Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 10 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 Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske, and observed a calm situation in each one. The SMM’s access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere, including at a weapons permanent storage site and in Novolaspa in areas outside government control in Donetsk region.* The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines in Roty. The Mission visited four border areas not under government control. In Kyiv city, the SMM monitored gatherings in front of the Council of Ministers building. In Odessa city, the Mission followed up on media reports of stickers placed on the main doors of churches. In Lviv region, it monitored a protest at the international border crossing point near Shehyni.

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations[1], including about 410 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 235 explosions).

In continuation of the sequence of ceasefire violations recorded in the late afternoon of 9 January (see SMM Daily Report 10 January 2018), the SMM camera at the Donetsk Filtration Station (15km north of Donetsk) on the evening and night of 9-10 January recorded two tracer rounds in flight from east to west, an undetermined explosion, nine projectiles in flight from east to west, four undetermined explosions, 30 tracer rounds from east to west, a projectile from south-east to north-west and an illumination flare in flight from north to south, followed by a total of 48 undetermined explosions, three airbursts, six illumination flares in vertical flight and 270 projectiles in flight (126 from west to east, 135 from east to west, three from north-west to south-east, one from south-east to north-west, three from south to north and two from south-west to north-east), all 0.5-1.5km south.

On the evening of 9 January, the SMM camera in government-controlled Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk) recorded a projectile in flight from north to south 4-6km south-east. The following day, positioned on the south-western edge of Avdiivka for five and a half hours, the SMM heard six undetermined explosions 2-4km north-east and four undetermined explosions 2-5km south-west.

During the day on 10 January, positioned at the railway station in “DPR”-controlled Yasynuvata (16km north-east of Donetsk) for about three and a half hours, the SMM heard about 90 undetermined explosions and at least 900 bursts and shots of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all 1-7km at directions ranging from south-west to north.

On the evening of 9 January, while in government-controlled Svitlodarsk (57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard five undetermined explosions 4-5km south-east. The following day, while at the same location, the SMM heard 45 undetermined explosions 4-5km south-south-east and south-south-west.

During the day on 10 January, positioned on the northern edge of non-government-controlled Debaltseve (58km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard nine undetermined explosions and three bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire, all 10-12km west and north-north-west. Shortly afterwards, positioned on the north-western edge of Debaltseve, the SMM heard 30 undetermined explosions 8-10km north-west.

On the evening of 9 January, while in “DPR”-controlled Horlivka (39km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard two undetermined explosions 10-12km north-north-west. The following day, while at the same location, the SMM heard almost 100 undetermined explosions 4-12km north-east and north-north-east.

On the morning of 10 January, positioned in “DPR”-controlled Hrozne (50km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM, over a ten-minute period, heard 20 undetermined explosions 7-10km west-north-west. The same morning, positioned on the western edge of “DPR”-controlled Vuhlehirsk (50 km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard 22 undetermined explosions 7-12km at directions ranging from west-north-west to north-north-west.

On the evening and night of 9-10 January, the SMM camera 1km south-west of Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) recorded, in sequence, 20 projectiles in flight from east to west and six projectiles from west to east, followed by a total of four undetermined explosions, a muzzle flash and 77 projectiles (66 from east to west and 11 west to east), all 5-8km north. In the late afternoon of 10 January, the same camera recorded three undetermined explosions and ten projectiles in flight from east to west, all 5-8km north.

In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations (four explosions), compared with the previous reporting period (six explosions).

On 10 January, positioned in “LPR”-controlled Holubivske (51km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard two undetermined explosions 5-7km west. The same day, positioned 1.3km south-east of government-controlled Mykolaivka (77km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard two undetermined explosions 8-10km west.

The SMM followed up on media reports of a man killed by the explosion of a hand grenade in Horlivka. A “DPR” member told the SMM that on 3 January, a 24-year-old man had died as a result of the explosion of a hand grenade at his home in Horlivka after having detonated it by himself. Staff at a morgue in Horlivka told the SMM that it had received the body of a man killed by a grenade explosion in Horlivka, but refused to provide the Mission with further information, citing the need for “permission from Donetsk”.*

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 day on 10 January, positioned near all three disengagement areas, the SMM observed calm situations.

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 a government-controlled area, on 9 January the SMM saw two stationary surface-to-air-missile systems (9K35 Strela-10) one the northern edge of Roty (66km north-east of Donetsk).

Beyond withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites, in a government-controlled area, the SMM saw a stationary tank (T-64) near Mykolaivka (77km west of Luhansk).

In non-government-controlled areas, the SMM saw two stationary tanks (type undetermined) at a shooting range near Myrne (28km south-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 non-government-controlled areas beyond the respective withdrawal lines, the SMM saw six towed howitzers (2A65 Msta-B, 152mm), and noted that two self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) continued to be absent. The SMM also noted that three such heavy weapons holding areas remained abandoned, with 11 multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) (BM-21 Grad, 122mm), seven self-propelled howitzers (2S1) and ten anti-tank guns (MT-12 Rapira, 100mm) missing.

The SMM revisited a heavy weapons permanent storage site in an area outside government control area in Luhansk region and noted that six towed howitzers (one 2A65 and five D-30 Lyagushka, 122mm), four MLRS (BM-21) and three self-propelled howitzers (2S1) continued to be absent.

The SMM revisited a permanent weapons storage site in an area outside government control in Donetsk region whose location was beyond withdrawal lines and noted that ten tanks (five T-64 and five T-72), nine mortars (2B14 Podnos, 82mm) and 15 anti-tank guns (MT-12) continued to be absent. At another permanent storage site in Donetsk region, armed “DPR” members denied the SMM access, citing orders from their superior.*

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles, anti-aircraft guns[2] and other indications of military-type presence in the security zone. In government-controlled areas, the SMM on 9 January saw three stationary reconnaissance vehicles (BRDM-2) near Novoluhanske (53km north-east of Donetsk) and 15 stationary infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) (seven BRM-1K, six BMP-1, one BMP-variant and one type undetermined), a stationary reconnaissance vehicle (BRDM-2), and an IFV (BRM-1K) being towed by a truck travelling west, all near Popasna (69km west of Luhansk). On 10 January, the SMM saw an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23-2, 23mm) mounted on a military truck travelling west near Avdiivka, a stationary armoured personnel carrier (APC) (MT-LB) near Roty and 12 IFVs (seven BMP-1 and five BRM-1K) and an anti-aircraft system (ZSU-23-4 Shilka, 23mm), all stationary near Popasna.

In non-government-controlled areas, the SMM saw an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23-2) mounted on a stationary military truck in Donetsk city,  three IFVs (BMP-variant) and an APC (BTR-80) parked in the yards of four apparently uninhabited houses in Novolaspa (50km south of Donetsk) and a stationary IFV (BMP-1) near Smile (31km northwest of Luhansk).

The SMM also saw a newly dug 15m-long zig-zag-shaped trench at the western edge of Starolaspa (51km south of Donetsk), about 25m north of the road between Starolaspa and Novolaspa. Near Pryvitne (11km north of Luhansk), the SMM saw newly fortified positions and smoke emanating from a dugout, all of which had been previously observed as abandoned by the Mission. Near Kalynove-Borshchuvate (61km west of Luhansk), the SMM again saw at least five unarmed “LPR” members digging trenches and fortifying positions. (See SMM Daily Report 10 January 2018.)

The SMM noted new opening hours of the entry-exit checkpoint near the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge. At the checkpoint north of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge, a Ukrainian Armed Forces officer of the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) told the SMM that the opening hours of the checkpoint would from 07:00 to 17:00, starting 10 January. A State Border Guard Service officer confirmed the information with the SMM and also showed it an official document on the information board at a State Border Guard Service booth noting the new opening hours.

The SMM visited four border areas not under government control. At a border crossing point near Novoazovsk (40km east of Mariupol), during about 30 minutes, the SMM saw 13 cars (nine with Ukrainian and four with Russian Federation licence plates) and a covered cargo truck (with Ukrainian licence plates) exiting Ukraine and five cars (three with Ukrainian and two with Russian Federation licence plates) and a covered cargo truck (with Ukrainian licence plates) entering Ukraine.

At a border crossing point near Voznesenivka (formerly Chervonopartyzansk, 65km south-east of Luhansk), during about one hour, the SMM saw 41 cars (34 with Ukrainian and seven with Russian Federation licence plates), two buses (one with Ukrainian and one with Russian Federation licence plates) carrying about 30 passengers each, 28 pedestrians (19 women and nine men, aged 25-70) exiting Ukraine and seven cars (six with Ukrainian and one with Russian Federation licence plates) and 16 pedestrians (nine men and seven women, aged 30-65) entering Ukraine.

At a border crossing point near Izvaryne (52km south-east of Luhansk), during about one hour, the SMM saw 59 cars (47 with Ukrainian and nine with Russian Federation licence plates, and three with “LPR” plates), a bus (with Ukrainian licence plates), a covered cargo truck (with Ukrainian licence plates) and 108 pedestrians (69 men and 39 women, aged 20-70) exiting Ukraine, and six cars (two with Ukrainian and four with Russian Federation licence plates), two buses (with Ukrainian licence plates) and 83 pedestrians (40 men and 43 women, aged 20-70) entering Ukraine.

At a border crossing point near Sievernyi (50km south-east of Luhansk), during about 20 minutes, the SMM saw five pedestrians (three women and two men, aged 35-50) exiting Ukraine and no pedestrians entering Ukraine.

The SMM monitored gatherings in Kyiv. The SMM saw two groups gathered in front of the Cabinet of Ministers building: one with about 150 individuals (all men, aged 30-50), claiming to be ATO veterans and active servicemen, and the other with about 100 people (all men, aged 50-65), claiming to be ATO veterans. The Mission heard the former demanding what they said was the distribution of plots of lands promised to them, and the latter demanding what they said were recalculation and payments of their pensions. The SMM saw five or six police officers and a police car nearby. Both gatherings ended peacefully.

The SMM followed up on media reports of stickers placed on the main doors of churches in Odessa city. The stickers reportedly displayed a red triangle with an exclamation mark at the centre, with “Moscow Patriarchate” and “Moscow 1328” written in Ukrainian under it. At 55A Katerynynska Street in Odessa city, a 30 year-old priest of the Holy Trinity Cathedral told the SMM that such stickers had been placed on the main door of the church and on the external public announcement billboard on 9 January and had been removed the same day. Another priest in charge of Odessa region also told the SMM via telephone that such stickers had been hung on churches in Odessa and provided the Mission with a website link to a surveillance video footage of at least six men (aged 20-30) affixing stickers. He added that the numbers in “Moscow 1328” represented the distance from Odessa city to Moscow in kilometres.

In Lviv region, the SMM monitored a protest at the international border crossing point near Shehyni (76km west of Lviv). The Mission saw about 50 people (all men, aged 30-40) partially blocking the traffic at a pedestrian crossing in front of the border crossing point. Due to the protest, only about ten cars crossed every 30 minutes; however, any cars with children were allowed to pass. One of the protesters told the SMM that they were expressing opposition to what he said was a new tax law and that the traffic at the international border crossing points near Rava-Ruska (52km north-west of Lviv) and near Starovoitove (152km north of Lviv) was also being blocked by other protesters. The Mission saw about ten police officers and three police cars nearby. The protest ended peacefully.

The SMM continued monitoring in Kherson, 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 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:

• Three armed “DPR” members denied the SMM access to a permanent storage site, citing orders from their superior (see above).

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.[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.4

Conditional access:

• A “DPR” member in military-style attire allowed the SMM to access Novolaspa (50km south of Donetsk) only after placing other “DPR” members at different parts of the village. He subsequently denied the SMM access to certain areas, claiming that there were UXO and mines in these areas.

Other impediments:

• Morgue staff in Horlivka refused to provide the SMM with information concerning a deceased person, citing the need for prior permission from senior “DPR” members (see above).

[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.