Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 3 January 2018

This report is for the media and the general public.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. A man, who claimed to be a “DPR” member, intentionally damaged an SMM vehicle in Makiivka. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations near the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. The Mission’s access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere. The SMM visited four border areas not under government control.

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations[1], including more explosions (about 130), compared with the previous reporting period (35 explosions).

On the evening and night of 2-3 January, the SMM camera at the Donetsk Filtration Station (15km north of Donetsk) recorded, in sequence, 16 projectiles in flight from east to west, six undetermined explosions and three projectiles from west to east, followed by five undetermined explosions, two airbursts and 74 projectiles (41 from west to east and 33 from east to west), all 1-3km south.

During the day on 3 January, positioned on the south-western edge of “DPR”-controlled Yasynuvata (16km north-east of Donetsk) for about half an hour, the SMM heard 19 undetermined explosions and about 20 shots of small-arms fire, all 3-5km at directions ranging from west to north-west.

The same day, positioned on the south-western edge of government-controlled Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk) for about six hours, the SMM heard an undetermined explosion and about ten bursts of small-arms fire 2-4km east, and 40 bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire 3-5km south.

On the evening of 2 January, the SMM camera at the entry-exit checkpoint in government-controlled Marinka (23km south-west of Donetsk) recorded 17 projectiles in flight (12 from east to west and five from south-east to north-west) and an illumination flare (trajectory undetermined), all 2-4km south-east.

On the evening of 2 January, while in government-controlled Svitlodarsk (57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard about 50 undetermined explosions and about 260 bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire 2-6km south-east. The following day, while at the same location, the SMM heard about 30 undetermined explosions and about 120 bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire 4-6km south-east.

On the evening and night of 2-3 January, the SMM camera 1km south-west of Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) recorded, in sequence, a projectile in flight from west to east and nine projectiles from east to west, followed by eight undetermined explosions, eight illumination flares (two from west to east, one from east to west and the remainder’s trajectory undetermined) and 62 projectiles (53 from east to west and nine from west to east), all 5-8km north.

In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including one explosion, compared with the previous reporting period (five explosions).

On the morning of 3 January, positioned in “LPR”-controlled Kalynove-Borshchuvate (61km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard an undetermined explosion and five shots 7-10km west-south-west and west.

In the afternoon, positioned 1.5km north of government-controlled Muratove (51km north-west of Luhansk), the SMM heard 25 shots of small-arms fire 2km south-south-east.

In “DPR”-controlled Makiivka (12km north-east of Donetsk), a man damaged an SMM vehicle. On 3 January, positioned in Makiivka, the SMM saw two apparently intoxicated men who claimed to be “DPR” members, one of whom approached the SMM making angry remarks. Shortly thereafter, the SMM saw the same man kick the plastic radiator grille of an SMM vehicle parked 10-15m from its position, causing minor damage to the vehicle. The SMM left the area immediately.

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.*

On the evening of 2 January, while on the eastern edge of government-controlled Stanytsia Luhanska, the SMM heard two shots of small-arms fire 2km south (assessed as outside the disengagement area).

On 3 January, positioned near the disengagement areas south of government-controlled Zolote and near “DPR”-controlled Petrivske, 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.

Beyond withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites, in a government-controlled area, the SMM saw a surface-to-air missile system (9K33 Osa) travelling east near Metolkine (69km north-west of Luhansk).

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 Package of Measures on effective monitoring and verification of the withdrawal of heavy weapons. In government-controlled areas, the SMM visited two heavy weapons holding areas, noting that they continued to be abandoned with 12 self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) missing.

In a non-government-controlled area, the SMM saw a stationary armoured personnel carrier (MT-LB) and seven or eight stationary military-type trucks about 15m from the nearest residential house in eastern Kalmiuske (formerly Komsomolske, 42km south-east of Donetsk), in a zone within which deployment of heavy armaments and military equipment is proscribed according to Point 5 of the Memorandum of 19 September 2014. On the south-eastern edge of Kalmiuske, the SMM also saw a compound, in a residential area, surrounded by barbed wire and piled sandbags in which it observed at least five persons in camouflage clothing and a stationary military-type truck. Aerial imagery previously revealed the presence of military-type armoured vehicles in the compound. (See SMM Daily Report 21 November 2017.)

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles[2] and other indications of military-type presence in the security zone. In government-controlled areas, the SMM saw an infantry fighting vehicle (BMP-1) being towed by a military truck heading north near Zolote. On 30 December, an SMM mini unmanned aerial vehicle spotted a stationary armoured recovery vehicle (BTS-4A) in Oleksandropillia (71km west of Luhansk).

In non-government-controlled areas, the SMM saw, for the first time, about 15 “LPR” members in military-type attire digging new trenches in a field along the left side of a road leading to government-controlled Popasna (69km west of Luhansk), about 300m north of the nearest residential house in Kalynove-Borshuvate. The SMM also saw, for the first time, newly dug trenches around Styla (34km south of Donetsk) and about 15 persons in military-style attire digging trenches along road T0509 leading to neighbouring Zernove (33km south of Donetsk).

The SMM visited four border areas not under government control. At a border crossing point near Uspenka (73km south-east of Donetsk), during about 50 minutes, the SMM saw seven cars (three with “DPR” plates), a covered cargo truck, two vans, two buses and 12 pedestrians (five men and seven women) exiting Ukraine, and 15 cars (four with “DPR” plates) and a van with “DPR” plates entering Ukraine.

At a pedestrian border crossing point near Ulianivske (61km south-east of Donetsk), during about 40 minutes, the SMM saw five pedestrians (one man and three women in their fifties, and one girl) exiting Ukraine and two pedestrians (man and woman, aged 50-60) entering.

At a border crossing point near Marynivka (78km east of Donetsk), during 15 minutes, the SMM saw 13 cars (six with “DPR” plates) and a van exiting Ukraine and no vehicles entering.

At a border crossing point near Voznesenivka (former Chervonopartyzansk, 67km south-east of Luhansk), during almost two hours, the SMM saw 28 cars, two buses, a covered cargo truck and 20 pedestrians (12 men, aged 30-45 and eight women, aged 20-40) exiting Ukraine, and 22 cars and 15 pedestrians (eight men, aged 30-35 and seven women, aged 20-30) 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 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, citing orders to do so. (See, for example, SMM Daily Report 2 December 2017.) 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:

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. At a checkpoint on the northern side of the Zolote disengagement area, a Ukrainian Armed Forces officer of the JCCC told the SMM that he had no information regarding demining in the area during the previous 24 hours. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed and informed the JCCC.[3]
• 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.4
• 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. [3]

[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. 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.