Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 6 August 2018

This report is for the media and the general public.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more ceasefire violations in Luhansk region, compared with the last 24 hours. Small-arms fire was assessed as directed at an SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle in Artema. The Mission’s access remained restricted in the Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske disengagement areas, as well as near Bezimenne, Zaichenko, Novoazovsk and Hranitne.* The Mission continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station, including through monitoring the security situation around the station, as well as repairs and maintenance works to critical civilian infrastructure near Artema, Stanytsia Luhanska, Novotoshkivske, in Zolote-3 and Zolote-5. The SMM monitored a pre-trial hearing in Kherson, a planned appellate court hearing in Odessa and observed a public gathering in Kyiv.

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations[1], including 87 explosions, compared with the previous 24 hours (93 explosions).

On the evening and night of 5-6 August, the SMM camera at the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS) (15km north of Donetsk) recorded 11 undetermined explosions and 102 projectiles in flight (including 21 from east-north-east to west-south-west assessed as multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) rockets and 25 in vertical flight assessed as anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23, 23mm) fire, all 0.5-5km at directions ranging from south-east to south-west.

On 6 August, positioned 1.1km north-west of the railway station in Yasynuvata (non-government-controlled, 16km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard 19 undetermined explosions and 66 bursts shots of small-arms fire, all 3-4km south-west.

The same day, positioned on the south-eastern edge of Avdiivka (government-controlled, 17km north of Donetsk), the SMM heard five undetermined explosions, three bursts of heavy-machine-gun and ten shots of small-arms fire, all 1km south-south-east. 

On the evening and night of 5-6 August, the SMM camera at the entry-exit checkpoint in Pyshchevyk (government-controlled, 25km north-east of Mariupol) recorded 12 undetermined explosions, 169 projectiles in flight (109 from west to east, 59 from east to west and one in vertical flight), four illumination flares (three in vertical flight and one from west to east) and two muzzle flashes, all 2-4km south-east, south-south-east and south.

On the evening and night of 5-6 August, the SMM camera 1km south-west of Pyshchevyk (government-controlled, 25km north-east of Mariupol) recorded 11 undetermined explosions, 84 projectiles in flight (64 from north to south, 18 from north-west to south-east and two from south to north) and a muzzle flash, all 1-2km at directions ranging from north-east to south-east.

In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations compared with previous 24 hours but did not register any explosions.

Positioned near Artema (government-controlled, 26km north of Luhansk) while flying a mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the SMM heard 15 bursts of small-arms fire assessed as directed at the UAV.* At the time of incident, the UAV was flying at an altitude of approximately 200m about 500-700m south-east of the SMM’s position. The SMM recalled and safely landed the UAV. The SMM had flown the UAV to monitor and facilitate ongoing repair works at the Petrivske water pumping station. On 23 July, shots of small-arms fire were directed at an SMM UAV in the same area (see SMM Daily Report 24 July 2018).

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)[2], 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.*

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

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

The SMM observed weapons that could not be verified as withdrawn, as their storage did not comply with the criteria set out in the 16 October 2015 notification from the SMM to the signatories of the Memorandum and the Package of Measures on effective monitoring and verification of the withdrawal of heavy weapons. In non-government-controlled areas of Donetsk region, the SMM visited two such sites and observed two towed howitzers (D-30 Lyagushka, 122mm), and noted that the following weapons continued to be missing: nine self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) and two anti-tank guns (MT-12 Rapira, 100mm).

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles[3] in the security zone. In government-controlled areas, on 4 August, an SMM long-range UAV spotted an armoured personnel carrier (BTR-70) near Novokalynove (29km north-west of Donetsk), two infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) (one BMP-2 and one undetermined variant) near Novohryhorivka (55km south of Donetsk) and four IFVs (three BMP-2 and an undetermined variant) near Starohnativka (51km south of Donetsk).

In non-government-controlled areas, on 4 August, an SMM long-range UAV spotted five IFVs (BMP-1) near Bila Kamianka (51km south of Donetsk).

The SMM continued to facilitate the operation of the DFS, including through monitoring adherence to the ceasefire. Positioned in areas near the DFS, the SMM heard ceasefire violations, despite explicit security guarantees (see above and the table below).

The SMM also continued to facilitate and monitor repair works to a water pumping station in Artema, as well as to water distribution infrastructure in multiple locations, including in Stanytsia Luhanska and near Novotoshkivske (government-controlled 53km west of Luhansk), Zolote-3 (government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk) and Zolote-5 (non-government-controlled, 61km west of Luhansk).

The SMM visited three border areas outside government control.* While at a border crossing point near Uspenka (73km south-east of Donetsk) for about 20 minutes, the SMM saw seven cars queuing to exit Ukraine (four with Ukrainian and one with Russian Federation licence plates, and two with “DPR” plates) and no traffic entering Ukraine.

While at a pedestrian border crossing point near Ulianivske (61km south-east of Donetsk) for about 20 minutes, the SMM did not observe any cross-border traffic at the crossing point.

While at a border crossing point near Marynivka (78km east of Donetsk), the SMM observed six cars (three with Ukrainian and one with Russian Federation licence plates, and two with “DPR” plates) exiting Ukraine and six cars (three with Ukrainian and one with Russian Federation licence plates, and two with “DPR” plates) and a bus (with a sign that read route Moscow to Donetsk, about 50 passengers, mixed gender and ages) entering Ukraine.

In Kherson, the SMM monitored the pre-trial hearing of a suspect detained in relation to an acid attack on a city council official (see SMM Daily Report 2 August 2018). The suspect (man, 40 years old) appeared in handcuffs and was represented by a lawyer (man, 50 years old). The SMM saw members of the media and National Corps present, as well as six National Guard officers and six police officers. The presiding judge postponed the pre-trial hearing until 1 October.

In Odessa, the SMM monitored a planned appellate court hearing of 19 individuals previously acquitted of participating in mass disturbances in the city on 2 May 2014. The hearing was rescheduled, allegedly due to technical difficulties. (See SMM Daily Report 5 May 2014.)

In Kyiv, on 5 August, the SMM observed a public gathering of about 20 people (men and women, 35-75 years old) in front of the International Centre of Cultural and Arts at 1 Heavenly Hundred Heroes Alley, three of whom were carrying Ukrainian flags and one carrying the flag of the Congress of Ukrainian Nationalists. Five media crews were also present. Some of the participants laid flowers at a nearby memorial to victims of Holodomor and political repressions, and told members of the media present that the gathering was being held in memory of the Great Terror. The SMM saw two police officers in the area.

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

*Restrictions of the 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 (for example, see SMM Daily Report 4 August 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.

Denials of access:

• At a checkpoint 2.5km west of Bezimenne (nongovernment-controlled, 30km east of Mariupol), two armed members of the armed formations again denied the SMM passage to road E58.
• At a checkpoint 800m north of Zaichenko (nongovernment-controlled, 26km north-east of Mariupol), two armed members of the armed formations again stopped the SMM and denied it passage westward to Pikuzy (formerly Kominternove, nongovernment-controlled, 23km north-east of Mariupol) and southward to Sakhanka (non-government-controlled, 24km north-east of Mariupol), citing an “order from superior command”.
• Three armed members of the armed formations again denied the SMM passage through a checkpoint near Novoazovsk (nongovernment-controlled, 102km south-east of Donetsk), citing “ongoing anti-terrorist operations” in the area.
• At a checkpoint about 2km northwest of Hranitne (government-controlled, 60km south of Donetsk), two Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel prevented the SMM from entering the village. The SMM informed the JCCC.5

Regular restrictions related to disengagement areas and mines/UXO:

• 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 by telephone that no demining had taken place 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 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 by telephone that no demining had taken place during the previous 24 hours. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed and informed the JCCC.5
• The SMM was prevented from accessing secondary roads south of the Zolote disengagement area due to the possible presence of mines and UXO. A member of the armed formations 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.

[1] For a complete breakdown of the ceasefire violations, please see the annexed table.

[2] Due to presence of mines, including those on a road between Bohdanivka and Petrivske, the SMM’s access to its camera in Petrivske remained limited; thus, the review of the camera footage may take place days later.

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

[4]     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.