Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 26 January 2018

This report is for the media and the general public.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations near the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere, including to a heavy weapons holding area in a government-controlled area.* The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Obozne. The Mission visited three border areas not under government control.

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations[1], including about 110 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (70 explosions).

In continuation of the sequence of ceasefire violations recorded in the early evening of 25 January (see SMM Daily Report 26 January 2018), on the evening and night of 25-26 January, the SMM camera at the Donetsk Filtration Station (15km north of Donetsk) recorded 11 undetermined explosions, 162 projectiles in flight (85 from east to west and 77 from west to east) and two illumination flares in vertical flight, all 0.5-1.5km south. In the early evening of 26 January, the camera recorded two projectiles in flight from west to east and four undetermined explosions, all 0.5-1.5km south.

On the evening of 25 January, the SMM camera at the entry-exit checkpoint in government-controlled Maiorsk (45km north-east of Donetsk) recorded, in sequence, a projectile in flight from south to north, a projectile from north to south, an undetermined explosion and two projectiles from south to north, all 2-4km south-east.

On the evening of 25 January, while in government-controlled Svitlodarsk (57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard 50 undetermined explosions and about 170 shots and bursts of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all 3-5km south-east.

During the day on 26 January, positioned on the south-western edge of government-controlled Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk), the SMM heard about 40 undetermined explosions, about 90 shots of infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (BMP-2) cannon (30mm) and about 150 bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire, all 2-4km at directions ranging from east to south-west.

Positioned at the railway station in “DPR”-controlled Yasynuvata (16km north-east of Donetsk) for about four hours, the SMM heard two undetermined explosions and 35 bursts and shots of small-arms fire, all 1-5km at directions ranging from west to north-east. Positioned on the south-western edge of Yasynuvata, the SMM heard two undetermined explosions and a shot of small-arms fire 1-3km west.

During the night of 25-26 January, the SMM camera at the entry-exit checkpoint in government-controlled Pyshchevyk (25km north-east of Mariupol) recorded two undetermined explosions 2-4km north. During the day on 26 January, positioned 1km north-north-west of Pyshchevyk, the SMM heard and saw an explosion assessed as an impact 1-2km south.

In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including 24 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (100 explosions).

During the day on 26 January, while on the northern edge of government-controlled Popasna (69km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard two undetermined explosions 3km south-east.

Positioned 1.5km south of government-controlled Muratove (51km north-west of Luhansk), the SMM heard 21 undetermined explosions 15-20km north-east assessed as part of a live-fire exercise.

The SMM continued to monitor the disengagement process and to pursue full access to the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska (16km north-east of Luhansk), Zolote (60km west of Luhansk) and Petrivske (41km south of Donetsk), as foreseen in the Framework Decision of the Trilateral Contact Group relating to disengagement of forces and hardware of 21 September 2016. The SMM’s access remained restricted, but the Mission was able to partially monitor them.*

During the evening and night of 25-26 January, while on the eastern edge of government-controlled Stanytsia Luhanska, the SMM heard a burst of heavy-machine-gun fire 8km south-east assessed as outside the disengagement area. During the day on 26 January, while in the same location, the SMM heard an undetermined explosion 5km south-south-west assessed as outside the disengagement area. Positioned at the “LPR” checkpoint south of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge (15km north-east of Luhansk), the SMM spoke with an “LPR” member who was wearing the same armband previously worn by the Russian Federation Armed Forces officers of the Joint Centre for Control and Co-operation (JCCC).

Positioned near the Petrivske and Zolote disengagement areas, the SMM observed a calm situation.

The SMM continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons in implementation of the Package of Measures and its Addendum as well as the Memorandum.

In violation of withdrawal lines, in an area outside of government control, an SMM mini unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted on 25 January three tanks (T-64) in an area east of Vesela Hora (16km north of Luhansk) and south of Obozne (18km north of Luhansk).

Beyond withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites, in government-controlled areas, the SMM saw on 25 January 11 multiple launch rocket systems (BM-21 Grad, 122mm) near Yurivka (80km north-west of Donetsk) heading north-west on road M03. It also saw on 26 January four tanks (T-72) near Smolianynove (61km north-west of Luhansk) travelling north-west on road T-1306 and a tank (T-72) on a flatbed truck near Kasianivka (81km south Donetsk) heading north. An SMM mid-range UAV spotted on 25 January 11 self-propelled howitzers (2S3 Akatsiya, 152mm) in a residential area in Novoolenivka (48km north-west of Donetsk) as well as a tank (T-34/76) and a surface-to-air missile system (9K35 Strela-10) near Tarasivka (43km north-west of Donetsk).

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles and anti-aircraft guns[2] in the security zone. In government-controlled areas, the SMM saw three anti-aircraft guns (ZU-23-2, 23mm) on the eastern edge of Mariupol. In a non-government-controlled area, an SMM mini-UAV spotted on 25 January ten IFVs (BMP-1 and BMP-2), an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23-2), two armoured personnel carriers (MT-LB) and military-type trucks east of Vesela Hora and south of Obozne (in the same area where an mini-SMM UAV also spotted three tanks (see above)).

The SMM visited three border areas not under government control. While at a border crossing point near Dovzhanske (84km south-east of Luhansk) for about an hour, the SMM saw 11 cars (five with Ukrainian and six with Russian Federation licence plates), a bus with Ukrainian licence plates and about 30 passengers on board, a bus with Ukrainian licence plates and about 20 passengers on board, three covered cargo trucks with Ukrainian licence plates, a truck with a crane and Ukrainian licence plates, and five pedestrians (four men and one woman, all aged 25-50) exiting Ukraine. The SMM also saw 15 cars (six with Ukrainian and nine with Russian Federation licence plates), a bus with Ukrainian licence plates and approximately 30 passengers on board, two covered cargo trucks with Ukrainian licence plates and five pedestrians (three men and two women, all aged 30-55) entering Ukraine.

While at a border crossing point near Izvaryne (52km south-east of Luhansk) for about 45 minutes, the SMM saw 14 cars (eight with Ukrainian and six with Russian Federation licence plates), a bus with Ukrainian licence plates and approximately 50 passengers on board, and 27 pedestrians (12 men aged 20-30 and 15 women aged 25-50) exiting Ukraine. The SMM also saw 15 cars (seven with Ukrainian and eight with Russian Federation licence plates), two covered cargo trucks (both with Belarusian licence plates) and 15 pedestrians (seven women aged 20-40 and eight men aged 40-50) entering Ukraine.

While at a border crossing point near Sievernyi (50km south-east of Luhansk) for about 30 minutes, the SMM saw 11 pedestrians (all women aged 35-50) exiting Ukraine and nine pedestrians (seven women aged 25-50 and two men aged 40-50) entering Ukraine.

The SMM continued monitoring in Kherson, Odessa, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Chernivtsi and Kyiv.

*Restrictions of SMM’s freedom of movement or other impediments to fulfilment of its mandate

The SMM’s monitoring and freedom of movement are restricted by security hazards and threats, including risks posed by mines, unexploded ordnance (UXO) and other impediments – which vary from day to day. The SMM’s mandate provides for safe and secure access throughout Ukraine. All signatories of the Package of Measures have agreed on the need for this safe and secure access, that restriction of the SMM’s freedom of movement constitutes a violation, and on the need for rapid response to these violations. They have also agreed that the JCCC should contribute to such response and co-ordinate mine clearance. Nonetheless, the armed formations in parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions frequently deny the SMM access to areas adjacent to Ukraine’s border outside control of the Government, citing orders to do so. (See, for example, SMM Daily Report 12 January 2018.) The SMM’s operations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions remain restricted following the fatal incident of 23 April 2017 near Pryshyb; these restrictions continued to limit the Mission’s observations.

Denial of access:

• At a heavy weapons holding area in a government-controlled area, a Ukrainian Armed Forces officer saying that the latter needed a written authorization from his superiors to enter the compound denied the SMM access. The SMM waited for about 45 minutes and then left the area. The SMM informed the JCCC. 4

Related to disengagement areas and mines/UXO:

• The SMM was prevented from accessing secondary roads south of the Zolote disengagement area due to the possible presence of mines and UXO. An “LPR” member positioned on the southern side of the Zolote disengagement area told the SMM that no demining had taken place during the previous 24 hours. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed.
• The SMM was prevented from accessing secondary roads in the Zolote disengagement area due to the possible presence of mines and UXO. A Ukrainian Armed Forces officer of the JCCC told the SMM that he had no information regarding de-mining in the area during the previous 24 hours. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed and informed the JCCC. 4
• The SMM was prevented from accessing parts of the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area, with the exception of the main road, due to the possible presence of mines and UXO. A Ukrainian Armed Forces officer of the JCCC told the SMM that he had no information regarding demining activities over the previous 24 hours. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed and informed the JCCC. [3]
• The SMM did not travel across the bridge in government-controlled Shchastia (20km north of Luhansk) due to the presence of mines. A Ukrainian Armed Forces officer of the JCCC said there were mines on the road south of the bridge. The SMM informed the JCCC.4

Other impediments:

• Medical staff at a hospital in “LPR”-controlled Luhansk city told the SMM that it needed an “authorization” from a senior “LPR” member in order to schedule a meeting. 

[1] For a complete breakdown of the ceasefire violations, please see the annexed table. Two SMM cameras continue to be tested until the end of January 2018.

[2] This hardware is not proscribed by the provisions of the Minsk agreements on the withdrawal of weapons.

[3] The SMM informed Ukrainian Armed Forces officers of the JCCC. Russian Federation Armed Forces officers of the JCCC have withdrawn from the JCCC as of 18 December 2017.