Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine, based on information received as of 19:30hrs, 6 October 2015

This report is for the media and general public.

The SMM monitored the implementation of the “Package of measures for the implementation of the Minsk agreements”. Its monitoring was restricted by the parties and security considerations. The situation in Donetsk and Luhansk regions was relatively calm, although the SMM heard over a dozen explosions and sporadic small-arms fire. The SMM monitored the withdrawal of tanks required under the Addendum to the Package of measures in Luhansk region.

The SMM observed a relatively quiet situation in the Donetsk region. At the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) observation point at “Donetsk People’s Republic” (“DPR”)-controlled Donetsk railway station (8km north-west of Donetsk city centre), the SMM heard between 9:34 and 12:02hrs four bursts of small-arms fire 3-4km west of its location. At 17:51hrs the SMM heard one undetermined explosion 4.5km north-east of its position in the area of “DPR”-controlled Spartak (8km north-west of Donetsk).

In Donetsk city, the SMM heard on 5 October four loud explosions assessed to be artillery or mortar fire. On the following day the SMM followed up on reports that the explosions were anti-aircraft fire that shot down an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), which consequently crashed in a residential area. At the alleged UAV crash site the SMM observed that the roof and the living room of the affected house were damaged. The SMM also noted what looked like a fragment of an unidentified missile, which was shortly after collected by “DPR” members at the site. The owner of the house (female, early sixties) stated that following the four explosions she had heard and saw several pieces of metal falling from the sky. According to the interlocutor the “DPR” members had also collected these fragments.

Driving on H-20 highway, the SMM recorded at the first government checkpoint between Donetsk and Volnovakha (53km south-west of Donetsk) a queue of 402 civilian vehicles waiting to cross into government-controlled areas. At least 267 civilian vehicles were queuing to cross into “DPR”-controlled areas.

Near “DPR”-controlled Olenivka (24km south-west of Donetsk), the SMM observed 27 civilian trucks parked along the highway at a “customs” checkpoint. The trucks were marked as a humanitarian convoy belonging to the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation, and were later seen by the SMM driving through Donetsk city.

In government-controlled Vodiane (14km north-west of Donetsk) the SMM talked with eight residents (two men, 50 years or older) who expressed their concerns about the coming winter and lack of coal and construction material for repairing damaged houses. Vodiane, according to the interlocutors, was not connected to the natural gas network. Food was in short supply, they said, although the village received monthly food deliveries from ICRC, and a religious organization distributed bread once a week. According to the interlocutors there are 18 persons living in the village at present - most of whom are pensioners - as compared to approximately 100 before the conflict.

In government-controlled areas of Luhansk region the SMM monitored the withdrawal of 15 main battle tanks (MBTs, seven T-72 and eight T-64) to storage sites, in accordance with the Addendum. Ukrainian Armed Forces notified the SMM that the withdrawal of tanks had been completed. The SMM visited three storage sites belonging to Ukrainian Armed Forces and two belonging to “Lugansk People’s Republic” (“LPR”), and verified that all tanks declared as withdrawn were present.

The SMM continued to monitor a local ceasefire near “LPR”-controlled Obozne (18km north of Luhansk), where an electricity company is conducting repair works on the power lines that supply the western and south-western parts of “LPR”-controlled areas (see SMM Daily Report, 3 October 2015).

In government-controlled Sievierodonetsk (74km north-west of Luhansk), the deputy head of Luhansk regional administration requested the SMM to facilitate a dialogue with “LPR” members in order to allow technicians to repair the bridge near government-controlled Stanytsia Luhanska (16km north-east of Luhansk). Subsequently, following SMM dialogue facilitation, a senior “LPR” member in Luhansk agreed in principle to proceed with the bridge repair works.

The SMM revisited two Ukrainian Armed Forces and three “DPR” heavy weapons holding areas, the locations of which corresponded with the respective withdrawal lines. All weapons previously recorded were present.

The SMM UAV spotted, in violation of the respective withdrawal lines, three MBTs and one self-propelled howitzer in the area of “DPR”-controlled Bezimenne (30km east of Mariupol). The SMM UAV also observed beyond the respective withdrawal lines 59 MTBs, five self-propelled howitzers, and other military equipment in the area of “DPR”-controlled Torez (60km east of Donetsk).

The SMM continued to monitor the situation at the three crossing points at the administrative boundary line to Crimea – Kalanchak, Chaplynka, and Chonhar (95, 90 and 162km south-east of Kherson, respectively) – which was relatively calm and stable. The SMM also observed the locations north of the official crossing points where activists operated improvised check points to block the transport of goods to and from Crimea (see SMM Daily Report 21 September 2015). The activists were dressed in military-type fatigue, and continued to check the trunks of civilian passenger vehicles travelling in both directions. At Kalanchak, the SMM noted a total of 67 such cases, and saw that one driver entering Crimea expressed his protest against this procedure.

The regional police office in Khmelnytskyi (145km north-east of Chernivtsi) informed the SMM that since the beginning of 2015 it had registered 169 cases of illegal possessions of weapons, ammunition, and explosives. A total of 14 cases of illegal weapon possession directly involved military personnel returning from eastern Ukraine. The police seized, among other things, two grenade launchers, two automatic rifles, 12 grenades and three grenade casings, and 1317 cartridges of various calibres.

The SMM monitored a demonstration conducted outside of the Parliament in Kyiv by different interest groups that gathered together some 200 protesters (aged 25-65, equal gender distribution). The majority of the protesters – about 120 persons – were from the so-called “Financial Maidan”, and demanded the enacting of the draft law on restructuring debts in foreign currency. A group of 35 female relatives of Ukrainian servicemen called attention to their relatives’ continued captivity by “LPR” and “DPR” for almost a year.

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

*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. Armed individuals continue to prevent the SMM from monitoring most areas close to the border with the Russian Federation in parts of Luhansk region not controlled by the Government.

Delayed access:

• The deputy battalion commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces stopped the SMM in government-controlled Zolote (60km north-west of Luhansk) for 15 minutes, before allowing further movement.
• The “DPR” guarding personnel delayed SMM access to a heavy weapon holding area by 90 minutes. They invoked poor communication with their commander, who could not be reached immediately for allowing SMM access.

Other impediments:

• The SMM UAVs were jammed over “DPR”-controlled areas east and north-east of government-controlled Mariupol (103km south-west of Donetsk). SMM assessed that jamming station was located in “DPR”-controlled area of Sjedovo-Vasylivka (44km north-east of Mariupol).

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