SMM signed a logbook. The SMM refused to sign and left.

Delay:

• At a government-controlled checkpoint in Pervomaisk (87km north-east of Donetsk) Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel delayed the SMM for 40 minutes.

Conditional access:

• Near “LPR”-controlled Sverdlovsk (61km south-east of Luhansk), the SMM was stopped by two armed “LPR” members, who checked the SMM patrol plan and said they had to escort the SMM citing security concerns. The SMM proceeded to Sverdlovsk with the “LPR” escort.

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

* Please see the section at the end of this report entitled “Restrictions to SMM’s freedom of movement or other impediments to the fulfilment of its mandate”.

[2] All times are in Kyiv time unless otherwise specified