Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 26 March 2018

This report is for the media and the general public.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous 24 hours. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations inside the Petrivske disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas and elsewhere, including, again, at a border crossing point near Izvaryne (near the border with the Russian Federation), at a checkpoint near Nova Marivka and at compound in Zymohiria.* The SMM observed a weapon in violation of withdrawal lines in Pobeda. The Mission continued to facilitate access for workers to and from the Donetsk Filtration Station; it facilitated maintenance works to the Petrivske pumping station near Artema. The SMM followed up on reports of a fire at the Polish cultural centre Poska Nuta in Odessa and reports of damage to a building where the regional office of a political party is located in Dnipro.

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations[1], including about 330 explosions, compared with the previous 24 hours (about 220 explosions).

On the evening and night of 25-26 March, the SMM camera at the Donetsk Filtration Station (15km north of Donetsk) recorded, in sequence, an undetermined explosion, a projectile in flight from west to east, three undetermined explosions, two projectiles from west to east, three undetermined explosions, a projectile from west to east, three undetermined explosions and four projectiles from east to west, followed by totals of eight undetermined explosions, a muzzle flash and three projectiles (two from east to west and one from west to east), all 0.5-2km south. During the day on 26 March, positioned 1km south-east of the Donetsk Filtration Station for about six hours, the SMM heard seven undetermined explosions – five 2-5km east-south-east, one 2-3km west and one 4-5km south.

The same day, positioned on the south-western edge of Avdiivka (government-controlled, 17km north of Donetsk) for about seven hours, the SMM heard six undetermined explosions and 30 bursts of small-arms fire, all 2-5km east-south-east, south-east and south-south-east.

On the evening of 25 March, while in Horlivka (non-government-controlled, 39km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard six explosions assessed as three outgoing mortar (82mm) rounds and their subsequent impacts, and saw two projectiles in flight from south-west to north-east, followed by two explosions which it heard and assessed as impacts of rounds of infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (BMP-1) cannon (73mm) fire, all 4-6km west. The SMM also heard about 70 undetermined explosions and about 500 shots and bursts of anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23, 23mm), heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, and saw about 210 tracer rounds in flight assessed as those of heavy-machine-gun fire (about 140 from south-west to north-east and about 70 from north-east to south-west), all 4-10km at directions ranging from south-west to north-west.

On the evening and night of 25-26 March, while in Svitlodarsk (government-controlled, 57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard about 90 undetermined explosions and 670 shots and bursts of automatic grenade launcher (AGS-17), heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all 2-10km at directions ranging from south-east and west-south-west, as well as a minute of uncountable overlapping bursts of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire 8-10km east-north-east. The following day, while at the same location, the SMM heard about 30 undetermined explosions and about 100 shots and bursts of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all 3-12km at directions ranging from south to west-south-west, as well as ten undetermined explosions and over 70 shots of small-arms fire, all 3-10km east-south-east, south-east and south-south-east.

During the day on 26 March, positioned 2km south-east of Lebedynske (government-controlled, 16km east of Mariupol), the SMM heard nine undetermined explosions and about ten shots and bursts of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all at undetermined distances at directions ranging from north to north-east.  

Positioned 1km north-north-west of Pyshchevyk (government-controlled, 25km north-east of Mariupol), the SMM heard 24 undetermined explosions and about ten shots and bursts of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all at undetermined distances south-east.

Positioned 1km north of Zaichenko (non-government-controlled, 26km north-east of Mariupol), the SMM heard and saw 11 explosions assessed as impacts of undetermined weapons 2-5km west, and heard three explosions assessed as outgoing mortar rounds 3-4km south-west as well as an undetermined explosion and 30 shots and bursts of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all 2-5km at directions ranging from south-west to north-west.

Positioned 2km east-north-east of Roza (non-government-controlled, 36km north-east of Mariupol), the SMM heard 45 undetermined explosions and 21 minutes of uncountable overlapping shots and bursts of small-arms fire, all at undetermined distances south-west.

In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations (no explosions); it recorded no ceasefire violations in the previous 24 hours.

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.*

On the evening of 23 March, the SMM camera in Petrivske recorded two tracer rounds in flight from east to west, followed by a tracer round from west to east, all 1-2km south-south-west (assessed as inside the disengagement area). In the early hours of 24 March, the camera recorded two tracer rounds in flight from east to west – one 1-2km south (unable to assess whether inside or outside the disengagement area) and the other 1-2km south-south-west (assessed as inside the disengagement area). During the day on 26 March, positioned in Petrivske, the SMM heard an undetermined explosion 3-4km south-west (assessed as outside the disengagement area).

During the day on 26 March, positioned in and near the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska and Zolote, 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 a government-controlled area, an SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) on 24 March spotted a surface-to-air missile (9K35 Strela-10) in Pobeda (27km west of Donetsk).

Beyond withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites, in government-controlled areas, the SMM saw ten stationary self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) near Kalynove (formerly Kalinine, 65km south-west of Donetsk) and a stationary tank (T-72) in Rubizhne (84km north-west of Luhansk).

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles and an anti-aircraft gun[2] in the security zone. In government-controlled areas on 24 March, an SMM mini-UAV spotted an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23) in Pobeda. On 26 March, the SMM saw two IFVs (BMP-1) and four armoured reconnaissance vehicles (one BRDM-2 and three BRM-1K) near Popasna (69km west of Luhansk) and an armoured reconnaissance vehicle (BRDM-2) in Orikhove (57 km north-west of Luhansk).

In a non-government-controlled area on 26 March, an SMM mini-UAV spotted nine IFVs (BMP-1) and an APC (MT-LB) in Zhovte (17km north-west of Luhansk).

The SMM continued to facilitate access of Voda Donbassa water company employees to and from the Donetsk Filtration Station to keep the station operational (see SMM Daily Report 26 March 2018); positioned about 1km south-east from the station, it observed ceasefire violations (see above ceasefire violation section). The SMM also facilitated and monitored maintenance works to the Petrivske pumping station near Artema (government-controlled, 26km north of Luhansk).

The SMM visited two border areas not under government control. While at a border crossing point near Izvaryne (52km south-east of Luhansk) for about half an hour, the SMM saw 40 cars (21 with Ukrainian, 14 with Russian Federation and two with Lithuanian licence plates, and two with “LPR” and one with “DPR” plates), a covered cargo truck (with Ukrainian licence plates), a bus (with Ukrainian licence plates) and 150 pedestrians (men and women, aged 20-60) exiting Ukraine. The SMM also saw two cars (with Russian Federation licence plates), a cargo covered truck (with Russian Federation licence plates), a bus (licence plates not visible) and 12 pedestrians (men and women, aged 35-45) entering Ukraine. Again, the SMM was told to leave the area by a member of the armed formations.* (See SMM Daily Report 26 March 2018.)

While at a border crossing point near Verkhnoharasymivka (57km south-east of Luhansk), the SMM saw two pedestrians (a man and woman in their fifties) entering Ukraine and no pedestrians exiting Ukraine. It also noted that there were no members of the armed formations present at this crossing point.

In Odessa, the SMM followed up on reports of a fire at the Polish cultural centre Poska Nuta on the night of 24-25 March. At 71 Nizhynska Street on 26 March, the SMM saw a slightly charred front door of the building. Two employees of the centre told the Mission that the fire had occurred on the night of 24-25 March. Local police told the SMM that the incident had occurred that night.

In Dnipro, the SMM followed up on reports of damage to a building where the regional office of the political party Movement of New Forces is located. At 7 Starokozatska Street on 26 March, the SMM saw that two large boards displaying the party’s logo on the façade of the building were covered with red and black marks assessed as spray paint. A representative of the office told the SMM that the damage had been caused between 18:00 on 22 March and 09:00 on 23 March. He also said that the office had first opened on 19 March. (On 19 January, the SMM saw similar damage to the office of a local branch of the Socialist Party of Ukraine in Dnipro. See SMM Daily Report 20 January 2018.)

The SMM continued monitoring in Kherson, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kharkiv, Chernivtsi 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 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:

• While present at a border crossing point in Izvaryne, an armed member of the armed formations demanded that the SMM leave the area.
• At a checkpoint on the eastern edge of Nova Marivka (non-government-controlled, 64km south of Donetsk), five armed men in military-style clothing prevented the SMM from entering the village, saying that there was gunfire in the area which could endanger the Mission.
• An armed man denied the SMM access to a compound in Zymohiria (non-government-controlled, 27km west of Luhansk).

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.[3]
• 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.

Other impediments:

• At a hospital in non-government-controlled Horlivka, medical staff refused to speak with the SMM without permission from a member of the armed formations.

[1] For a complete breakdown of the ceasefire violations, please see the annexed table.

* 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.