Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine, based on information received as of 19:30, 20 May 2016
This report is for the general public and the media.
The SMM observed a slightly higher level of violence in Donbas compared to the previous day. It continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons and noted the presence of armoured combat vehicles and anti-aircraft weapons in the security zone. The Mission monitored the situation affecting civilians living near the contact line. It also monitored a demonstration in Kyiv. The operation of the Mission’s ceasefire monitoring equipment was stopped by armed “DPR” members in Donetsk city and its activities were restricted on five other occasions, mainly in areas not controlled by the Government.*
In violation of the Package of Measures for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements, armed “DPR” members stopped the work of the SMM’s remote monitoring equipment in the area of the Donetsk airport.* The SMM learned that they had disconnected the power supply to related SMM equipment in Donetsk city, claiming they had an order to do so by Mr. Alexander Zakharchenko. The armed “DPR” members asked the SMM to remove the equipment and threatened to forcefully remove it themselves otherwise. The Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination and the “DPR” points of contact were informed of the incident. The placement of the equipment had been co-ordinated with the sides prior to its installation. The actions of the armed “DPR” members effectively disabled the SMM’s cameras in the Donetsk airport area.
In Donetsk region the SMM recorded a higher number of ceasefire violations, most of which it registered during the night hours of 19-20 May. [1] Whilst in Donetsk city centre, the SMM heard 225 undetermined explosions during the night, 5-10km to the north-north west. In government-controlled Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk), during the night the SMM heard 30 explosions assessed as impacts 4-5km south of its position within 30 minutes, 39 explosions assessed as impacts 4km south-south-west and seven explosions assessed as impacts within one minute 3-4km east-south-east. During the day, in the Avdiivka area, the SMM heard four explosions assessed as impacts of rocket-propelled grenade projectiles, five bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire and saw two airbursts of 82mm mortars 3km south-east of its position. Positioned in “DPR”-controlled Yasynuvata (16km north-east of Donetsk), during the day the SMM heard 42 undetermined explosions, 27 bursts of small arms and heavy-machine-gun fire and 69 small arms shots all at locations 2-5km west of its position.
In the evening hours of 19 May the SMM heard 16-17 explosions it assessed as caused by mortar round impacts 10-12km south-west of its position in “DPR”-controlled Horlivka (39km north-east of Donetsk). Whilst positioned in government-controlled Svitlodarsk (57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard 14 single small-arms shots 3km to the south within 20minutes on the evening of 19 May. In the evening hours of 20 May, from the same position, the SMM heard 32 explosions assessed as caused by 82mm mortars 3-5km south-east of its position.
The SMM observed an increase in the number of ceasefire violations in Luhansk region compared to the previous day. Positioned 1km east of a checkpoint in “LPR”-controlled Sokilnyky (38km north-west of Luhansk) the SMM heard one undetermined explosion 8-10km north-west of its position. Whilst in government-controlled Stanytsia Luhanska (16km north-east of Luhansk) the SMM heard one explosion 500m east of its position, in a government-controlled wooded area, which it assessed to have been caused by a booby trap or mine. The civilians on the bridge did not react to the sound. During the evening/night from its position in Stanytsia Luhanska, the SMM heard 14-16 outgoing explosions 1-4km south and south-west of its position.
In relation to the implementation of the Addendum to the Package of Measures, the SMM revisited a Ukrainian Armed Forces permanent storage site whose location corresponded with the withdrawal lines, and noted that 32 tanks (T-72), four mortars (2B9 Vasilek, 82mm), one anti-tank gun (D-44, 85mm) previously verified as withdrawn to the site were missing; the site was abandoned, as it has been first observed on 9 December 2015. The SMM revisited an “LPR” permanent storage site whose location corresponded with the withdrawal lines, and noted that all weapons previously verified as withdrawn to the site were present.
Beyond withdrawal lines, but outside storage sites, the SMM observed: two tanks (T-64) 7km west of government-controlled Novoaidar (49km north-west of Luhansk), one tank (T-64) on a trailer, heading south on road T-1301 at the southern outskirts of Luhansk city, and one 82mm mortar (2B9 Vasilek) being towed by an Ural truck heading north on road H-21 near Novoaidar.
The SMM continued to monitor the withdrawal of heavy weapons as foreseen in the Minsk Package of Measures.
In violation of the withdrawal lines, in government-controlled Vodiane (42km south-west of Donetsk), the SMM observed thee anti-tank guns (2A29 MT-12 Rapira, 100mm).
The SMM has yet to receive the full information requested in the 16 October 2015 notification. The SMM revisited locations known to the SMM as heavy weapons holding areas, even though they do not comply with the specific criteria set out for permanent storage sites in the notification.
In government-controlled areas beyond the respective withdrawal lines, the SMM revisited such locations and observed: 12 multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS; BM-21 Grad, 122mm), 21 anti-tank guns (15 2A29, MT-12 Rapira, 100mm; and six 2A19 T-12, 100mm), 42 towed howitzers (12 D20, 152mm; 12 D-30, 122mm and 18 2A36 Giatsint-B, 152mm), ten self-propelled howitzers (2S3 Akatsiya, 152mm) and seven Addendum-regulated 82mm mortars (2B9 Vasilek). The SMM observed the following weapons missing: 15 towed howitzers (D20, 152mm; eight first observed missing on 23 April, seven first observed missing on 3 May) and seven self-propelled howitzers (2S3 Akatsiya, 152mm; first observed missing on 14 March).
In “DPR”-controlled areas beyond the respective withdrawal lines, the SMM revisited such locations and observed: six MLRS (BM-21 Grad, 122mm), six self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm), and six towed howitzers (D-30, 122mm).
The SMM observed the presence of armoured combat vehicles (ACV) and anti-aircraft weapons in the security zone. In government-controlled areas, the SMM observed: four infantry fighting vehicles (IFV; two BTR-60; one BMP-2; one BRDM-2) in Popasna (61km west of Luhansk). In “DPR”-controlled areas: one IFV (BRDM) on H-15 heading from Donetsk city towards Makiivka (“DPR”-controlled, 12km east-north-east of Donetsk). In “LPR”-controlled Stakhanov (50km west of Luhansk) the SMM observed: eight IFVs (six MTLBs, two MTLB) mounted with anti-aircraft guns (ZU-23), and two IFVs (MTLBs) mounted with heavy machine-guns.
The SMM facilitated adherence to the ceasefire and monitored repairs of essential infrastructure. The SMM monitored works on a high voltage power line in the vicinity of “LPR”-controlled Pryvitne (11km north of Luhansk) (see SMM Daily Report 19 May 2016).
The SMM continued to monitor the situation affecting civilians living near the contact line. On 19 May the SMM spoke to a group of 20 female and four male residents of Vuhlehirsk (“DPR”-controlled, 48km north-east of Donetsk). All interlocutors expressed dissatisfaction with the distribution of humanitarian aid as many families were not receiving any regular support, according to them. In “LPR”-controlled Kalynove (58km west of Luhansk) the SMM spoke to the director (woman, approximately 50 years old) and a doctor (woman, approximately 20 years old) at the main hospital of the district. They said that the hospital provided medical assistance to the approximately 4,500 residents of the area, including from the “LPR”-controlled villages of Novooleksandrivka (65km west of Luhansk) and Kalynove-Borshchuvate (61km west of Luhansk) and needed a power generator as power outages often disrupt the care of the 100 patients.
The SMM monitored a demonstration in Kyiv organized by the Azov Civil Corps. Approximately 5,000 participants (85 per cent men, mainly 16-30 years old) gathered by the Motherland Monument in Kyiv in the morning and marched to the Parliament, igniting flares and firecrackers along the way. The march was followed by eight young men dressed in black, holding a banner with the words “Demand of the nation – No to capitulation”. The majority of the marchers were carrying Azov Civil Corps flags, as well as numerous other flags representing various groups and organizations. When the demonstrators reached the Parliament, the building was encircled by approximately 500 law enforcement officers and traffic on the street in front of the Parliament had been blocked by police. Outside the Parliament, the main speaker was a current Member of Parliament and head (“curator”) of the Azov Civil Corps, who made statements against the holding of elections in the areas not controlled by the Government until the Ukrainian Armed Forces had taken back full control over the border. Numerous smoke flares were lit and several fire crackers went off after all speakers had finished. The protestors dispersed peacefully shortly after noon. Up to 2,000 law enforcement officers were securing the event.
The SMM continued to monitor the situation in Kherson, Odessa, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kharkiv, Dnepropetrovsk and Chernivtsi.
*Restrictions to SMM’s freedom of movement or other impediments to the fulfilment of its mandate
The SMM’s monitoring is restrained by security hazards and threats, including risks posed by mines and unexploded ordnance, and by restrictions of its freedom of movement 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.
Denial of access:
- Armed “DPR” members discontinued the power supply to SMM equipment in Donetsk city and thus stopped the work of remote monitoring equipment in the area of the Donetsk airport. The JCCC was informed.
- In Vodiane, Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers did not allow the SMM to record the serial number of one weapon in a very aggressive manner. The JCCC was informed.
- Armed “DPR” members denied the SMM access to the village of Sosnivske (2.6km north-west of Pervomaiske (“DPR”-controlled, 38km north-east of Mariupol) in an aggressive manner. The JCCC was informed.
Conditional access:
- On 19 May, armed “DPR” members at a heavy weapons holding area permitted only two SMM monitors and an SMM language assistant to enter the area.
- Armed “LPR” members escorted the SMM as it monitored an armoured vehicle storage site in “LPR”-controlled Stakhanov (50km west of Luhansk). The “LPR” members only granted access to the SMM after JCCC intervention.
Other impediments
- The SMM long-range unmanned aerial vehicle experienced heavy jamming of its video and Global Positioning System on three separate occasions while flying over “DPR”-controlled areas: north-west of Styla (34km south of Donetsk); east of Petrivske (43km south of Donetsk) and the areas of Novoselivka (30km north-east of Donetsk); and Zaitseve (50km north-east of Donetsk).
[1] Please see the annexed table for a complete breakdown of the ceasefire violations as well as map of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions marked with locations featured in this report.