Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 20 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 Mission followed up on reports of a casualty from Spartak. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations near the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere, including at three border crossing points in Luhansk region at the border with the Russian Federation.* The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Shymshynivka. The Mission continued to facilitate and monitor repair works at a water pumping station in Artema, to a water pipeline between Berezove and Dokuchaievsk, as well as to powerlines between Orlivske and Pavlopil. The SMM visited six border areas outside government control. The Mission monitored gatherings in Chernivtsi, Kharkiv and Lviv on the occasion of the fourth anniversary of events at Maidan.

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations[1], including about 100 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (174 explosions).

In continuation of the sequence of ceasefire violations recorded in the early evening of 19 February (see SMM Daily Report 20 February 2018), on the evening and night of 19-20 February, the SMM camera at the Donetsk Filtration Station (15km north of Donetsk) recorded an undetermined explosion, a projectile in flight from west to east and two projectiles from east to west, followed by totals of 12 undetermined explosions and 64 projectiles (55 from west to east, seven from east to west and two from south to north), all 0.5-1.5km south. During the day on 20 February, the camera recorded a projectile in flight from west to east followed by two undetermined explosions, all 0.5-1.5km south.

During the day on 20 February, the SMM camera at the entry-exit checkpoint in Maiorsk (government-controlled, 45km north-east of Donetsk) recorded 13 undetermined explosions 2-4km south-east.

Positioned 1km south-east of Kamianka (government-controlled, 20km north of Donetsk) for about four hours, the SMM heard 28 undetermined explosions and bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire, all 2-5km at directions ranging from south-south-east to north-east.

While in Svitlodarsk (government-controlled 57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard 17 undetermined explosions 5-7km south-east.

In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including 48 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (92 explosions).

During the day on 20 February, positioned 3km east of Malomykolaivka (non-government-controlled, 36km south-west of Luhansk) for about ten minutes, the SMM heard two explosions assessed as outgoing tank rounds, four as outgoing artillery rounds and four as impacts of artillery rounds, as well as four bursts of infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (BMP-2) cannon (30mm) fire, all 5-7km north-north-east and assessed as part of a live-fire exercise.  

Positioned on the southern edge of Berezivske (non-government-controlled, 53km north-west of Luhansk), the SMM heard 31 undetermined explosions and 12 bursts of anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23, 23mm) fire, all 15-20km south-west.

The SMM followed up on reports of a casualty. On 15 February, a man (aged 50) told the SMM that he had sustained a bullet wound to his left leg while in Spartak (non-government-controlled, 9km north of Donetsk) on 12 February. He added that he was walking on Radianska Street in Spartak when he felt pain in his left thigh and had seen a bullet on the ground. He told the SMM that he lived in Donetsk city’s Kyivskyi district (non-government-controlled, 5km north of Donetsk city centre) but had been visiting his property in Spartak. The SMM saw a round wound to the man’s left thigh. On 20 February, medical staff at a hospital in Donetsk city told the SMM that the man had been admitted on 14 February with a bullet wound to his left leg.

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 18 February, the SMM camera in Stanytsia Luhanska recorded a muzzle flash assessed as from a rocket propelled grenade launcher 100m south-east (assessed as outside the disengagement area).

The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Zolote and Petrivske and noted 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 an area outside government control on 19 February, an SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted five stationary self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) 1km north-west of Shymshynivka (27km south-west of Luhansk).

Beyond withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites, in government-controlled areas, the SMM saw a stationary surface-to-air missile system (9K33 Osa) in the yard of a house near Pidhorodne (73km north of Donetsk).

Beyond withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites in areas outside government control on 19 February, an SMM mini-UAV spotted a large number of weapons and other hardware 1km north-west of Shymshynivka: 11 tanks (a T-72 and ten T-64), as well as 20 armoured personnel carriers (APC) (MT-LB), including seven mounted with anti-craft guns (ZU-23), seven artillery command vehicles (a BTR-60PB and six 1VXX series) and 21 military-type trucks. (See SMM Daily Report 16 December 2017.)

On 19 February, an SMM mini-UAV spotted a large number of weapons and other hardware near Myrne (28km south-west of Luhansk): 21 tanks (18 T-64 and three T-72), 12 towed howitzers (D-30 Lyagushka, 122mm), eight self-propelled howitzers (2S1), 15 mortars (2B9 Vasilek, 82mm) and six anti-tank guns (MT-12 Rapira, 100mm), as well as 57 IFVs (53 BMP-1 and four BMP-2), 15 APCs (MT-LB), two armoured reconnaissance vehicles (one BRDM-2 and one BRM-1K), two armoured recovery vehicles (VT-55), two anti-aircraft guns (ZU-23) mounted on trucks, a trench digger (MDK-3), a mine clearing vehicle (UR-77) and two mine laying vehicles (GMZ-3). (See SMM Daily Report 3 February 2018.) On 20 February, the SMM saw five tanks (T-64) near Myrne.

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 saw seven armoured reconnaissance vehicles (six BRM-1K and a BRDM-2) and five IFVs (three BMP-1 and two BMP-variant) near Popasna (69km west of Luhansk), an IFV (BMP-2) on the northern edge of the Zolote disengagement area, an IFV (BMD-2) near Trokhizbenka (32km north-west of Luhansk), two APCs (BTR-80) and an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23) mounted on a truck near Kyrylivka (26km north-east of Mariupol) and an APC (BTR-60) near Verkhnotoretske (23km north-east of Donetsk).

In non-government-controlled areas, the SMM saw an APC (BTR-variant), an IFV (BMP-variant) adjacent to a house and a probable IFV (BMP-variant) in Petrivske, about 600m outside the eastern edge of the disengagement area. (See SMM Daily Report 20 February 2018.) The SMM also saw six people in military-type clothing digging trenches 10m south of the road between Sarabash (formerly Komunarivka, 26km south of Donetsk) and Pishchane (26km south of Donetsk), as well as an excavator and about 15 people in military-type clothes digging trenches on the west side of road H20 near Olenivka (23km south-west of Donetsk).

On 19 February, about 1km south-west of Kashtanove (non-government-controlled, 13km north of Donetsk), an SMM mini-UAV spotted four men wearing military-type clothes, two of whom were raising their weapons (probable long barrelled rifles) in the direction of the UAV, in an open copse just south of Ordzhonikidze Street. The UAV also spotted three recent craters in a field about 300m south of Ordzhonikidze Street, assessed as caused by artillery (152mm) rounds.

The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repairs and maintenance works to the Petrivske pumping station near Artema (government-controlled, 26km north of Luhansk), a water pipeline between Berezove (government-controlled, 31km south-west of Donetsk) and Dokuchaievsk (non-government-controlled, 30km south-west of Donetsk) and powerlines between Orlivske (government-controlled, 26km north-east of Mariupol) and Pavlopil (government-controlled, 26km north-east of Mariupol).

The SMM visited six border areas not under government control.* While parked 80m from the first gate at a border crossing point near Izvaryne (52km south-east of Luhansk) for about 20 minutes, the SMM saw 29 cars (19 with Ukrainian and six with Russian Federation licence plates, and four with “LPR” plates), 16 covered cargo trucks (six with Ukrainian, four with Russian Federation and four with Belarusian licence plates, and two with “LPR” plates) and about 70 pedestrians (40 women and 30 men, aged 30-70) queuing to exit Ukraine. After 15 minutes, an unarmed “LPR” member, citing orders from his “superiors”, told the SMM to leave the area.*

While at a border crossing point near Dovzhanske (84km south-east of Luhansk) for about 45 minutes, the SMM saw seven cars (five with Russian Federation and two with Ukrainian licence plates) and a bus (with Ukrainian licence plates) exiting Ukraine and eight cars (five with Ukrainian licence plates, and three “LPR” plates) and a covered cargo truck (with Ukrainian licence plates) entering Ukraine. After about 25 minutes, an unarmed “LPR” member told the SMM to leave the area.*

While at a border crossing point near Sievernyi (50km south-east of Luhansk) for 15 minutes, the SMM saw two pedestrians (one man and one woman, aged 60) exiting Ukraine and three pedestrians (two women and one man, aged 40-50) entering Ukraine. After about 15 minutes, an unarmed “LPR” member told the SMM to leave the area.*

While at a border crossing point near Novoborovytsi (79km south of Luhansk) for 45 minutes, the SMM again observed no one present at the former State Border Guard Service facilities. The Mission saw a pedestrian (a woman, aged 50-60) exiting Ukraine.

While at a border crossing point near Uspenka (73km south-east of Donetsk) for about half an hour, the SMM saw 31 cars (15 with Ukrainian and 13 with Russian Federation licence plates, and three with “DPR” plates), a bus (with Ukrainian licence plates) and a covered cargo truck (with Belarusian licence plates) exiting Ukraine and seven cars (three with Ukrainian and two with Russian Federation licence plates, and two with “DPR” plates) and three pedestrians (one woman and two men, aged 20-50) entering Ukraine.

While at a border crossing point near Ulianivske (61km south-east of Donetsk) for about one hour, the SMM saw a pedestrian entering Ukraine.

The SMM monitored gatherings in Kharkiv, Lviv and Chernivtsi on the occasion of the fourth anniversary of events at Maidan. In Kharkiv, the SMM saw about 500 people (men and women, mixed ages) marching on Sumska Street towards Svobody Square while carrying a 50m long Ukrainian flag. The SMM also saw red-and-black flags and flags of the All-Ukrainian Union of ATO veterans. There were about 65 police officers present. In Lviv, the SMM saw about 100 people (70 men and 30 women, aged 40-60) at Lychakiv cemetery and noted the presence of ten police officers. In Chernivtsi, the SMM saw about 100 people (60 men and 40 women, aged 45-60) at Central Square, some of whom were carrying Svoboda flags, as well as 14 police officers. At the gatherings, participants laid flowers and lit candles. The gatherings ended without incidents.

The SMM continued monitoring in Kherson, Odessa, Ivano-Frankivsk, 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-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 border crossing point in Izvaryne, an unarmed “LPR” member, citing orders from his “superiors”, told the SMM that it had to leave the area.
• At a border crossing point near Sievernyi, an unarmed “LPR” member told the SMM that it had to leave the area.
• At a border crossing point near Dovzhanske, an unarmed “LPR” member told the SMM that it had 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 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.[3]
• The SMM did not travel across the bridge in Shchastia (government-controlled, 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]

Delay:

• At a checkpoint west of Verkhnoshyrokivske (formerly Oktiabr, non-government-controlled, 29km north-east of Mariupol), three armed “DPR” members, citing orders from their “superiors”, denied the SMM access. The SMM left the area. An hour and a half later, the SMM returned to the checkpoint and was allowed to proceed.

Other impediments:

Teaching staff at a school in a non-government-controlled area of Luhansk region, citing orders from “LPR” members, told the SMM that it could not enter the building.

 

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

[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.