Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine, based on information received as of 19:30hrs, 15 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 continued to register dozens of explosions. The SMM monitored mortar withdrawal activities conducted under the Addendum to the Package of measures in Luhansk region. It also spotted convoys marked as Russian Federation humanitarian aid.

The SMM observed a relatively calm situation in most areas in Donetsk region. At the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) observation post at Donetsk railway station (“Donetsk People’s Republic” (“DPR”)-controlled, 6km north-west of Donetsk), the SMM heard between 10:18 and 14:30hrs a total of 32 explosions at 3-10km to the west, south-east, and north-west of its position.[1] The SMM heard another six unidentified explosions 6km north-west of Horlivka. According to the JCCC all these incidents were part of training activities, which, however, could not be confirmed by the SMM.

In government-controlled Novotroitske (36km south-west of Donetsk) the SMM observed ten stands with food and hygiene products at the humanitarian and logistics centre opened on 9 October. A female vendor told the SMM that very few people from the “DPR”-controlled areas had visited the centre thus far. The SMM also spoke to a female pharmacist who said that while the pharmacy was well supplied, including with antibiotics, it had had no customers. The SMM did not see any customers at the centre.

At the Ukrainian Armed Forces checkpoint near government-controlled Buhas (46km south-west of Donetsk) the SMM observed approximately 20 civilian trucks marked as a humanitarian convoy belonging to the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation about to enter the “DPR”-controlled areas in the direction of Donetsk city. The SMM also observed in the vicinity of “DPR”-controlled Makiivka (12km north-east of Donetsk), moving north-east, a convoy consisting of 50 trucks with white-on-black license plate numbers bearing the inscription “Humanitarian aid from the Russian Federation”. Another similar convoy consisting of 53 trucks was spotted moving from Ilovaisk (30km south-east of Donetsk) in the direction of Donetsk city. The SMM spotted a third similar convoy of 20 trucks travelling eastwards from “DPR”-controlled Khartsyzk (26km north-east of Donetsk). All three convoys were escorted by “DPR” “police” and “emergency service” vehicles.

The SMM continued to observe a relatively calm situation in most areas in Luhansk region. However, the SMM observed a number of firing incidents, including ten unidentified explosions which the SMM heard 5-10km to the south-east of government-controlled Krymske (43km north-west of Luhansk), as well as one blast and two small-arms shots heard by the SMM some 400-500m north-east of its position near a Ukrainian Armed Forces checkpoint, in government-controlled Zolote (60km north-west of Luhansk).

In the area of “Lugansk People’s Republic” (“LPR”)-controlled Myrne (28km south-west of Luhansk) the SMM observed a live-fire exercise during which it counted at least 20 explosions that it assessed to be the result of main battle tanks (MBTs) fire.

In “LPR”-controlled Zhovte (17km north-west of Luhansk) the SMM spoke to an armed person at a checkpoint who claimed to have heard incoming machine-gun fire from government-controlled areas during the preceding night. Two civilian interlocutors separately confirmed the allegation of the night firing, though offering contradictory accounts on the direction of fire.

In “LPR”-controlled Alchevsk (38km south-west of Luhansk) the SMM attempted to enter a fenced area used to store armoured combat vehicles. An armed man guarding the facility said that in the absence of his commanding officer he was not authorised to permit the SMM to enter the storage area*. The SMM observed at least 12 armoured vehicles inside the fenced area, including infantry fighting vehicles (BMD, BMP-1 and BMP-2).

At the southern outskirts of “LPR”-controlled Luhansk city the SMM noted a convoy that consisted of 31 military-type closed trucks, three of which were towing trailers. The truck drivers wore green uniforms.

On 15 October, at 10:55hrs, the SMM observed at the bridge near government-controlled Stanytsia Luhanska (16km north-east of Luhansk), at least 20 people (mainly women of various ages) waiting at the Ukrainian Armed Forces checkpoint to cross into government-controlled areas. The interlocutors told the SMM that they had been waiting there since about 07:00hrs.  

In government-controlled Kuriachivka (93km north-east of Luhansk) and Lyman (90km north-west of Luhansk) the SMM talked with the heads of the village councils. They told the SMM that the most stringent challenges the villages were facing included a steep increase in the price of natural gas, and high unemployment rates. According to them, a number of villagers were claiming the state-run social benefit scheme to compensate for the price of utility bills. In Lyman and surrounding villages alone some 1,200 households out of over 3,000 applied for these benefits to be able to afford their natural gas bills, the interlocutor said.  

The SMM monitored the withdrawal of mortars to one “LPR” and one Ukrainian Armed Forces weapons storage site, respectively. It confirmed the presence of the declared weapons at these sites, as stipulated in the Addendum to the Package of measures.

The SMM revisited one Ukrainian Armed Forces heavy weapons holding area, whose location corresponded with the respective withdrawal lines. The armed personnel made the SMM wait at the entrance of the holding area for 65 minutes before granting access, with no explanation.*

In Kyiv the SMM monitored four public gatherings in front of the city hall. The largest of these consisted of about 300 supporters of the Batkivshchyna Party, who demanded “fair utility rates”, carried some 60 flags and set up 30 tents with the party logo on the sidewalks of the capital’s main street of Khreshchatyk. The tents were removed after the event. All of the observed events passed off peacefully and had limited police presence.

On 12-13 October the SMM monitored the situation at Chonhar and Kalanchak crossing points (160km and 92km south-east of Kherson respectively) at the administrative boundary line with Crimea. The SMM observed activists logging the licence plates of the travelling vehicles into a notebook computer, while an interlocutor had told the SMM that the activists also run these numbers through a computer programme.

The SMM also observed that the law enforcement personnel present at the checkpoints run by activists were actively involved in the joint searches of the passenger vehicles. This reflects a contrast with the situation several days ago (see SMM Daily Report 9 October 2015) when the activists in camouflage clothes alone conducted the vehicle searches. A representative of the Kherson police battalion said that his unit conducted vehicles checks jointly with the civil activists, a traffic police unit, and two police officers from the district headquarters. The SMM witnessed one male driver questioning the legality of the search of his vehicle, which was being conducted jointly by law enforcement and the activists.

A Right Sector (Pravyi Sektor) member told the SMM that similar arrangements on joint vehicle searches by activists and law enforcement personnel were in place at Chaplynka (70km south-east of Kherson) crossing point.

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

*Restrictions to SMM’s freedom of movement or other impediments to 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.

Denied access:

• In “LPR”-controlled Alchevsk, an armed guard denied access to the SMM to a fenced area that was used for the storage of armoured combat vehicles.

Delayed access:

• Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers made the SMM wait for 65 minutes at the entrance of a heavy weapons holding area before allowing access;
• Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel stopped the SMM for 16 minutes at the checkpoint west of government-controlled Olhynka (42km south-west of Donetsk), before allowing its further movement; two soldiers took pictures of themselves in front of the SMM vehicles while the SMM members were having their IDs checked.

[1] For a complete breakdown of incidents, 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”.