Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 15 February 2018

This report is for the media and the general public.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM observed fresh damage to civilian properties, including schools, in residential areas of Dokuchaievsk caused by gunfire. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations inside the Petrivske disengagement area and near the Zolote disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere, including to a compound in a heavy weapons holding area in a non-government-controlled area of Donetsk region and at three border areas outside of government control in Luhansk region.* The Mission observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repairs and maintenance work near Artema, Maiorsk, Nelipivka and in Slovianoserbsk. The SMM monitored the situation of civilians living in Novooleksandrivka. The Mission visited three border areas outside of government control. In Shchastia, the SMM monitored the transport of mortal remains from non-government-controlled areas to government-controlled areas. The SMM saw police detaining protesters outside a courthouse in Kyiv and that a monument in Lviv had been vandalised.

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations[1], including about 260 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 320 explosions).

On the evening and night of 14-15 February, the SMM camera at the Donetsk Filtration Station (15km north of Donetsk) recorded, in sequence, 11 undetermined explosions and a projectile in flight from west to east, followed by totals of about 70 undetermined explosions and 244 projectiles (142 from east to west, 101 from west to east and one from north-west to south-east), all 0.5‑1.5km south.

On the evening and night of 14-15 February, while in Svitlodarsk (government-controlled, 57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard 30 explosions (two assessed as outgoing mortar (82mm) rounds, two as outgoing infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (BMP-1) cannon (73mm) rounds and the remainder undetermined) and about 310 shots and bursts of heavy-machine-gun, automatic-grenade-launcher and anti-aircraft cannon (ZU-23, 23mm) fire, all 5-8km at directions ranging from east to south-south-east. During the day on 15 February, the SMM heard 44 explosions (two assessed as outgoing tank rounds and the remainder undetermined), two bursts of anti-aircraft cannon (ZU-23) fire and six minutes of uncountable and overlapping explosions, all 2-8km east-south-east and south-east. It also heard and saw an explosion assessed as the impact of an artillery (122mm) round 2-3km east-south-east.

On the evening of 14 February, the SMM camera 1km south-west of Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) recorded three undetermined explosions and a projectile in flight from west to east 5-8km north.

During the day on 15 February, while in Horlivka (non-government-controlled, 39km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard about 100 undetermined explosions 2-7km south-east and north-west, as well as 15 bursts of small-arms fire 2-3km south-west. 

Positioned on the south-western edge of Avdiivka (government-controlled, 17km north of Donetsk) for about five hours, the SMM heard two undetermined explosions 8-10km south-west and two undetermined explosions 3-5km south-south-east.

Positioned at the railway station in Yasynuvata (non-government-controlled, 16km north-east of Donetsk) for about four and a half hours, the SMM heard three undetermined explosions and about 50 shots of small-arms fire 3-6km at directions ranging from west to north-north-west.

Positioned on the south-western edge of Vozdvyzhenka (formerly Krasnyi Pakhar, government-controlled, 66km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard six undetermined explosions 6-8km south-east.

Positioned 1km north-north-west of Novohryhorivka (government-controlled, 55km south of Donetsk), the SMM heard an outgoing explosion 2km east-north-east and its subsequent impact 5-6km east-north-east.

In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including fewer explosions (five), compared with the previous reporting period (about 500).

Positioned about 3km south-east of Muratove (government-controlled, 51km north-west of Luhansk), the SMM heard two undetermined explosions 3-4km south and south-east.   

The SMM followed up on reports of damage to civilian properties in residential areas caused by gunfire. On 15 February, the SMM observed three fresh impact sites in Dokuchaievsk (non-government-controlled, 30km south-west of Donetsk).

At 65 Lenina Street, the SMM saw two shattered west-south-west-facing windows, with a hole in each of them, on the ground floor and two shattered west-south-west-facing windows, also with a hole in each of them, on the first floor of a school. Inside the building, the SMM saw a hole in the walls opposite each of the abovementioned four shattered windows. The SMM assessed the damage as caused by rounds of undetermined weapons fired from a westerly direction. School staff told the SMM that shelling had occurred at about 12:30 on 14 February and had immediately accompanied all pupils present in the school at that time (about 300) to the shelter in the building.   

At 40 Lenina Street, the SMM saw four west-south-west-facing shattered windows covered with plastic on the first floor of another school. On the outer west-south-west-facing wall of the building, the SMM saw a fresh hole about 1.5m above the ground. The SMM assessed the damage as caused by an IFV (BMP-2, 30mm) cannon round fired from a westerly direction. A school staff member told the SMM that she initially had heard explosions between 10:00 and 12:00 on 14 February at the time when classes were ongoing.

At 22 Melnikova Street, inside an apartment on the second floor of a four-storey apartment building, the SMM saw a recently repaired west-south-west-facing window and a fresh hole in the wall opposite the window, as well as burn marks on the internal walls, ceiling and floor. The SMM assessed the damage as caused by a round from an undetermined weapon fired from a westerly direction. The occupant of the apartment, a woman aged 60-70, told the SMM that shelling in the area had occurred at about 12:00 on 14 February; she added that she had not been in her apartment at that time. West of Dokuchaievsk, the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the armed formations are just a few hundred metres apart.

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 15 February, positioned in Bohdanivka (government-controlled, 41km south-west of Donetsk), the SMM heard six shots 2-3km east (assessed as inside the Petrivske disengagement area) and an undetermined explosion at an undetermined distance east (unable to assess whether inside or outside the disengagement area).

Positioned on the northern outskirts of Pervomaisk (non-government-controlled, 58km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard an undetermined explosion 3km east (assessed as outside the Zolote disengagement area).

Positioned 1.5km east of Popasna (government-controlled, 69km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard two undetermined explosions 10-15km north-east (assessed as outside the Zolote disengagement area).

Positioned near the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area, the SMM noted 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.

In violation of withdrawal lines, in government-controlled areas, the SMM saw a stationary tank (type undetermined) on the south-western edge of Vozdvyzhenka. An SMM mini unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) on 14 February spotted a mortar (2B11 Sani, 120mm) about 1km north of the Zolote disengagement area.

In non-government-controlled areas, the SMM saw four stationary multiple launch rocket systems (BM-21 Grad, 122mm) near Novoamvrosiivske (56km east of Donetsk). An SMM mid-range UAV on 14 February spotted two stationary tanks (T-64) in a residential area of Verkhnoshyrokivske (85km south of Donetsk) and three stationary towed howitzers (D-20, 152mm) 2km north of Verkhnoshyrokivske.

Beyond withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites, in a government-controlled area, the SMM saw two stationary self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) in Kalynove (65km south-west of Donetsk).

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, the SMM observed eight towed howitzers (two D-30 Lyagushka, 122mm; six 2A65 Msta-B, 152mm) and five towed howitzers (2A36 Giatsint, 152mm). It also noted that two towed howitzers (2A36) were absent for the first time and that a towed howitzer (2A65) and two self-propelled howitzers (2S1) continued to be missing. At a heavy weapons holding area, an armed “DPR” member denied the SMM access to part of a compound.*

The SMM revisited a permanent storage site whose location was beyond the respective withdrawal lines in a non-government-controlled area of Donetsk region and noted that it was abandoned, with the following weapons missing: ten tanks (five T-64 and five T-72), nine mortars (2B14 Podnos, 82mm) and 15 anti-tank guns (MT-12 Rapira, 100mm).

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles, anti-aircraft guns[2] and other indications of military presence in the security zone. In government-controlled areas, the SMM saw two anti-aircraft guns (ZU-23) on the western outskirts of Avdiivka, two IFVs (one BMP-2 and one BMP-variant) near Bohdanivka and five IFVs (two BMP-1 and three BMP-variant), two armoured reconnaissance vehicles (BRDM-2) and an anti-aircraft gun (ZSU-23-4 Shilka, 23mm) in Popasna. An SMM mini-UAV on 14 February spotted three IFVs (one BMP-1 and two BMP-variant) near Zolote. In non-government-controlled areas, the SMM saw an armoured personnel carrier (BTR-80) in Pikuzy (formerly Kominternove, 23km north-east of Mariupol).

On 14 February, the SMM saw newly-dug trenches extending on both sides of a road between government-controlled Rybynske (49km south of Donetsk) and Trudivske (47km south of Donetsk). 

The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repairs and maintenance works at a pumping station near Artema (government-controlled, 26km north of Luhansk), to a water pumping station near Maiorsk (government-controlled, 45km north-east of Donetsk), a dam near Nelipivka (government-controlled, 40km north-east of Donetsk) and water wells in Slovianoserbsk (non-government-controlled, 28km north-west of Luhansk).

The SMM continued to monitor the situation of civilians living near the contact line. Three residents of Novooleksandrivka (65km west of Luhansk) separately told the SMM that 16 people still lived in the village and that they could not travel to Pervomaisk; according to them, since 7 February, they would instead travel to Popasna to buy food and medicine. They added that residents collected water from local wells. The SMM saw that there was no electricity inside a house whose occupant told the SMM that the village had been without electricity for almost four years. According to one of the SMM’s interlocutors, residents were dependent on humanitarian aid. The SMM also saw three Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers on Haharina Street in Novooleksandrivka.  

The SMM visited three border areas not under government control. While at a border crossing point near Izvaryne (52km south-east of Luhansk) for about 30 minutes, the SMM saw 39 cars (27 with Ukrainian, nine with Russian Federation, one with Georgian licence plates, and two with “LPR” plates), a bus with around 20 passengers on board, a truck with Russian Federation licence plates, and 52 pedestrians (25 men and 27 women) in queues to exit Ukraine. The SMM also saw three cars with Ukrainian licence plates, a covered-cargo truck with Ukrainian licence plates and 39 pedestrians (25 men and 14 women) entering Ukraine. Two unarmed “LPR” members, citing “orders” from their superiors, told the SMM to leave the area.*

While at a border crossing point near Dovzhanske (84km south-east of Luhansk) for about 30 minutes, the SMM saw 13 covered-cargo trucks with Ukrainian licence plates in a queue to exit Ukraine. The SMM saw ten cars (seven with Ukrainian and three with Russian Federation licence plates) and a bus with Ukrainian licence plates with approximately 25 passengers on board exiting Ukraine. The SMM also saw two cars with Ukrainian licence plates and two covered-cargo trucks with Ukrainian licence plates entering Ukraine. Two armed “LPR” members, citing “orders” from their superior, told the SMM to leave the area.*

While at a border crossing point near Sievernyi (50km south-east of Luhansk), the SMM saw 15 pedestrians (ten women and five men) entering Ukraine and no traffic in the opposite direction. An unarmed “LPR” member, citing “orders” from his superiors, told the SMM to leave the area.*

The SMM monitored the transfer of mortal remains from non-government-controlled areas to government-controlled areas of Luhansk region across the bridge in Shchastia (government-controlled, 20km north of Luhansk). (See SMM Daily Report of 8 February 2018.)

The SMM saw police detaining protesters outside a courthouse in Kyiv. At the Solomianskyi District Court in Kyiv at 10B Vozdvizhenka Descent, after the conclusion of a pre-trial detention hearing for the mayor of Odessa, the SMM saw that the courthouse was cordoned off by approximately 200 National Guard officers and police officers wearing riot gear standing at all of the courthouse entrances in the courtyard and on Kyianivskyi Street. Approximately 20-50m away from the courthouse, the SMM saw about 60 men (aged 20-50), some of whom were wearing balaclavas as well as insignias and patches of Donbas Battalion, Movement of Right Forces and Natsionalni Druzhyny. The SMM also saw an injured police officer being treated in an ambulance and another man with bandages on his head being treated by medical staff. Medical staff told the SMM that the man had been injured in an earlier clash. The SMM then saw 70 riot police officers using pepper-spray and batons and detaining about 20 men who were wearing insignias of Donbas Battalion. After about one hour, the SMM observed that the situation had calmed down and, during its further presence, it did not observe any incidents.     

The SMM saw that a monument in Lviv had been vandalised. In a park near Stryiska Street, the SMM saw that the phrase “monument to the occupier”, in the Ukrainian language, had been freshly spray-painted on a monument called “War Glory of the Soviet Army”; it also saw that the inscription “Winners over Nazism” in Ukrainian language, which had been part of the monument, had been destroyed. At the location, no one was present.

The SMM continued monitoring in Kherson, Odessa, 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, citing orders to do so (see below). 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 heavy weapons holding area in Donetsk region, an armed “DPR” member denied the SMM access to part of a compound.
• At a border crossing point near Izvaryne, two armed “LPR” members, citing “orders” from their superiors, told the SMM to leave the area.
• At a border crossing point near Dovzhanske, two unarmed “LPR” members, citing “orders” from their superiors, told the SMM to leave the area.
• At a border crossing point near Sievernyi, two “LPR” members (one armed and one unarmed), citing “orders” from their superiors, told the SMM to leave the area.

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.4
• 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 Shchastia 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

Delay:

• At Oktiabr mine (non-government-controlled, 9km north-west of Donetsk city centre), an armed “DPR” member did not allow the SMM to proceed to the site of the SMM camera. The SMM waited for an hour until the arrival of another “DPR” member to access the camera site.

Conditional access:

• At a “DPR” checkpoint on road H15 south of Kreminets, an armed “DPR” member allowed the SMM to proceed only after checking the inside of an SMM trailer.

[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 February 2018. The SMM camera at the entry-exit checkpoint in Marinka, the SMM camera at the entry-exit checkpoint in Maiorsk and the SMM camera at the entry-exit checkpoint in Pyshchevyk were not operational during the reporting period. 

* Please see the section at the end of this report entitled “Restrictions of SMM’s freedom of movement or other impediments to fulfilment of its mandate”.

[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.