The SMM observed a
significantly higher number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region than the
previous day, and mostly training-related ones in Luhansk region. It continued
to monitor the withdrawal of weapons. The Mission facilitated and monitored
repair work on both sides of the contact line.
The SMM encountered three
freedom-of-movement restrictions, both in areas of #Donetsk region not
controlled by the Government.* The SMM noted reduced waiting times for crossing
points on the contact line. It monitored public gatherings in Kyiv and Odessa.
The SMM observed a significant
increase in ceasefire violations in
Donetsk region[1] as compared with the
previous day.
In the evening of 28 February whilst in “DPR”-controlled Donetsk
city centre, the SMM recorded 95 undetermined explosions west of its position.
While positioned at the “DPR”-controlled Donetsk central railway station (6km
north-west of Donetsk city centre), on 29 February the SMM heard more than 174
explosions assessed as caused by artillery and mortar rounds; two undetermined
blasts and impacts; 25-35 single shots and hundreds of rounds fired from a
range of weapons including small arms, light and heavy machine-guns, 30mm
cannons, and automatic grenade launchers from distances of 0.5-10km from the
south, west, south-south-west, north, north-north-east, and north-north-west of
its position.
During the evening and night
hours of 28-29 February whilst in government-controlled Svitlodarsk (57km
north-east of Donetsk), the SMM recorded 54 undetermined explosions and 50
single shots of small arms 4km south-east of its position. Whilst 2km
north-west of “DPR”-controlled Debaltseve (58km north-east of Donetsk), on 29
February the SMM heard ten undetermined explosions 8km north-west of its
position.
In “DPR”-controlled
Oleksandrivka (19km south-west of Donetsk), over a two-hour span, the SMM
recorded 43 undetermined explosions and six bursts of 23mm cannon fire at
locations 3-7km west, north-west, and north of its position. Whilst near “DPR”-controlled
Petrovskyi district (16km south-west of Donetsk), the SMM heard 21 undetermined
explosions and 34 bursts and 50 single shots of small arms south-west and west
of its position. Over the course of two hours, whilst in government-controlled
Marinka (23km south-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard 23 undetermined explosions
and 21 bursts of small-arms and heavy-machine-gun fire 1-2km north-east and 38
undetermined explosions and 15 shots from an automatic grenade launcher 3-6km
north-east of its position.
In the vicinity of
“DPR”-controlled Zaichenko (26km north-east of Mariupol), over a two-hour
period the SMM recorded over 50 undetermined explosions and intensive firing
from mortar, artillery, and small arms approximately 4km west of its position.
In Luhansk region, the SMM
observed ceasefire violations near government-controlled Trokhizbenka (33km
north-west of Luhansk), which it attributed to live-fire exercises.
Whilst positioned 2km north-west of government-controlled Troitske (69km west
of Luhansk) over the course of an hour, the SMM observed an anti-aircraft gun
(ZU-23), approximately 200-300m west of its position, firing several bursts at
unknown targets to the south-east; heard two undetermined explosions 5-7km west
of its position; and heard 11 undetermined explosions 5-10km to the east of its
position.
In relation to the implementation of the Addendum to the Package of Measures,
the SMM revisited Ukrainian Armed Forces permanent storage sites whose
locations corresponded with the withdrawal lines and noted that all weapons
verified as withdrawn to the sites were present. The SMM also noted
additionally the presence of two tanks and three mortars, and that their serial
numbers were not included in the inventory list.
In violation of respective withdrawal
lines, on 26 February an SMM unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted 12 tanks in
an open-area depot in “DPR”-controlled Donetsk city.
The SMM continued to monitor
the withdrawal of heavy weapons foreseen in the Minsk
Package of Measures. The SMM has yet to receive the full information requested
in the 16 October 2015 notification. The SMM revisited locations known to the
SMM as heavy weapons holding areas, though they do not comply with the specific
criteria set out for permanent storage sites in the 16 October 2015
notification.
In government-controlled areas
beyond the respective withdrawal lines, the SMM revisited such locations and
observed 12 multiple-launch rocket systems (BM-21 Grad, 122mm)
and ten self-propelled howitzers (2S3 Akatsiya, 152mm). The
SMM noted that two previously recorded self-propelled howitzers (2S3 Akatsiya, 152mm) were missing.
In violation of respective
withdrawal lines, an SMM UAV on 24 February spotted an SA-8 tactical
surface-to-air missile launcher (9K33 Osa, 210mm) in a
government-controlled area close to Zaitseve (50km north-east of Donetsk). On
26 February, an SMM UAV spotted one self-propelled howitzer in an open-area
depot in Donetsk city.
Beyond respective withdrawal
lines but outside storage sites, the SMM observed one self-propelled howitzer
(2S3, Akatsiya, 152mm) being transported on a truck in the
vicinity of government-controlled Sievierodonetsk (74km north-west of Luhansk);
and six stationary, self-propelled howitzers (2S1, Gvozdika, 122mm)
near “LPR”-controlled Uspenka (23km south-west of Luhansk).
The SMM continued to observe signs of mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO). Between
“DPR”-controlled Olenivka (23km south of Donetsk) and government-controlled
Novotroitske (36km south-west of Donetsk) on road H-20 the SMM observed fields
on both sides of the road marked with improvised signs such as wooden sticks
with plastic bags, as well as white wooden boards with the word MINE written in
Russian in red lettering.
The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor adherence to the ceasefire to enable
repairs to essential infrastructure, namely repair work to water
pipelines near “LPR”-controlled Krasnyi Lyman (30km north-west of Luhansk) on
both sides of the contact line. The SMM observed a repair crew working without
obstruction.
The SMM continued to observe checkpoints along the contact line, noting that at the
bridge near government-controlled Stanytsia Luhanska (16km north-east of
Luhansk) there was no waiting time to cross the bridge in either direction. The
SMM observed a computerized document verification process at the Ukrainian
checkpoint for civilians entering government-controlled areas and noted that
the verification process took as little as two minutes. At a Ukrainian Armed
Forces checkpoint near Marinka, the SMM observed a total of 283 civilian
vehicles and approximately 125 pedestrians queuing to enter into
government-controlled areas. The SMM observed 57 civilian vehicles queuing to
leave government-controlled areas. At a checkpoint in Olenivka, the SMM
observed 73 civilian vehicles queuing to enter government-controlled areas and
46 civilian cars queuing to travel in the other direction.
The SMM monitored a number of public gatherings. In Kyiv,
the SMM observed a peaceful commemoration in front of the embassy of the
Russian Federation on the first anniversary of the murder of Russian politician
Boris Nemtsov. There were 40-45 demonstrators and ten National Guard and four
police officers at the scene; the event ended peacefully.
At Kulykove Pole in Odessa,
the SMM observed a demonstration of 200 activists (between the ages of 20-40
years, 75% men, more than half wearing camouflage) protesting what they said
were Ukrainian and Russian oligarchic business interests in Ukraine. Amongst
those who spoke to the crowd were two Members of Parliament affiliated with the
People’s Front party. The SMM observed approximately 75 police and National
Guard officers, and eight mini-buses of anti-riot police (minimum of 60
officers) on standby. The event ended without incident.
The SMM followed up on reports of cargo trucks with Russian Federation license plates
being blocked at Porubne border crossing point (35km south of
Chernivtsi) at the Ukrainian-Romanian border (see Daily
Report 29 February 2016). Whilst
at the crossing point, the SMM observed 20 trucks, including two with Russian
Federation registration plates, queuing to enter Ukraine. A Ukrainian border
guard shift commander told the SMM that there were no restrictions for Russian
Federation-registered trucks and added that in the last 24 hours over 100
trucks had entered Ukraine from Romania including six with Russian Federation
license plates. She also contradicted information provided to the SMM by three
Svoboda activists that border guards had given assurances to them that no
Russian Federation-registered trucks would be allowed to enter Ukraine, saying
that no such assurances were given.
An advisor to the Head of the
Dnepropetrovsk Regional State Administration told the SMM that of the 25,000
soldiers recruited from Dnepropetrovsk region, 10,500 have been de-mobilized. According to him, 421 members of the
Ukrainian Armed Forces and volunteer battalions from the region had been killed
in the conflict.
The SMM continued to monitor
the situation in Kherson, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kharkiv, and Dnepropetrovsk.
*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.
Conditional access:
At a checkpoint near Olenivka
armed men insisted on seeing national passports of SMM monitors before allowing
the SMM to proceed. The SMM showed their passports, but immediately notified
the JCCC about the incident. The SMM was subsequently allowed to pass.
Delay:
The SMM was delayed for 21
minutes at a checkpoint between “DPR”-controlled Kominternove (23km north-east
of Mariupol) and Zaichenko when armed men demanded to see the SMM’s patrol
plan. The SMM refused to provide the plan and called the JCCC to negotiate
access, after which the SMM was allowed to pass.
Other impediments:
On 29 February the SMM
long-range UAV encountered GPS jamming on multiple occasions while flying over
the wider area of “DPR”-controlled Debaltseve (58km north-east of Donetsk).
* 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”.
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