Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 2 October 2018

This report is for the media and the general public.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, compared with the previous reporting period. It followed up on reports of a woman injured by a bullet in Maiorsk and injuries caused by an explosion in Donetsk city. The SMM recorded ceasefire violations inside the Zolote disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas as well as near Novolaspa.* The Mission continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station. It also facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs and maintenance to power lines in Zolote-5/Mykhailivka and Olenivka, as well as to the phenol sludge reservoir near Zalizne and the Krasnohorivka gas distribution station. In Kyiv, the SMM monitored a gathering in front of the Parliament building.

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations,[1] including about 175 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (205 explosions).

On the evening and night of 1-2 October, the SMM camera at the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS) (15km north of Donetsk) recorded 66 explosions (65 undetermined and one assessed as an airburst), about 70 projectiles in flight (mostly from north to south and from south to north), three illumination flares, four muzzle flashes and 17 bursts, all 0.5-5km at southerly directions.

On the evening of 1 October, the SMM camera at entry-exit checkpoint in Maiorsk (government-controlled, 45km north-east of Donetsk) recorded 26 undetermined explosions and about 40 projectiles in flight (mostly from south-west to north-east and from north-east to south-west), all 0.5-4km at easterly directions.

On the evening of 1 October, while in Svitlodarsk (government-controlled, 57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard 37 undetermined explosions and about 390 bursts and shots of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all 4-8km east and south-east. On the following day, while in the same location, the SMM heard eight explosions (seven undetermined and one assessed as the impact of a 120mm mortar round) and five bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire, all 3-6km east and south-east.

During the day on 2 October, positioned about 2km south of Sofiivka (formerly Karlo-Marksove, non-government-controlled, 40km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard six undetermined explosions assessed as live-fire training inside the security zone, in violation of the decision of the Trilateral Contact Group as of 3 March 2016 that prohibits the conduct of live-fire training (exercises) in the security zone.

In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including about 50 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (130 explosions).[2]

On the evening of 1 October, the SMM camera in Kriakivka (government-controlled, 38km north-west of Luhansk) recorded five undetermined explosions and about 50 projectiles in flight (mostly from east-south-east to west-north-west and from west-north-west to east-south-east), all 2-5km south-south-west and south-west.

On the morning of 2 October, positioned 1.5km south-west of Molodizhne (non-government-controlled, 63km west of Luhansk) the SMM heard 23 undetermined explosions and five bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire, all 10-15km south-west.

The SMM followed up on reports of a civilian casualty in Maiorsk. At a hospital in Bakhmut (formerly Artemivsk, government-controlled, 67km north of Donetsk), the SMM saw a woman (aged 58) with a large wound on the right side of her head. She told the SMM that on the evening of 28 September, while outside her apartment block in Maiorsk, she had heard the sound of shelling and of bullets flying around and had been hit in the head. Medical staff at the same hospital told the SMM that the woman had been admitted to the hospital on 29 September with a gunshot wound to the right side of her head.

The SMM continued to follow up on reports of injuries caused by an explosion in non-government-controlled Donetsk city on 29 September. (See SMM Daily Report 1 October 2018.) At the Institute of Emergency and Reconstructive Surgery in Donetsk city, the SMM saw a man (aged 40-45) and a woman (aged 30) with burns on their faces. The man told the SMM that he had been in the office of the “communist party” with other people, including the woman, when a loud explosion had occurred. Medical staff at the same hospital told the SMM that they had both been admitted on 29 September and that the man was suffering from burns on his face, hearing impairment, and pain in both eyes and right arm, while the woman was suffering from burns on her face and injuries to one of her eyes. Medical staff at the Donetsk Trauma Hospital said that another man (aged 30-40) had suffered injuries in the same incident.

The SMM continued to monitor and to pursue full access to the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska (government-controlled, 16km north-east of Luhansk), Zolote (government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk) and Petrivske (non-government-controlled, 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.*

On the morning of 2 October, positioned on the northern edge of the Zolote disengagement area, the SMM heard seven explosions assessed as impacts of mortar rounds (type undetermined) 2km north and five explosions assessed as outgoing mortar rounds (type undetermined) 2km east, all assessed as outside the disengagement area. During the day, positioned on the north-eastern edge of Katerynivka (government-controlled, 64km west of Luhansk), inside the Zolote disengagement area, the SMM heard a burst of heavy-machine-gun fire and two shots of small-arms fire, all 0.6-1km south and assessed as inside the disengagement area.

During the day on 2 October, positioned near the Stanytsia Luhanska and Petrivske disengagement areas, the SMM observed calm situations.

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

Beyond withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites in government-controlled areas, the SMM saw four surface-to-air missile systems (9K37) at the railway station in Rubizhne (84km north-west of Luhansk) and a surface-to-air missile system (9K33 Osa) near Novookhtyrka (55km north-west of Luhansk).

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles and an anti-aircraft gun[3] in the security zone. In a government-controlled area, an SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted two armoured reconnaissance vehicles (BRDM-2) north of Shumy (41km north of Donetsk). The SMM also saw an armoured reconnaissance vehicle (BRDM variant) and an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (probable BMP-1) on the northern edge of Shchastia (20km north of Luhansk).

In a non-government-controlled area, on 1 October, an SMM mini-UAV spotted an IFV (BMP-1) and two armoured personnel carriers (one BTR-70 and one MT-LB with an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23, 23mm) mounted on top) in a compound in the north-western outskirts of Luhansk.

The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to power lines in Zolote-5/Mykhailivka (non-government-controlled, 58km west of Luhansk) and Olenivka (non-government controlled, 23km south-west of Donetsk), as well as to the phenol sludge reservoir near Zalizne (government-controlled, 42km north-east of Donetsk) and to the Krasnohorivka gas distribution station between Marinka (government-controlled, 23km south-west of Donetsk) and Oleksandrivka (non-government-controlled, 20km south-west of Donetsk). The SMM continued to facilitate the operation of the DFS, including through monitoring adherence to the ceasefire.

In Kyiv, the SMM saw about 300 men (aged 17-30) gathered in front of the Parliament building at 5 Hrushevskoho Street. Most of them were wearing insignias of and carrying flags of the Nationalni Druzhyny, National Corps and Svodoba. At the site, one of the participants gave a speech in support of the adoption of the draft law “On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine (regarding the legal status of foreigners and stateless persons who participated in the protection of Ukraine's territorial integrity and inviolability)”. The SMM saw about 200 police and National Guard officers, including some in riot gear, securing the entrance of the Parliament building. After about four hours, the gathering dispersed without incidents.

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

*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 Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (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 2 October 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 checkpoint near Novolaspa (non-government controlled, 50km south of Donetsk), an armed member of the armed formations prevented the SMM from proceeding to the village, citing “security reasons”.

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 member of the Ukrainian State Border Guard Service informed the SMM 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 informed the SMM 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 informed the SMM that no demining had taken place during the previous 24 hours. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed.

Delay:

• At a checkpoint north of Zaichenko (non-government-controlled, 26km north-east of Mariupol), an armed member of the armed formations again stopped the SMM and denied it passage westward to Pikuzy (formerly Kominternove, non-government-controlled, 23km north-east of Mariupol) and southward to Sakhanka (non-government-controlled, 24km north-east of Mariupol), citing “security reasons”. The patrol was allowed to pass after about 20 minutes.

Other impediments:

• On 1 October, an SMM mini-UAV, which was flying over an area south-west of Zhovte (non-government-controlled, 17km north-west of Luhansk), spotted two men wearing military-style clothing pointing an assault rifle (probable AK-47 or AK-74) at the UAV and another man (also wearing military-style clothing) firing at the UAV. (See SMM Daily Report 2 October 2018.)
• At a school in Horodyshche (non-government-controlled, 57km south-west of Luhansk), a man who introduced himself as its director said that he could not provide information to the SMM without written permission from other members of the armed formations.

[1] Please see the annexed table for a complete breakdown of the ceasefire violations as well as a map of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions marked with locations featured in this report.

[2] The paragraph on ceasefire violations in SMM Daily Report 2 October 2018 should have read: “In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including 130 explosions, compared with the previous 24 hours (about 30 explosions)”.

[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 withdrew from the JCCC as of 18 December 2017.