Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine based on information received as of 19:30 (Kyiv time), 4 June 2015

This report is provided for the media and the general public.

The SMM monitored the implementation of the “Package of measures for the Implementation of the Minsk agreements”. Its monitoring was restricted by third parties and significant caution regarding security considerations *. The SMM observed an increase of ceasefire violations at and around Donetsk airport.

The SMM observed an increase of ceasefire violations at and around Donetsk airport[1] (“Donetsk People’s Republic” (“DPR”)-controlled, 12km north-west of Donetsk). On 4 June, between 09:30 and 17:00hrs, while at the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination observation point at the Donetsk central railway station (“DPR”-controlled, 8km north-west of Donetsk city centre) the SMM heard a total of 352 explosions of both incoming and outgoing fire consistent with artillery, mortar, and automatic grenade launcher as well as small-arms and heavy-machine-gun fire from west, north-north-west, north-west, north-north-east, and north-east of its position.

The SMM visited the hospital in “DPR”-controlled Donetsk city where the head of the hospital informed the SMM that 18 men and two women were brought to the facility on 3 June with shrapnel wounds caused by shelling and that 10 of them were seriously wounded. 19 of the victims originated from Donetsk city and one from Oleksandrivka (“DPR”-controlled, 20km west-south-west of Donetsk). One of the victims succumbed to his injuries, while two patients were still in intensive care. Additionally, twelve “DPR” members were brought to the hospital; one of which who was still in intensive care, while 30 other “DPR” members received first aid for minor wounds at the hospital.

The security situation remained calm in Mariupol (government-controlled, 103km south of Donetsk), although between 19:00 and 19:35hrs, from its location in Mariupol, the SMM heard some explosions in the area of Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol). In line with security considerations, the SMM did not visit Shyrokyne.

The SMM visited Sakhanka (“DPR”-controlled, 24km north-east of Mariupol) in order to assess the damage due to shelling that had occurred on 1 and 2 June. Eight middle-aged men and women told the SMM that they had heard 47 explosions at mid-day on 1 June and that shelling resumed on 2 June at 11:00hrs. The SMM analysed one crater on the roof of a house, but was unable to determine the calibre of weapons used or their direction of fire. The SMM, due to security reasons, was unable to analyse two other craters caused by shelling, which damaged the gas and electric lines. The interlocutors told the SMM that they had requested the “mayor” of Shyrokyne to evacuate the remaining 18 residents of Shyrokyne, two of whom are wounded and an additional two are disabled. In Bezimmene (“DPR”-controlled, 28km east of Mariupol), the SMM met the “mayor”, who said that a family had requested assistance in removing the body of one of their relatives who died four days earlier. (See SMM Daily Report 1 June, 2015, //www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/161686).

At the JCCC headquarters in Soledar (government-controlled, 77km north-north-east of Donetsk), the SMM was presented with two log files of ceasefire violations of 2 June, compiled independently by the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the Russian Federation Armed Forces officers at the JCCC and containing 96 and 148 violations respectively. Concerning the fighting which erupted in Marinka on 3 June (see SMM Spot Report 3 June, //www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/162116), the Ukrainian Armed Forces Major-General, head of the Ukrainian side to the JCCC and the Russian Federation Armed Forces Chief of Staff at the JCCC confirmed that at 17:00hrs on 3 June the “DPR” had retreated to positions held before the attack on 3 June.

The SMM observed that the overall situation in the Luhansk region remained generally calm, but whilst at a location 1 kilometre north of Trokhizbenka (government-controlled, 33km north-west of Luhansk) it heard 150 outgoing explosions, at approximately 10-15km south-west of is position.

In Kruta Hora (“Lugansk People’s Republic” (“LPR”)-controlled, 16km north-west of Luhansk) the SMM monitored the continued exhumation of bodies presumed to be government armed forces. (See SMM Daily Report 2 June, 2015, //www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/162051).  The exhumation was conducted by the non-governmental organization (NGO) “Union of People’s Memory: Ukrainian Public Organization for Searchers” and “LPR” “police investigators”. The excavation team exhumed four bodies in advance stages of decomposition, which, based on the belongings located at the scene including the uniform type, and one military belt buckle, were identified as Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel. The SMM assisted in facilitating the transfer of the four bodies across the contact line. It observed that the bodies were loaded in a refrigerated van and transferred to the Ukrainian Armed Forces at the bridge in Shchastia (20km north-west of Luhansk).

The SMM visited the school in Novodarivka (”LPR”-controlled, 7km south of Luhansk), where the principal said that the staff had received only a fraction of their salaries since June 2014. He also said to the SMM that the language had not been an issue until recently and students were allowed to write in the language of their choosing but that parents recently requested their children to be taught in Russian instead of Ukrainian and that Russian was now the working language of the school.

The SMM visited the district hospital in Stanytsia Luhanska (government-controlled, 16km north-west of Luhansk), where it met two doctors and several female nurses all of whom told

the SMM that the number of medical staff had been significantly reduced compared to pre-conflict and that surgeries were no longer performed on site which now has a limited capacity. One of the patients was a male in his forties whose leg was injured by a mine explosion on 19 May and both physicians said that there had been a mine accident in the village recently, involving a father and son.

The SMM visited four Ukrainian Armed Forces heavy weapons holding areas, all in compliance with the Minsk withdrawal lines, and noted that at two of these sites some of the heavy weapons previously recorded were missing; one and three multiple launch rocket system (MLRS, 122mm, BM-21 Grad) respectively. At another location, the SMM was not given access to confirm the presence of some of the weapons eight previously recorded anti-tank missile systems (9P149 “Shturm-S”) and there was no explanation as to the reasons. *

Despite claims that heavy weapons have been withdrawn, the SMM continued to observe the presence and movement of heavy weapons in places proscribed by Minsk, including by its unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). In “LPR”-controlled areas the SMM observed a gun (122mm D-30) towed by a military truck. In “DPR”-controlled areas the SMM observed 17 main battle tanks (MBT) and three anti-aircraft guns. In government-controlled areas the SMM saw ten MLRS (eight Uragan, 220mm and two Smerch 300mm) fully loaded, one anti-aircraft system (SA-8 Gecko), two anti-tank guns and one MBT.

In Marinka (government-controlled, 23km west-south-west of Donetsk) the SMM UAV observed one self-propelled howitzer and houses on fire as well as four self-propelled howitzers nine kilometre south-west of the village. In the western outskirts of Shyrokyne (government-controlled, 20km east of Mariupol), the SMM UAV saw three firing positions and military vehicles.

The SMM visited the site of two explosions on the Odessa-Kyiv railway line 28km north-west of Odessa city. The transport police told the SMM that two simultaneous explosions had occurred, one on each side of the railway line, at 02:20hrs on 4 June with an estimated total of ten kilos of TNT used in both devices. They added that one of the explosive devices detonated under an empty freight train traveling north from Odessa, while the other one damaged the tracks and the railway sleepers. On site the SMM observed some 25 railway workers with heavy equipment working on the repairs which were completed by 11:00hrs. The police are investigating the explosion with charges of act of sabotage.

The SMM monitored, in front of the Lviv regional administration building, a protest attended by some 150 people from the NGO Lviv Committee for Citizens' Rights, and an additional 20 members of the NGO People's Front. The protestors, mostly men, were requesting that the government intervene to guarantee affordable utility prices which they claim have tripled recently. Police was present at the event, which ended peacefully.

The SMM monitored the crossing points of Kalanchak and Chaplynka (117 and 120km south-east of Kherson) on the administrative boundary line (ABL) where it observed 20 trucks, 10 private vehicles and some 50 pedestrians queuing to cross to Crimea at the former and only nine trucks at the latter. Both crossing point commanders told the SMM that the situation was calm and the commander of Kalanchak crossing point attributed the recent traffic increase to the beginning of the tourist season.

In Chervony Chaban (113km south-east of Kherson) the SMM met the head of the village council who said that that the “Crimean Titan” titanium dioxide factory near Armyansk (122km south-east of Kherson) in the Crimean peninsula had laid-off approximately 700 workers in mainland Ukraine as they were considered foreign workers. As a result, workers staged protests blocking the train delivery of materials to the factory. He told the SMM that the company had recently started to rehire these workers, in accordance with the laws of the Russian Federation, which requires, among others, a language test. To date he said that 70 workers had been rehired and an additional 40 were in the process and that special arrangements were made at the ABL for their daily commute which the SMM was able to confirm with the border guard unit. The SMM also spoke to some of the rehired employees who confirmed this information.

In Kyiv, in front of the Ukrainian Parliament, the SMM monitored a protest which was attended by approximately 150 people, mostly women aged 25 to 50, who were marking their discontent regarding the lack of support for citizens having contracted loans in foreign currency. The SMM observed several flags of the NGO “Financial Maidan”, “Financial Maidan Odessa” and “Financial Maidan Vyshgorod” as well as of the NGO “Public Control of Banks”.  There were 40 national guards, 50 police officers, 50 riot police officers present at the event, which ended peacefully.

The SMM continued to monitor the situation in Dnepropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Chernivtsi and Ivano-Frankivsk.

* Restrictions on SMM monitoring: access and freedom of movement

The SMM is restrained in fulfilling its monitoring functions by restrictions imposed by third parties and security considerations including the lack of information on whereabouts of landmines.

The security situation in Donbas is fluid and unpredictable and the ceasefire does not hold everywhere.

• The SMM was stopped by “LPR” armed members at the entrance of Stakhanov (“LPR”-controlled, 50km west of Luhansk) and was asked to wait for permission to enter the city. After 45 minutes the SMM was told that the situation in the field had changed and the SMM was not allowed to proceed to the town.  The checkpoint personnel did not provide any further explanation.
• The SMM was denied access to three Ukrainian Armed Forces heavy weapons holding areas.
• The SMM UAV was subject to jamming while flying over Krasnohorivka (government-controlled, 20km west of Donetsk). 

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