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Home Newsroom News and press releases Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 22 March 2018
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Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 22 March 2018

KYIV 23 March 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. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas and elsewhere, including again at a checkpoint near Kreminets and at a heavy weapons holding area.* The Mission observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line, including in residential areas. The SMM continued to facilitate access for workers to and from the Donetsk Filtration Station. The Mission monitored a gathering in Kyiv related to the lifting of immunity of a Member of Parliament and in Lviv it monitored a gathering outside the City Council building.

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations[1], including, however, more explosions (about 105), compared with the previous reporting period (about 40 explosions).

On the evening and night of 21-22 March, while in Svitlodarsk (government-controlled, 57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard 43 undetermined explosions and 40 bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire 10-12km west-south-west, as well as five undetermined explosions and about 280 bursts and shots of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire 3-5km south-east, south-south-east and south. The following day, while in Svitlodarsk, the SMM heard 13 undetermined explosions and about 30 bursts and shots of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all 3-14km south-east and south.

On the night of 21-22 March, the SMM camera at the Donetsk Filtration Station (15km north of Donetsk) recorded two projectiles in flight from west to east and an undetermined explosion, all 0.5-1.5km south.

During the day on 22 March, positioned at the railway station in Yasynuvata (non-government-controlled, 16km north-east of Donetsk) for about five hours, the SMM heard 25 undetermined explosions and 19 bursts and shots of heavy-machine-gun fire, all 1-3km at directions ranging from south-west to north-north-west. Positioned in Holmivskyi (non-government-controlled, 49km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard eight explosions assessed as mortar (120mm) rounds 5-6km north-west.

In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations (no explosions) compared with the previous reporting period (no explosions). Positioned on the north-eastern edge of Kalynove-Borshchuvate (non-government-controlled, 61km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard 18 shots of infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (BMP-2) cannon (30mm) fire 5km west-south-west.

The SMM continued to monitor the disengagement process and to pursue full access to the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska (government-controlled, 16km north-east of Luhansk), Zolote (government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk) and Petrivske (non-government-controlled, 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.*

Positioned in Petrivske, the SMM heard an undetermined explosion 6-8km west, assessed as outside the disengagement area. The SMM saw two anti-tank guided missiles east of the disengagement area (see below).

Positioned near the Stanytsia Luhanska and Zolote 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 government-controlled areas, the SMM saw two self-propelled howitzers (2S3 Akatsiya, 152mm) parked in the gardens of houses in a residential area of Vidrodzhennia (66km north-east of Donetsk), three stationary multiple launch rocket systems (BM-21 Grad, 122mm) in a compound near Topolyne (19km north-west of Mariupol) and six stationary anti-tank guns (MT-12 Rapira, 100mm) near Novopavlivka (56km south-west of Donetsk).

In violation of withdrawal lines in non-government-controlled areas, the SMM saw two anti-tank guided missiles (9K111 Fagot, 120mm) in Petrivske and a 120mm mortar near a position of the armed formations south-east of Dovhe (22km north-west of Luhansk).

Beyond withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites in government-controlled areas, the SMM saw a mortar loaded on a truck near Oleksiievo-Druzhkivka (66km north of Donetsk), two surface-to-air-missile systems (9K35, Strela-10) near Shevchenko (19km north-west of Mariupol), a surface-to-air missile system (9K33 Osa) near Oleksiivka (52km north of Luhansk) and nine tanks (T-64) in Rubizhne (84km north-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 government-controlled areas, the SMM observed three self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) and a mortar (2B9 Vasilek, 82mm) present and noted that three self-propelled howitzers (2S1) and four mortars (2B9) were again missing. The SMM noted for the first time that another such site was abandoned, with three mortars (2S12 Sani, 120mm) missing.

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles and an anti-aircraft gun[2] in the security zone. In non-government-controlled areas, the SMM saw an armoured personnel carrier (APC) (BTR variant) in Donetsk city on 21 March and an APC (type undetermined) near Vesela Hora (16km north of Luhansk) on 22 March.

In government-controlled areas, the SMM saw an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23-2, 23mm) and six IFVs (four BMP-2 and two undetermined) near Zolote, including one near the northern edge of the disengagement area (outside).

On 21 March, outside the security zone, an SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle spotted 15 IFVs (12 BMP-1 and three BMP-2) – some of which were being unloaded and then moved towards another area – and an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23, 23mm) at a railyard in Rubizhne. On 22 March, the SMM saw 14 armoured combat vehicles (APC and IFV) near the train station in Rubizhne.

The SMM continued to observe unexploded ordnance (UXO). On 21 March, the SMM saw three pieces of UXO (probable 82mm mortar rounds) near a checkpoint of the armed formations east of Staromarivka (government-controlled, 62km south of Donetsk) (see SMM Daily Report 9 November 2017). On 22 March, the SMM observed a demining team from an international organization conducting mine clearance in a field about 1km north of Sartana (government-controlled, 15km north-east of Mariupol). (See SMM Daily Report 17 March 2018.)

The SMM continued to facilitate access of Voda Donbassa water company employees to and from the Donetsk Filtration Station to keep the station operational and monitored the security situation about 1km south-east from the station, where it observed a calm situation. (See SMM Daily Report 22 March 2018.)

The SMM visited two border areas not under government control. At a border crossing point near Uspenka (73km south-east of Donetsk), the SMM saw 20 cars (five with Ukrainian and eight with Russian Federation licence plates, and seven with “DPR” plates) and 76 covered cargo trucks (50 with Ukrainian, six with Russian Federation and seven with Belarusian licence plates, and 13 with “DPR” plates) in a queue to exit Ukraine. During its 30-minute stay, the SMM saw a car with Ukrainian licence plates and 11 pedestrians (mixed gender and age) entering Ukraine.

While at a pedestrian border crossing point near Ulianivske (61km south-east of Donetsk) for 15 minutes, the SMM did not observe people crossing.

The SMM monitored gatherings in Kyiv and Lviv. In Kyiv, the SMM saw about 120 people gathered in front of the Parliament building at 5 Hrushevskoho Street. Participants were divided in two groups. The first group consisted of 50-60 people (mostly elderly women) who had gathered to support a Member of Parliament (MP). The SMM saw the MP joining the group and inform them that a vote was expected to take place in the Parliament regarding the lifting of her immunity. The SMM saw some people from the second group of about 50-60 participants (mixed gender and ages) holding banners with messages critical of the MP. About 120 police officers were present during the gatherings, which dispersed without incidents. Later in the day, the SMM observed that the Parliament voted to lift the immunity of the abovementioned MP, thereby accepting the Prosecutor General’s motions for her arrest and prosecution.

In Lviv, the SMM saw about 200 people (mostly men aged 18-50) gathered in front of the City Council building at 1 Rynok Square. The SMM recognized about 20 of the participants as members of the National Corps movement and saw that some were carrying Ukrainian and red-and-black flags. About 20 police officers were present. The SMM saw that some of the participants lit ten red flares before dispersing.   

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, 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 SMM Daily Report 22 March 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:

Related to disengagement areas and mines/UXO:

  • 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.[1]
  • 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 demining 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 secondary roads south of the Zolote disengagement area due to the possible presence of mines and UXO. An armed formation 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.  

Delay:

  • A Ukrainian Armed Forces officer at a heavy weapons holding area asked for the nationalities of the SMM’s patrol members. After the SMM refused to provide the information, the officer said that he would ask for instructions from his superiors. The SMM informed the JCCC4, and upon its successful intervention, was granted access. The SMM was delayed for about 20 minutes.

Conditional access:

  • At a checkpoint on road H-15 east of Kreminets (non-government-controlled, 16km south-west of Donetsk), a man in military-style clothes allowed the SMM to proceed only after having visually inspected an SMM trailer. (The Mission faced a restriction at the same checkpoint on 16 March, see SMM Daily Report 17 March 2018).

  • 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.

  • [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.

    [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.