The SMM observed an increase in ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Small-arms shots were fired in close proximity to SMM monitors south-west of 'DPR'-controlled Yasynuvata. The Mission monitored border areas not controlled by the Government and observed a calm situation. The SMM was restricted in its freedom of movement mainly in areas not controlled by the Government. The SMM observed actions related to the de-communization law.
The SMM observed an increase in the number of ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Positioned in ‘DPR’ – controlled Donetsk city between 21:40hrs on 17 March and 02:17hrs on 18 March the SMM heard 44 undetermined explosions and five bursts of small-arms fire 3-10km north and north-west of its position. From a position at ‘DPR’ -controlled Donetsk railway station (6km north-west of Donetsk city centre), between 07:30 and 15:00hrs, the SMM heard three bursts of small-arms fire 3-4km north of its position.
Whilst in government-controlled Svitlodarsk (57km north-east of Donetsk), between 16:43 and 21:40hrs on 17 March, the SMM heard 41 undetermined explosions in areas 2-3km south-east and 4-5km north-east of its position. From the same location between 17:30 and 22:22hrs on 18 March the SMM heard 196 undetermined explosions and over 200 shots of small-arms and heavy-machine-gun fire in an area 2-3km south-east.
In ‘DPR’-controlled Horlivka (39km north-east of Donetsk) between 19:00 and 21:38hrs on 17 March, the SMM saw and heard outgoing fire and saw flashes from unknown weapons, 11 undetermined explosions, eight mortar impacts and one burst of heavy-machine-gun fire all in areas ranging from west to north-east 0.2 to 13km of its position. On 17 March between 16:11 and 16:19hrs the SMM camera in Shyrokyne (20km east of Donetsk) recorded several impacts and detonations approximately 1.4km north-east and four undetermined explosions in the early hours of 19 March.
In Luhansk region on 18 March between 17:10-18:50hrs, while in ‘LPR’-controlled Stakhanov (50km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard an intense exchange of fire involving approximately 200 detonations and explosions from artillery, automatic grenade launcher (AGL) and heavy-machine-gun bursts in an area 10-12km west-north-west. The SMM also heard a number of ceasefire violations which were assessed as training exercises in areas outside the security zone.
The SMM monitored adherence to the ceasefire on both sides of the contact line to enable work to continue at the water filtration station near ‘DPR’-controlled Yasynuvata (16km north-east of Donetsk). The SMM escorted Voda Donbassa workers to the water filtration station where a piece of unexploded ordnance remained at the entrance. Another SMM patrol, stationary at a temporary observation post 4.1km west-south-west of Yasynuvata at 10:45hrs, were approached by four ‘DPR’ members who ordered the SMM to leave, citing orders from the ‘minister of defence’. The SMM left and established another temporary observation post 300m further east. While stationary at this location at 13:00hrs the SMM heard the distinctive ‘snap’ of five bullets above them, fired from the south-west. No SMM monitors were injured or vehicles damaged.
Prior to the incident, while stationary 1-2km east of Yasynuvata, between 08:55 and 11:40hrs, the SMM heard small-arms fire, ten sniper rifle shots, five bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire and ten undetermined explosions in areas ranging 0.3-1km south-west to north. Positioned on the H20 highway east of government-controlled Avdiivka (17km north-east of Donetsk) between 14:25 and 15:15hrs, the SMM heard 15 120mm mortar impacts, 35 outgoing artillery rounds (122mm), five outgoing automatic grenade launcher rounds, 20 rounds from a BMP-2 gun, and intermittent bursts of small-arms fire in an area 7km south.
In the Avdiivka “Promzone” the SMM saw remnants of shells and a number of craters assessed to have been caused by at least three mortars, one 122mm artillery shell, one rocket-propelled grenade (RPG), eight automatic grenade launcher and rifle grenades. Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel in the vicinity said the shells were fired during the night of 17-18 March. The SMM analysed the craters and assessed the direction of fire as south-south-east. At this location between 08:10 and 11:19hrs, the SMM heard ten 82mm mortar impacts, two 120mm mortar impacts, five SPG-9 rounds and 42 bursts of small-arms and sniper fire, in an area 200m south-east of its position.
In relation to the implementation of the Addendum to the Package of measures, the SMM revisited a Ukrainian Armed Forces permanent storage site whose location corresponded with the withdrawal lines and observed that all weapons previously verified as withdrawn to the site were present.
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.
In violation of the respective withdrawal lines the SMM observed five towed howitzers (assessed as 122mm) attached to trucks and prepared to move near government-controlled Svobodne (55km south-west of Donetsk).
The SMM revisited locations known to the SMM as heavy weapons holding areas, even 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: 29 self-propelled howitzers (17 2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm and 12 2S3Akatsiya, 152mm); three Addendum-regulated anti-tank guns (D-44, 85mm). Eighteen self-propelled howitzers (four 2S3 Akatsiya, 152mm and 14 2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm), four surface-to-air missile launchers (9K35 Strela-10) and ten mortars (2B11 Sani, 120mm) were missing, as observed since 2 March 2016.
In ‘DPR’-controlled areas beyond the respective withdrawal lines, the SMM revisited such locations and observed nine multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) (BM-21 Grad, 122mm) and six anti-tank guns (MT-12 Rapira, 100 mm). The SMM observed six trucks next to the guns which a guard at the site said were loaded with ammunition.
The SMM continued to observe the presence of unexploded ordnance (UXO). In government-controlled Peredilske (24km north-west of Luhansk) the SMM observed three UXOs. Residents told the SMM that a demining team from the Ukrainian Armed Forces had cleared some UXO in the village a week ago. In ‘LPR’-controlled Krasnyi Lyman (30km north-west of Luhansk), the SMM observed the main road blocked by a concrete obstacle warning of mines but a resident told the SMM that this area was not mined. The SMM was unable to verify the claim.
The SMM observed the presence of other hardware: one armoured personnel carrier (APC) (BMP-1) and two Ural trucks, one with an anti-aircraft twin-barrelled cannon ZU-23 attached at an ‘LPR’-controlled checkpoint south of government-controlled Shchastia (20km north of Luhansk); one BMP at an ‘LPR’ checkpoint near ‘LPR’-controlled Vesela Hora (18km north of Luhansk); three armoured personnel carriers (BTR-70) in an area 6km east of government-controlled Trokhizbenka (33km north-west of Luhansk); one BTR in an area between government-controlled Krasnohorivka (21km west of Donetsk) and Zhelanne Druhe (29km west of Donetsk).
The SMM monitored border areas not controlled by the Government. At the Uspenka border crossing point (72km south-east of Donetsk) the SMM observed a queue of 13 civilian trucks and 45 civilian vehicles (all with Ukrainian plates) waiting to cross into the Russian Federation. Three truck drivers, speaking together, told the SMM that it takes approximately 24 hours to cross.
The SMM monitored a “DPR”-organized rally in Donetsk city marking the second anniversary of what they termed the ‘reunification of the Russian Federation and the Crimean peninsula.’ At 09:30hrs the SMM observed 500 mainly young persons at the rally. They listened to ‘patriotic’ songs, watched dance performances and carried ‘DPR’ flags. ‘DPR’ ‘police’ were present at the event, which passed off without incident.
In cities across the country the SMM observed actions related to the de-communization law. The SMM observed preparations being made for the removal of Ukraine’s largest statue of Lenin in Zaporizhzhia (70km south of Dnepropetrovsk) on 16 March. Around 300 people were present (half of whom were women) as approximately 40 police officers monitored the process which took approximately 30 hours. The mayor and the head of the district administration in Kodema (217km north-east of Odessa) told the SMM that the process of de-communization was almost complete in the district with the removal last week of two statues of Lenin and two more scheduled to be dismantled. According to them, all city streets had been renamed. In Kyiv, the SMM observed a group of six activists of the Youth Nationalistic Congress replace one street sign on Artema Street with a new one.
The SMM continued to monitor the situation in Kherson, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kharkiv and Chernivtsi.
