Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine, based on information received as of 19:30hrs, 23 December 2015

This report is for media and the general public.

The SMM observed fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared to previous days. In Luhansk region, the SMM saw and heard the use of a multiple launch rocket system. The SMM again attempted, unsuccessfully, to reach Kominternove* in order to follow up on reports about the presence of armed persons in the village. The SMM encountered other restrictions to its freedom of movement.

The SMM observed a number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region.[1] Positioned at the “Donetsk People’s Republic” (“DPR”)-controlled Donetsk railway station (6km north-west of Donetsk city centre), the SMM heard a total of 16 undetermined explosions at 3-8km north-north-west and north-east of its position.

The SMM also heard a total of 20 undetermined explosions in government-controlled Anadol (39km north of Mariupol), which it assessed as likely related to live-fire exercises.

In Luhansk region, while approaching “Lugansk People’s Republic” (“LPR”)-controlled Kalynove (58km west of Luhansk) from the south-east, the SMM observed one rocket being fired from a multiple-launch rocket system (MLRS, BM-21 Grad, 122mm) in an area inside the village, 1km north-east of the SMM’s position. The SMM subsequently met with three people (two women and one man, 50-65 years old) in the village, who said they had heard six or seven rockets fired shortly before the SMM arrived. The SMM assessed that the rocket it saw had been fired in a north-westerly direction. This was the second time in less than a week that the SMM observed MLRS being used in Kalynove (see SMM Daily Report 19 December 2015)

The SMM observed a calm situation in government-controlled Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk) – one of the designated priority areas where mine clearance work is expected to be conducted. The SMM, however, did not observe any demining or repair works in the area.

In relation to the implementation of the Addendum to the Package of measures, the SMM revisited a Ukrainian Armed Forces permanent weapons storage site whose location corresponded with the withdrawal lines and found that all weapons previously verified as withdrawn to the site were present.

In areas beyond the withdrawal lines and outside storage sites, the SMM observed the following Addendum-regulated weapons: 24 tanks (T-64 and T-72) in static positions in the training area in “LPR”-controlled Kruhlyk (31km south-west of Luhansk). On 22 December, the SMM had observed 30 tanks (T64 and T72) stationary in that training area (see SMM Daily Report 23 December 2015).

The SMM continued to monitor the withdrawal of heavy weapons foreseen in the Minsk Package of measures. The SMM is yet to receive the full information requested in the 16 October notification (see SMM Daily Report 14 December 2015).

The SMM revisited locations beyond the respective withdrawal lines known to the SMM as heavy weapons holding areas, even though they did not comply with the specific criteria set out in the 16 October notification.

In such Ukrainian Armed Forces areas, the SMM observed in total: 50 towed howitzers (14 2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm; 30 2A65 Msta-B, 152mm and six D-30, 122mm), 18 anti-tank guns (MT-12 Rapira 100mm), 16 towed mortars (13 2B11, 120mm, and three PM38, 120mm) , 11 self-propelled howitzers (2S3 Akatsiya, 152mm) and 12 MLRS (BM-21 Grad, 122mm). A total of six towed howitzers (2A65 Msta-B, 152mm) were noted as missing from one area. The commander of the site stated that the six weapons were taken to Dnepropetrovsk for artillery training. One of the areas was observed abandoned, as had been noted on 2 October. There the SMM had previously observed six self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika 122mm).

The SMM again attempted to reach Kominternove (23km north-east of Mariupol, 88km south of Donetsk), from both sides of the contact line, to follow up on reports about the presence of armed “DPR” members in the village. “DPR” armed members denied the SMM access to the village* at a checkpoint approximately 1.5km east of “DPR”-controlled Zaichenko (4km north-east of Kominternove). The SMM moved about 700m east from the checkpoint and heard two undetermined explosions 2km and 5-6km west of its position. Shortly after that two armed “DPR” members approached the SMM in a civilian vehicle with Ukrainian license plates and told the SMM to move further away from the checkpoint. The SMM moved about 2km away from the checkpoint and heard another explosion more than 5km west of its position. Whilst at this position, the SMM observed at least four civilian vehicles with Ukrainian license plates heading west to the Zaichenko checkpoint. The SMM was unable to reach Kominternove from the government-controlled, south-western side of the contact line due to security concerns* (see SMM Daily Report 23 December 2015) and reports of explosions in the area, as corroborated earlier by the SMM patrol on the other side of the contact line.

The SMM followed-up on allegations of shelling in the “LPR”-controlled village Vesela Hora (16km north of Luhansk). Two residents (women, 35 and 60 years old) claimed that on 22 December a street in the village had been shelled on the bank of the Siverskyi Donets river. At the site, the SMM saw damage to a gas pipe line and a fence of a house, which bore fresh impacts from shrapnel and bullets – likely fired from a northerly direction. The SMM also noted an additional crater near the fence of the house and assessed it was likely caused by a mortar round of unidentified calibre. One of the women stated that as a result of these damages, the gas supply for that part of the street was cut off.

On 22 December, the SMM followed up on reports of presence of Right Sector members in military fatigues at the city hall building in Dnepropetrovsk. The SMM observed three individuals in military-type fatigues bearing Right Sector insignia outside the entrance of the building, who were checking the IDs of the people entering. One of them told the SMM that the mayor had requested the Right Sector to provide security at the building. The SMM then contacted the regional head of the Right Sector who said he was in discussion with the mayor regarding possible ways to give the Right Sector's presence at the building official status. On 23 December, the SMM revisited the city hall and observed a group of seven individuals in military-type fatigues bearing Right Sector insignia in front of the main entrance of the building, who were not conducting any checks. Another man in military-type fatigues was observed inside the building sitting in front of the reception desk with two uniformed policemen who were working at the desk. The SMM noted that citizens had free access to the building.

The SMM continued to follow up on tensions between parishioners of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyiv Patriarchate and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the village of Ptycha (148km north-east of Lviv, Rivne region), where on 18 December over 250 people, including 20 young men in military-type fatigues bearing Right Sector insignia had gathered in a church yard; some 50 police officers had been also present. Despite media reports that violent clashes took place at the village church on 18 December, whilst at the scene that day the SMM did not observe significant incidents and an interlocutor from the local police did not confirm the occurrence of any serious clashes or injuries. The SMM has since learned that the situation has calmed down.

The SMM continued to monitor the situation in Kherson, Odessa, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kharkiv, 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 alongside the border in parts of Luhansk region not controlled by the Government.

Denial of access:

• Armed men prevented the SMM from proceeding through a checkpoint east of Zaichenko (“DPR”-controlled, 26km north-east of Mariupol) in the vicinity of Kominternove, without giving any explanation.
• Security concerns prevented the SMM from reaching Kominternove from the government-controlled side of the village.
• Armed men prevented the SMM from proceeding through a checkpoint in Prymorske (“DPR”-controlled, 76km south-east of Donetsk).
• Armed men denied the SMM access through a temporary checkpoint at the entrance of “LPR”-controlled Komsomolskyi (56km south-east of Luhansk).

[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”.