Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 4 March 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 between the evenings of 2 and 3 March compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region between the evenings of 3 and 4 March compared with the previous 24 hours. The SMM observed damage to a civilian property in a residential area in Pikuzy. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations assessed as inside the Stanytsia Luhanska area. Its access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere, including in Izvaryne near the border with the Russian Federation and in Staromarivka.* The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to the Petrivske pumping station in Artema and to a water pipe system in Novotoshkivske. The Mission visited four border areas not under government control. In Kyiv, the SMM observed the tents on Hrushevskoho Street being dismantled and monitored a gathering.

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations[1], including more explosions (about 90) between the evenings of 2 and 3 March, compared with the previous reporting period (about 50 explosions). Between the evenings of 3 and 4 March, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including about 70 explosions, compared with the previous 24 hours.

In continuation of the ceasefire violations recorded in the early evening of 2 March (see SMM Daily Report 3 March 2018) on the evening and night of 2-3 March, the SMM camera at the Donetsk Filtration Station (15km north of Donetsk) recorded a projectile in flight from west to east, an undetermined explosion, eight projectiles from west to east, followed by totals of 28 undetermined explosions, 760 projectiles (71 from east to west and 689 from west to east) and four muzzle flashes, all 0.5 to 3km south. On the evening and night of 3-4 March, the same camera recorded 35 undetermined explosions, 693 projectiles in flight (one from south to north, 26 from east to west and 666 from west to east), an illumination flare in vertical flight and a muzzle flash, all 0.5 to 3km south. On the evening of 4 March, the same camera recorded an undetermined explosion and ten projectiles in flight from west to east, all 0.5-3km south.

On the evening and night of 3-4 March, the SMM camera 1km south-west of Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) recorded, in sequence, 16 projectiles in flight from west to east, an undetermined explosion, a projectile in flight from east to west, followed by three undetermined explosions and a projectile from west to east, all 1-4km north.

On the evening of 2 March, while in Horlivka (non-government-controlled, 39km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard 40 undetermined explosions and 27 bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire, all 3-8km north, south-south-west and west. On the evening of 3 March, while in the same location, the SMM saw three illumination flares and heard 16 explosions (six assessed as impacts of automatic grenade-launcher rounds, and ten undetermined) and 27 bursts and shots of heavy-machine-gun and automatic grenade-launcher fire, all 4-7km west-south-west and south-west.

On the evening of 2 March, while in Svitlodarsk (government-controlled, 57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard 12 undetermined explosions 4-5km south. During the day on 4 March, while in the same location, the SMM heard two undetermined explosions 4-5km south-east.

On 3 March, positioned at the railway station in Yasynuvata (non-government-controlled, 16km north-east of Donetsk) for about four hours, the SMM heard two undetermined explosions, as well as 58 shots and uncountable overlapping bursts of small-arms fire, all 2-4km south-west and west.

On 4 March, positioned 3km south-south-east of Donetsk city centre (non-government-controlled) for about 15 minutes, the SMM heard five undetermined explosions 7-10km north-north-west.

In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including fewer explosions (12 explosions) between the evenings of 2 and 3 March, compared with the previous reporting period (34 explosions). Between the evenings of 3 and 4 March, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including 34 explosions, compared with the previous 24 hours.

On 4 March, positioned in Pervomaisk (non-government-controlled, 58km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard 13 undetermined explosions and 211 shots and bursts, all 4-5km west.

On 4 March, positioned 1km north-north-east of Katerynivka (government-controlled, 64km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard seven explosions assessed as impacts of mortar rounds, six shots of infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (BMP-2) cannon (30mm) assessed as outgoing and two bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire, all 3-5km west-south-west.

The SMM observed damage caused to a civilian property in a residential area. On 3 March, in Pikuzy (formerly Kominternove, non-government-controlled, 23km north-east of Mariupol) at 15 Akhmatovoi Street, the SMM saw a hole (1m in diameter) in the west-facing part of the roof of a residential one-storey house and a larger hole (1.5m in diameter) assessed as an exit hole in the east-facing part of the same roof, assessed as caused by a round of an undetermined weapon of a calibre between 23mm and 73mm fired from a westerly direction. A resident of the house (woman, in her fifties) told the SMM that the damage had occurred during the night of 2-3 March while she was across the street.

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 March, while in Stanytsia Luhanska (government-controlled, 16km north-east of Luhansk), the SMM heard 12 undetermined explosions (assessed as outside the disengagement area) 6-7km west-south-west. On the evening of 3 March, while in the same location, the SMM heard five undetermined explosions and four bursts of an undetermined weapon (unable to assess whether inside or outside the disengagement area), all 3-4km south. On the evening of 3 March, the SMM camera at the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area recorded one undetermined explosion, (assessed as probably inside the disengagement area), 1km south-east of the camera. On the same evening, the SMM camera at the Prince Ihor monument south-east of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge recorded two undetermined explosions, respectively at 1.5km north and 1km north-north-west, (both assessed as inside the disengagement area).

During the day on 3 and 4 March, positioned near the Zolote and Petrivske 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.

Beyond withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites in government-controlled areas, on 3 March the SMM saw two stationary tanks (T-72) in Manhush (25km south-west of Mariupol).

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 on 4 March, the SMM observed a surface-to-air missile system (9K35 Strela-10) and eight multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) (BM-21 Grad, 122mm). The SMM noted as missing a surface-to-air missile system (9K35), 15 MLRS (BM-21) and a self-propelled howitzer (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm).

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles[2] in the security zone. In government-controlled areas, on 3 March, the SMM saw an IFV (BMP-variant) in the western outskirts of Popasna (69km west of Luhansk) as well as two armoured reconnaissance vehicles (BRDM-1) and two IFVs (BMP-1) near Orikhove-Donetske (44km north-west of Luhansk). On 4 March, the SMM observed an IFV (BTR-variant) near Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk).

In non-government-controlled areas, on 4 March, the SMM saw an IFV (BMP-1) near Horlivka, an IFV (BMP-variant) and an armoured personnel carrier (APC) (BTR-variant) parked about 15m from a house in a residential area near Pikuzy, and an IFV (BMP-variant) also parked next to a residential house in Sakhanka (24km north-east of Mariupol).

On 3 March, the SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to the Petrivske pumping station in Artema (government-controlled, 26km north of Luhansk) and to a water pipe system conducted by the Popasna Vodakanal water company in Novotoshkivske (government-controlled, 53km west of Luhansk).

The SMM visited four border areas not under government control. On 3 March, while at a border crossing point near Uspenka (73km south-east of Donetsk) for about 50 minutes, the SMM saw 20 cars (four with Ukrainian, 11 with Russian Federation, and one with Georgian licence plates, and four with “DPR” plates) and a bus (with “DPR” plates) entering Ukraine.

On 3 March, while at a border crossing point near Izvaryne (52km south-east of Luhansk) for about five minutes, the SMM saw 26 cars (19 with Ukrainian and seven with Russian Federation licence plates) and 40 pedestrians (20 women and 20 men, 30-70 years old) waiting to exit Ukraine. While present, two armed “LPR” members told the SMM to leave the area.*

On 3 March, while at the border crossing point near Verkhnoharasymivka (57km south-east of Luhansk) for 30 minutes, the SMM observed three pedestrians (one man, around 40 years old; two women, 40-60 years old) exiting Ukraine.

On 4 March, while at the pedestrian border crossing point near Novoborovytsi (79km south of Luhansk) for about 30 minutes, the SMM again saw no one present at the former State Border Guard Service facilities and observed two pedestrians (men, 50-55 years old) entering Ukraine.

On 3 and 4 March in Kyiv, the SMM followed up on reports that tents on Hrushevskoho Street (see SMM Daily Report 18 October 2017) had been dismantled. On 3 March, at 10:15 the SMM saw that at 3 Hrushevskoho Street the road was blocked off to traffic and that some 100 police and National Guard officers, some of them holding shields, had cordoned off the area with tents in front of the Parliament building. Behind the police cordon, the SMM saw National Guard officers dismantling the tents on Hrushevskoho Street and throwing remaining parts from the site into a truck. The SMM saw a cordon of police officers at Marinskyi Park, wearing riot gear and holding shields, and that two tents there had been taken apart and wooden structures and other tents were in the process of being dismantled. The SMM saw the tents set up near the Ministry of Health at 7 Hrushevskoho Street were also being removed. The SMM saw some 40 police and National Guard buses and trucks parked in the area and 10-15 buses parked on streets nearby. The SMM assessed that some 2,000 law-enforcement officers, and some emergency services personnel, were onsite. Outside of the cordoned off area, the SMM saw up to 60 people gathered on the street. Around 15:00 the SMM saw that some 200 workers from the Kyiv City communal services were dismantling tents and using two bulldozers and numerous trucks. The SMM observed a calm situation. On 4 March, the SMM observed no incident outside of the Parliament building and that traffic had resumed on Hrushevskoho Street.

On 3 March, the SMM saw some 25 people (mainly young men) gathered in front of the main entrance of Pechersk police station at 30 Moskovska Street. According to a police statement, they were gathered in support of protesters who had been detained or requested for questioning. The SMM saw around six police officers guarding the entrance and some eight police buses parked nearby. While the SMM was present, it observed no incidents.

The SMM continued monitoring in Kherson, Odessa, Lviv, 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, 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:

• On 3 March, while at a border crossing point near Izvaryne, two armed “LPR” members, citing “orders” from their “superiors”, told the SMM to leave the area.
• On 4 March, 2km east of Staromarivka (non-government-controlled, 62km south of Donetsk), two armed “DPR” members stopped an SMM patrol from entering the village.

Related to disengagement areas and mines/UXO:

• On 3 and 4 March, 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 on both occasions.[3]
• On 3 and 4 March, 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.
• On 3 and 4 March, 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 by phone 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 on both occasions.[3]
• On 3 and 4 March, 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 on both occasions.[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. The SMM camera at the entry-exit checkpoint in Marinka was 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.