Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine, based on information received as of 19:30hrs, 21 October 2015

This report is for the media and the general public.

The SMM monitored the implementation of the “Package of measures for the implementation of the Minsk agreements”, including the Addendum. Its monitoring was restricted by the parties and security considerations*. The situation in Donetsk and Luhansk regions was relatively calm, although the SMM heard several explosions. The SMM continued monitoring the withdrawal of weapons stipulated in the Addendum to the Package of measures in Luhansk and Donetsk regions.

The SMM observed a generally 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 one undetermined explosion 3km north-north-west of its position.[1] A Russian Federation Armed Forces officer at the JCCC attributed it to a controlled detonation. A “DPR” member present confirmed the said statement.

In government-controlled Pisky (11km north-west of Donetsk), the SMM heard one undetermined explosion from an east-north-easterly direction of its position. In government-controlled Opytne (12km north-east), the SMM also heard one undetermined explosion from an east-south-easterly direction of its position.

The SMM visited the “DPR”-controlled area of Volvo centre (10km north-west of Donetsk) to follow up on the alleged exchange of fire on 20 October (see SMM Daily Report 21 October).  The SMM saw four fresh craters and assessed them to have been caused by hand grenades or grenades of automatic grenade launcher. The direction of impact could not be determined. An armed individual showed the SMM four striker levers of hand grenades which, according to him, had been found on the alleged incident site. At the Donetsk morgue, the SMM was shown the body of a deceased man, who was allegedly killed during the attack – the SMM identified it as the body that a “DPR” member had shown to the SMM at the observation post at Donetsk railway station the previous day. The SMM saw that the left arm was severely damaged and the right arm and the left leg had a few small holes. Morgue staff told the SMM that the cause of death had been massive bleeding following the shrapnel injury to the aorta.

While stationary in Pisky, a Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel told the SMM that he had seen smoke and fire around noon on 20 October in the areas of Volvo centre.

In the vicinity of “DPR”-controlled Nikishyne (60km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM observed that a “DPR” “emergency service” demining team was conducting demining activities in an agricultural field. The SMM also saw that one ambulance vehicle was present and the whole area around the field was surrounded and marked with warning stripe. A representative of the village “administration” told the SMM that there were a total of 353 houses in the village, of which 153 had been entirely destroyed and 96 heavily damaged. The SMM noted that houses throughout the village as well as the administration building had been damaged or completely destroyed.

The SMM continued to observe a relatively calm situation in most areas in Luhansk region. In “Lugansk People’s Republic”(“LPR”)-controlled Myrne (28km south-west of Luhansk), the SMM heard and saw a total 30-50 explosions of artillery fire 2-3km north-east of its position and assessed them to have occurred in a known training area in “LPR”-controlled Kruhlyk (31km south-west of Luhansk). In the vicinity of “LPR”-controlled Korinne (65km south-west of Luhansk), the SMM heard 20 undermined explosions 5-10km east of its position, which were assessed as possibly related to live-fire exercise at a known firing range near “LPR”-controlled Miusynsk (62km south-west of Luhansk).

The SMM facilitated a dialogue that enabled to transfer the deceased who had allegedly been killed in the “LPR”-controlled area of Holubivske (50km north-west of Luhansk) from “LPR”-controlled area to  government-controlled area (see SMM Daily Report 21 October). At a Government checkpoint between government-controlled Novotoshkivske (53km north-west of Luhansk) and “LPR”-controlled Donetskyi (50km north-west of Luhansk), the SMM observed that the body was handed over to a Ukrainian Armed Forces commander.

The SMM revisited two Ukrainian Armed Forces heavy weapons holding areas, whose locations corresponded with respective withdrawal lines. At the first holding area, the SMM found that six anti-tank guns (100mm MT-12 Rapira) were missing – one noted as missing first on 23 May and another five noted as missing first on 3 June. At the second area, the SMM noted that six anti-tank guns (100mm MT-12 Rapira) were absent as they have been since 30 May.

The SMM revisited two “DPR” heavy weapons holding areas, whose locations corresponded with respective withdrawal lines. At the first area, the SMM noted that two multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS, 122mm BM-21 Grad) were absent. At the second area, the SMM was only allowed to observe the presence of weapons from a distance of 15-20m and could not verify the serial numbers*. From distance it saw that one self-propelled howitzer (122mm, 2S1 Gvozdika) was missing.

In violation of respective withdrawal lines, a SMM unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) observed 16 main battle tanks (MBTs) in “DPR”-controlled area of Sontseve (59km north-east of Mariupol).

In an area beyond the respective withdrawal lines, the SMM observed 13 MBTs in static position at a training area in “LPR”-controlled Myrne (28km south-west of Luhansk),

In relation to the further implementation of the Addendum to the Package of measures, in Donetsk region, the SMM visited four Ukrainian Armed Forces permanent weapons storage sites and two “DPR” permanent weapons storage sites and registered the serial numbers of the present MBTs. The SMM also revisited one Ukrainian Armed Forces permanent weapons storage site and observed that the weapons of which the SMM was previously notified, were present.

In Luhansk region, the SMM monitored the withdrawal of MBTs to four Ukrainian Armed Forces weapons storage sites, where it confirmed the presence of the declared weapons, as stipulated in the Addendum. The SMM also received notification from “LPR” on the planned withdrawal of further MBTs from the southern areas of the security zone in Luhansk region as foreseen  in the Addendum.

On 19 October, in Dnepropetrovsk, the director of the Mechnikov Hospital told the SMM that seven patients had been conveyed from the Anti-Terrorism Operation zone the previous day, five of whom had sustained injuries resulting from small-arms and sniper shot, mines and booby traps reportedly in and around Donetsk. One of the injured soldiers confirmed to the SMM that he had been injured at Donetsk airport.  According to the director of the hospital, more than 1,700 patients with conflict-related injuries had been admitted to the hospital since the conflict had started.

Following up on media reports on a Molotov cocktail attack against the village council in Kholodna Balka (20km north of Odessa) in the early morning, the SMM visited the alleged incident site, where it observed an oval-shape hole in the window and some burnt items on the floor and on the shelves inside the room. Staff of emergency services and forensic experts present informed the SMM that a fire had been caused when two bottles with flammable liquid oil had been thrown into the room through a window. Subsequently, a police officer told the SMM that there had been no injuries in the incident and the police had opened an investigation for “hooliganism” (art. 296.4 of the Criminal Code).

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

*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 international border with the Russian Federation in parts of Luhansk region not controlled by the Government.

Denied access:

• At a “DPR” heavy weapons holding area, armed individuals only allowed the SMM to observe the weapons from a distance of 15-20m. The SMM could not verify the serial numbers.

Delayed access:

• Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel stopped the SMM for 17 minutes at the checkpoint west of government-controlled Olhynka (42km south-west of Donetsk).
• At a checkpoint near government-controlled Nyzhnie (56km north-west of Luhansk), Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel stopped the SMM for 35 minutes, while he was writing down the name of the SMM patrol leader and licence plate number of its leading vehicle.

Other impediments:

• A SMM UAV was heavily jammed while flying over “DPR”-controlled areas of Pervomaiske and Novolaspa (57 and 58km north-east of Mariupol, respectively).

[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 fulfilment of its mandate”