Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine, based on information received as of 19:30, 18 December 2016

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions on both 17 and 18 December compared with 16 December. The SMM observed heavy fighting in the areas around Svitlodarsk and Debaltseve. The SMM followed up on reports of shelling and observed impacts on both sides of the contact line in Popasna and Kalynove. The SMM continued monitoring the three disengagement areas in Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske, and its access was again restricted; it recorded ceasefire violations in or around Petrivske.* The Mission continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons and observed weapons in violation of the withdrawal lines. The Mission monitored one border crossing point currently not under government control.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations[1] in Donetsk region on both 17 and 18 December, including some 700 and 2,900 explosions respectively, compared with some 100 explosions in the previous reporting period. The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded in the areas around Svitlodarsk and Debaltseve.

On the night of 16-17 December while in government-controlled Svitlodarsk (57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard 50 explosions assessed as impacts caused by artillery rounds (122mm), 15 explosions assessed as outgoing mortar rounds (82mm), and 15 explosions assessed as outgoing recoilless gun (SPG-9, 73mm) rounds 4-8km east-south-east and south. On 17 December, from the same location, the SMM heard 21 undetermined explosions, five explosions assessed as outgoing recoilless gun (SPG-9, 73mm) rounds, five explosions assessed as outgoing mortar (82mm) rounds, and one explosion assessed as an impact of 122mm artillery fire, all 2-5km south-east, south and south-west. Over a span of six hours on 18 December, the SMM heard 700 explosions assessed as 680 outgoing artillery rounds (122mm) 5-6km and 8-10km north-west, and 20 outgoing tank rounds 3-10km south-west. Two residents of nearby government-controlled Luhanske (59km north-east of Donetsk) told the SMM separately that they had taken shelter in the basement of their apartment buildings during the morning and that they had no gas or electricity supply as a result of the shelling. The SMM observed the loss of electricity in Svitlodarsk as of approximately 17:00 on 18 December; it was restored around four hours later.

On 17 December, while in “DPR”-controlled Debaltseve (58km north-east of Donetsk), over a span of three minutes the SMM heard ten explosions assessed as outgoing rounds of an undetermined weapon, as well as ten undetermined explosions, all 5-7km north-west. During the night of 17-18 December the SMM heard 12 explosions assessed as outgoing multiple-launcher-rocket-system (MLRS; BM-21 Grad, 122mm) rounds 6-7km north-west and four subsequent explosions assessed as impacts at unknown distances north-west, and 96 undetermined explosions, all 5-10km north-west. On 18 December the SMM heard 43 explosions assessed as outgoing MLRS rounds as well as 1,900 undetermined explosions, all 2-10km north-west and north-north-west. Positioned about 3km north-east of Debaltseve, the SMM heard approximately 70 explosions assessed as artillery rounds approximately 7km north-west.

On 18 December, the SMM was in constant contact with the Ukrainian Armed Forces and Russian Federation Armed Forces representatives at the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) in an effort to calm the fighting. The JCCC told the SMM that they had been in contact with the forces and formations, as well as each other, and relayed that the sides were tense.

During the night of 16-17 December while in “DPR”-controlled Donetsk city centre, the SMM heard 504 explosions 6-10km north-west. During the night of 17 December from the same location, the SMM heard 21 undetermined explosions 7-9km west and north-west.

On 17 December, the SMM camera in Avdiivka (government-controlled, 17km north of Donetsk), recorded, in sequence, one undetermined explosion 4-5km east-south-east followed by ten rocket-assisted projectiles in flight from west to east and ten subsequent explosions assessed as impacts 4-5km east-south-east, two rocket-assisted projectiles in flight from north-west to south-east, followed by three undetermined explosions, one rocket-assisted projectile in flight from north-west to south-east and 12 tracer rounds in flight from north-west to south-east, all 5-4km east-south-east of the camera. During the night of 17-18 December, the SMM camera recorded two undetermined projectiles in flight north-east to south-west 3-5km south-east, followed by two undetermined explosions 4-6km south-east, one undetermined projectile in flight north-east to south-west and six undetermined projectiles south-west to north-east, all 3-5km south-east of the camera.

On 17 December, positioned in “DPR”-controlled Yasynuvata (16km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard ten undetermined explosions as well as bursts and shots of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire 2-5km south-west and west. On 18 December, the SMM heard 23 undetermined explosions as well as bursts and shots of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire south, south-west, west, and west-north-west.

During the night of 16-17 December, the SMM camera at Oktiabr mine (“DPR”-controlled, 9km north-west of Donetsk city centre) recorded 30 undetermined explosions 8-10km south-south-west followed by three undetermined explosions 3-6km north-east and south-south-east. Over two hours on 17 December, the SMM camera recorded 120 tracer rounds in flight from west to east, additional five tracer rounds in flight from west to east, three undetermined explosions and one illumination flare, all 7-10km north-east of the camera.

On 18 December, positioned 800m north-east of “DPR”-controlled Zaichenko (26km north-east of Mariupol), the SMM heard 16 undetermined explosions at unknown distances south-south-west, south-west, west-south-west, west, north-west, and north-north-west, as well as 24 explosions assessed as outgoing rounds of undetermined weapon and 24 subsequent explosions assessed as impacts, all at various locations 2-5km south-south-east, south, south-south-west, south-west, west and north-west.  

The SMM camera in Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) recorded one undetermined explosion at an undetermined distance north during the night of 15 December, and in flight 51 tracer rounds from north-west to south-east, 16 tracer rounds from west to east, four tracer rounds from south-east to north-west and three tracer rounds from south to north, all at undetermined distances north-east of the camera during the evening of 16 December. On 17 December, the SMM camera recorded three undetermined explosions, in flight 75 tracer rounds from north-west to south-east and ten tracer rounds from south-east to north-west, all at undetermined distances north-east. On 18 December, the SMM camera recorded in flight 37 tracer rounds from west to east and 103 tracer rounds from north-west to south-east, all at undetermined distances north-east.

In Luhansk region the SMM observed more ceasefire violations on both 17 and 18 December, including eight and 82 explosions respectively, compared with eight explosions during the previous reporting period. On 17 December while positioned in government-controlled Troitske (69km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard eight undetermined explosions 10km south-west. Positioned in government-controlled Staryi Aidar (20km north-west of Luhansk) on 18 December, the SMM heard 12 explosions assessed as under-barrel grenade launcher (GP-25) rounds 5-7km south-west.

The SMM followed up on reports of explosions as the result of shelling and military training. On 17 December, a Ukrainian Armed Forces officer of the JCCC told the SMM about three impact sites near a Ukrainian Armed Forces checkpoint approximately 3.5km south-east of government-controlled Popasna (69km west of Luhansk). The SMM observed three fresh impact sites; the first impact was located 4m north of the road and was approximately 3m wide and 1m deep. It had displaced dirt up to 7m away from the impact centre and 4m onto surrounding trees. The SMM assessed that the impact was caused by a 152mm round fired from an easterly direction. A second impact, similar in nature, was located 2m north of the road. The SMM assessed that it was also caused by a 152mm round fired from an easterly direction. There was shrapnel assessed as remnants of an artillery round nearby. The third impact was located on the southern side of the road and was 1.5m wide and 60cm deep. Surrounding trees had shrapnel damage; the SMM assessed that the impact and damage were caused by a 120mm mortar round fired from an easterly direction.

On 18 December in “LPR”-controlled Kalynove (60km west of Luhansk), the SMM saw two impact sites on the outskirts of town. Both impacts were fresh and located within 150m of the nearest house; two residents (a 70-year-old woman and a 60-year-old man) said that the shelling had occurred the night of 16-17 December. The first impact was located near the edge of a road; the SMM assessed that it was caused by a mortar round. The second impact site was nearby and the SMM assessed that it was caused by 122mm artillery fire.

On 18 December, the SMM visited the house in government-controlled Kalynove (35km north-west of Donetsk), and saw a shattered window. The owner said the window had been broken the day before from an explosion at a nearby military training area. The head of the village council told the SMM that the nearby military training area was used for explosive ordnance disposal.

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. The SMM’s access to all three areas remained restricted, but the Mission was able to partially monitor them.* The SMM noted no demining or fencing off of mines in any of the three areas during the reporting period.

On both 17 and 18 December, the SMM noted a calm situation while positioned in the Stanytsia Luhanska and Zolote-Pervomaisk disengagement areas.

On 17 December, the SMM noted a calm situation in the Petrivske-Bohdanivka disengagement area while positioned there. On 18 December, the SMM heard two bursts of small-arms fire 4-5km south (assessed as outside the disengagement area). Positioned in government-controlled Bohdanivka (41km south-west of Donetsk), the SMM heard four undetermined explosions and 15 single shots of small-arms fire, all at unknown distances to the south-east, south-west and north-west (assessed as outside 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.

On 18 December, in violation of withdrawal lines, the SMM observed four self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) parked 200m away from a road in government-controlled Roty (66km north-east of Donetsk).

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. In government-controlled areas beyond the respective withdrawal lines, the SMM observed 11 MLRS (BM-21). The SMM noted as absent: one MLRS (BM-21) (as first noted on 23 November 2016); 16 towed artillery pieces (2A29/MT-12 Rapira, 100mm) (as first noted on 11 April 2016); and 30 tanks (T-64B, 125mm) (as first noted on 19 May 2016).

At an “LPR” permanent storage site, whose location corresponded with the withdrawal lines the SMM noted that all weapons previously recorded as withdrawn to that site were present.

The SMM observed the following armoured combat vehicles[2] in the security zone on 17 December in government controlled areas: one stationary armoured personnel carrier (APC; BRDM-2) near Vrubivka (72km west of Luhansk); one stationary infantry fighting vehicle (IFV; BMP-1) near Stanytsia Luhanska (outside the disengagement area); and one APC (SNAR-10) near Troitske. On 18 December near Svitlodarsk, the SMM saw tracks assessed as caused by self-propelled artillery. The same day, near Debaltseve the SMM saw three military-type trucks, one marked with the symbol for flammable materials, heading west.

The SMM monitored the Ukraine-Russian Federation border in an area currently not controlled by the Government. Over a 40-minute period on 18 December at the pedestrian crossing point in Novoborovytsi (79km south of Luhansk), there were no pedestrians traveling into or out of Ukraine.

The SMM continued monitoring in Kherson, Odessa, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kharkiv, 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, 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 17 December, at a checkpoint near the disengagement area in Stanytsia Luhanska, Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel told the SMM that it could not proceed toward the checkpoint near the bridge without the presence of a Ukrainian Armed Forces officer of the JCCC. The SMM spoke with a Ukrainian Armed Forces officer of the JCCC, who told the SMM that even with his presence, the Ukrainian Armed Forces would not grant access to the SMM.
• On 18 December, the SMM could not proceed east toward a summer cottage area (inside the disengagement area) after an armed man at the “LPR” checkpoint told the SMM that the area had not been demined. The SMM informed the JCCC.
• On 18 December, the SMM could not proceed west toward a summer cottage area (inside the disengagement area) due to the possible presence of mines. The SMM informed the JCCC.
• On both 17 and 18 December, SMM was unable to access secondary routes in the Zolote-Pervomaisk disengagement area from the “LPR”-controlled side. Armed “LPR” members said they could not guarantee the SMM’s safety due to the threat from mines or unexploded ordnance (UXO). The SMM informed the JCCC.
• On both 17 and 18 December, in “DPR”-controlled Petrivske the SMM noted that no demining had taken place on the road west towards the disengagement area. The threat of mines and the absence of security guarantees prevented the SMM from using the road. The SMM informed the JCCC.
• On 18 December, the SMM could not travel east from government-controlled Bohdanivka (41km south-west of Donetsk) towards Petrivske as a Ukrainian Armed Forces officer of the JCCC said that the road was still mined. The SMM informed the JCCC.
• On 18 December, the SMM was not able to proceed toward government-controlled Katerynivka (64km west of Luhansk) from a checkpoint near government-controlled Popasna (69km west of Luhansk) due to the presence of anti-tank obstacles in the middle of the road. The SMM informed the JCCC.
• On both 17 and 18 December, the SMM was denied passage across the bridge in government-controlled Shchastia (20km north of Luhansk) from both directions. North of the bridge, Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel told the SMM there were mines in the area. South of the bridge, an armed “LPR” member said there might be mines or UXO in the area. The SMM informed the JCCC.
• Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel denied the SMM access to a military compound. The SMM informed the JCCC; a Ukrainian Armed Forces officer of the JCCC told the SMM that the site was not a weapons holding area and that access would not be granted.

[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.

[2] This hardware is not proscribed by the provisions of the Minsk agreements on the withdrawal of weapons.