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Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 13 November 2017

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Ukraine
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OSCE
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This report is for the media and the general public.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous 24 hours. The Mission followed up on reports of a civilian casualty in Marinka. It observed a fresh impact site in Popasna. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas; it recorded ceasefire violations inside the Petrivske disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in the disengagement areas and elsewhere, including in Novolaspa.* The SMM observed weapons in violations of the withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. It facilitated and monitored repairs and maintenance of essential infrastructure in Shchastia and Dovhe, and near Zalizne, Novozvanivka, and Vesela Hora. It visited a border area not under government control.

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations,[1] including, however, fewer explosions (about 100), compared with the previous 24 hours (about 290 explosions).

On the evening of 12 November, while in government-controlled Svitlodarsk (57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard six undetermined explosions, about 30 explosions assessed as impacts of mortar rounds, four explosions assessed as outgoing rounds of recoilless-gun (SPG-9, 73mm) and over 100 bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire, all 5-7km south-south-east and south-west. During the day on 13 November, while in the same location, the SMM heard four undetermined explosions and about ten bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire, all 5-8km south-south-east and south-west.

On the evening and night of 12-13 November, the SMM camera at the Donetsk Filtration Station (15km north of Donetsk) recorded, in sequence, an undetermined explosion, three projectiles in flight from east to west, three undetermined explosions, ten projectiles in flight from east to west, followed by totals of 15 undetermined explosions, about 30 projectiles in flight from east to west, 16 projectiles in flight from west to east, and an illumination flare in vertical flight, all 0.5-1.5km south.

During the day on 13 November, positioned on the south-western edge of Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk) for about four hours, the SMM heard about 30 undetermined explosions, about 100 bursts and shots of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms re, and 12 shots of infantry- ghting-vehicle (IFV) (BMP-2) cannon (30mm) re, all 1-6km at directions ranging from south to south-east. On the evening of 12 November, the SMM camera in Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) recorded, in sequence, seven tracer rounds in ight from west to east, 22 tracer rounds in ight from east to west, 19 tracer rounds in ight from west to east, followed by totals of two undetermined explosions, 16 tracer rounds and 76 projectiles in ight from east to west, 94 projectiles in ight from west to east and nine illumination ares (seven in vertical ight, one in ight from west to east and one in ight from east to west), all 5-8km north.

During the day on 13 November, positioned at the railway station in “DPR”-controlled Yasynuvata (16km north-east of Donetsk) for about four hours, the SMM heard 24 undetermined explosions, 18 bursts and shots of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms re, all 2-5km at directions ranging from south-west to west-north-west. Positioned on the south-western edge of Yasynuvata for about an hour and a half, the SMM heard ve undetermined explosions and about 180 bursts and shots of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms re, all 1-3km west.

During the day on 13 November, positioned at the central railway station in “DPR”- controlled Donetsk city (6km north-west of city centre) for about two hours, the SMM heard an undetermined explosion and about 20 bursts and shots of heavy-machine- gun and small-arms re, all 2-5km north-west and north. During the day on 13 November, while in “DPR”-controlled Horlivka (39km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard four explosions assessed as automatic-grenade-launcher re 9-10km north-west, ve shots of small-arms re 4-5km north-north-west and 20 shots of small-arms re 1.5-2km west.

In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded more cease re violations, including about 220 explosions, compared with the previous 24 hours (70 explosions).

On the evening of 12 November, while in “LPR”-controlled Kadiivka (formerly Stakhanov, 50km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard 17 undetermined explosions and three bursts of heavy-machine-gun re 8-10km west.

During the day on 13 November, positioned in “LPR”-controlled Shymshynivka (27km south-west of Luhansk), the SMM heard 56 undetermined explosions and 12 bursts of heavy-machine-gun re 4-6km south-west, nine undetermined explosions and four bursts of heavy-machine-gun re 2km west (all assessed as live- re exercise).

During the day on 13 November, positioned in “LPR”-controlled Vesela Hora (16km north of Luhansk), the SMM heard 42 undetermined explosions assessed as mortar rounds 5km west-south-west. During the day on 13 November, positioned 3km north-west of “LPR”-controlled Almazna (55km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard seven undetermined explosions and 20 bursts 5-10km west-south-west. On the same day, positioned 3km south-west of Almazna, the SMM heard 27 undetermined explosions and about 50 bursts 5-10km at directions ranging from south-west to west-north-west and about 80 shots 2-4km east.

The SMM followed up on reports of a civilian casualty. On 13 November, a forensic expert at a morgue in government-controlled Krasnohorivka (21km west of Donetsk) told the SMM that on 12 November the Ukrainian Armed Forces had brought to the facility the body of a man from government-controlled Marinka (23km south-west of Donetsk). According to him, the man had died instantly on 10 November after sustaining shrapnel wounds to his legs and torso caused by the explosion of a mine. He added that the explosion had occurred in 17 Haharina Street in Marinka, about 2.5km north-east of the entry-exit checkpoint near Marinka, while he was walking through a mined area. On 13 November, a police o cer in Marinka told the SMM that a man (aged 50-60 and a resident of Polotska Street in the Trudivski area of “DPR”- controlled Donetsk city’s Petrovskyi district) had died after having activated a tripwire mine at 17 Haharina Street in Marinka on 10 November. On 13 November, a Ukrainian Armed Forces o cer of the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) told the SMM that the man had been walking through a mined area in 17 Haharina Street when he had activated the tripwire mine.

On 12 November, in government-controlled Popasna (69km west of Luhansk), the SMM saw a fresh impact to the south-eastern facing side of a tree trunk 20m north of Ukrainian Armed Forces barracks and approximately 5m south of road T0504. The SMM could not assess the weapon used or the direction of fire.