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

This report is for the media and the general public.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations near all three. Its access remained restricted in the disengagement areas and elsewhere, including in Donske.* The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Vidrodzhennia and Bakhmut. The Mission continued to facilitate and monitor repair works to water wells near Krasnyi Lyman. The SMM visited two border areas not under government control. In Chernivtsi, the SMM observed an event commemorating the battle of Kruty.  

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations[1], including about 50 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 260 explosions).

On the evening and night of 29-30 January, the SMM camera at the Donetsk Filtration Station (15km north of Donetsk) recorded a projectile in flight from south to north and three projectiles from east to west, all 0.5-1.5km south. During the early evening on 30 January, the camera recorded nine projectiles in flight from west to east 0.5-1.5km south.

During the day on 30 January, while in non-government-controlled Debaltseve (58km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard 13 undetermined explosions 5-8km north-west.

During the day on 30 January, positioned at the railway station in “DPR”-controlled Yasynuvata (16km north-east of Donetsk) for about four hours, the SMM heard 29 undetermined explosions and about 130 shots and bursts of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all 2-5km at directions ranging from south-west to north-west. On the same day, positioned on the south-western edge of Yasynuvata, the SMM heard two undetermined explosions and about 50 shots of small-arms fire, all 1-5km west.

In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations compared with the previous reporting period.

On the evening of 29 January, while in “LPR”-controlled Luhansk city centre, the SMM heard 34 shots of either heavy-machine gun or infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (BMP-2) cannon (30mm) fire 8-10km north.

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 26 January, the SMM camera in “DPR”-controlled Petrivske recorded two undetermined explosions and a projectile in flight from south-west to north-east, all 1-1.5km west-north-west (assessed as outside the disengagement area).

On the evening of 29 January, the SMM camera in Stanytsia Luhanska recorded five undetermined explosions 5-7km south (assessed as outside the disengagement area).

During the day on 30 January, the SMM camera in government-controlled Zolote recorded an undetermined explosion 3-5km south-south-west (unable to assess whether inside or outside the disengagement area).

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 government-controlled areas, the SMM saw a stationary surface-to-air missile system (9K33 Osa) near Vidrodzhennia (66km north-east of Donetsk) and 18 self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) on a stationary northbound train near Bakhmut (formerly Artemivsk, 67km north of Donetsk).

Beyond withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites, in government-controlled areas, the SMM saw at least ten stationary tanks (T-64) near Spirne (96km north of Donetsk), a tank (T-72) being transported on a flatbed truck travelling north-east near Bilohorivka (87km north of Donetsk) and a tank (T-72) being towed on a flatbed trailer travelling north near Verkhnokamianka (84km north-west of Luhansk).

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles and anti-aircraft guns[2] in the security zone. In government-controlled areas, the SMM saw a reconnaissance vehicle (BRDM-2T) near Novoivanivka (67km west of Luhansk), as well as an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23, 23mm), three IFVs (BMP-2), two IFVs (type unknown) and a military-type armoured vehicle near Zolote.

In areas outside government control, the SMM saw an IFV (BTR-80) near Makiivka (12km north-east of Donetsk), 12 armoured personnel carriers (APC) (MT-LB), including one command vehicle and three with anti-aircraft guns (ZU-23, 23mm) mounted on them, 11 IFVs (BMP-2) and four military-type armoured vehicles near Brianka (46km south-west of Luhansk), as well as an IFV (BMP-2) near Smile (31km north-west of Luhansk).

The SMM continued to observe mine hazard signs. At a junction between “DPR”-controlled Prymorske (39km north-east of Mariupol) and “DPR”-controlled Naberezhne (33km north-east of Mariupol) on road T0519 the SMM saw, for the first time, a mine hazard sign on the side of the road with the logo of an international organization and a skull-and-crossbones. The sign read “Stop! Mines!” and “Do not leave the road! The territory along the road is mined! In case of danger call 101!” in Russian language.

On the north-western edge of government-controlled Mykolaivka Druha (55km north of Donetsk), the SMM saw a black mine hazard sign reading “Danger Mine!” in Ukrainian language on the side of road T0513, previously seen on 20 November 2017 (see SMM Daily Report 21 November 2017).

The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repair works to water wells in “LPR”‑controlled Krasnyi Lyman (30km north-west of Luhansk).                                                                                                             

The SMM visited two border areas not under government control. At a border crossing point near Izvaryne (52km south-east of Luhansk) for 45 minutes, the SMM saw three cars (two with Ukrainian and one with Russian Federation licence plates) and nine pedestrians (seven women and two men) entering Ukraine and seven cars (three with Ukrainian and four with Russian Federation licence plates) and 20 pedestrians (mostly women) exiting Ukraine.

At a border crossing point near Sievernyi (50km south-east of Luhansk) for 35 minutes, the SMM saw three pedestrians (all women) entering Ukraine and two pedestrians (both men) exiting Ukraine.

The SMM continued to monitor gatherings to commemorate the battle of Kruty of 1918 (see SMM Daily Report 30 January 2018). On 29 January, in Chernivtsi the SMM saw about 100 people (men and women, aged 15-25) and 40 police officers. The participants marched from Chernivtsi Stadium to the city’s central square holding torches and Ukrainian national flags, as well as flags with insignias of National Corps and Right Sector movements. At the square, the SMM saw a smoke grenade thrown into the crowd. No further incidents were observed during the SMM’s presence.

The SMM continued monitoring in Kherson, Odessa, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kharkiv, Dnipro 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-operation (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:

• A Ukrainian Armed Forces officer told the SMM to leave a compound in government-controlled Donske (57km south of Donetsk) as the visit had not been prearranged with his superiors. 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. [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. [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.[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 February 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.