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

This report is for the media and the general public.

Following a recommitment to the ceasefire, the SMM recorded a similar number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. Three SMM unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) were fired at in non-government-controlled areas. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske, where it observed calm situations. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas and at the Chervona Mohyla railway station near Voznesenivka and at a border crossing point near Voznesenivka (both close to the border with the Russian Federation in Luhansk region), as well as to Novohryhorivka and Verkhnoshyrokivske.* The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines in Luhansk city, Topolyne and Berkhivka. The Mission continued to facilitate access for workers to and from the Donetsk Filtration Station. The SMM also facilitated repairs to the Petrivske pumping station near Artema. In Kyiv, the Mission continued to monitor a group of people blocking the entrance to a television station.

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded a similar number of ceasefire violations[1], including, however, fewer explosions (about 110), compared with the previous reporting period (about 245 explosions).

On the evening and night of 29-30 March, the SMM camera at the Donetsk Filtration Station (15km north of Donetsk) recorded, in sequence, two projectiles in flight from west to east and a projectile from east to west, followed by a total of six undetermined explosions, a projectile from west to east and a muzzle flash, all 0.5-2km south.

On the evening and night of 29-30 March, while in Svitlodarsk (government-controlled, 57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard about 30 undetermined explosions and about 210 shots and bursts of small-arms and heavy-machine-gun fire, all 3-8km south-east. During the day on 30 March, the SMM heard an undetermined explosion 5-7km south-east.

On the evening and night of 29-30 March, while in Horlivka (non-government-controlled, 39km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard about ten undetermined explosions 6-9km south-west and west.

On the night of 29-30 March, the SMM camera 1km south-west of Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) recorded, in sequence, 16 projectiles in flight from west to east and 18 projectiles from east to west, followed by totals of 16 undetermined explosions and 163 projectiles (118 from east to west, 39 from west to east, five from south to north and one from south-east to north-west), all 1-4km north. 

During the day on 30 March, positioned at the railway station in Yasynuvata (non-government-controlled, 16km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard five undetermined explosions 6-8km north-west.

Positioned on the south-western edge of Avdiivka (government-controlled, 17km north of Donetsk), the SMM heard seven undetermined explosions and about 40 bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire, all 2-6km east-south-east.

In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including no explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 35 explosions).

On 30 March, three SMM unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) were fired at in non-government-controlled areas. Positioned 3km south-west of the central railway station in Donetsk (6km north-west of Donetsk city centre), the SMM launched a mini-UAV. While flying the mini-UAV over the area, the SMM heard three shots of small-arms fire about 500m north-west of its position. The SMM assessed that the fire was aimed at the UAV, which it landed safely.*

Positioned close to a checkpoint of the armed formations near Olenivka (23km south-west of Donetsk), the SMM launched a mini-UAV. While flying the mini-UAV over an area south-west of Olenivka, the SMM heard about 30 bursts of small-arms fire about 500m south-west of its position. The SMM assessed that the fire was aimed at the UAV, which it landed safely.*

Positioned about 2km north-east of Sadovyi (57km south-west of Luhansk), the SMM launched a mini-UAV flight. While flying the mini-UAV over a training area about 6km south-east of Miusynsk (62km south-west of Luhansk) (see SMM Daily Report of 10 March 2018), the SMM heard two minutes of uncountable and overlapping bursts of small-arms fire about 3km south-east of its position. The SMM lost control of the UAV, which the SMM assessed that it crashed in the area. The SMM assessed that the fire was aimed at the UAV. After about ten minutes, while the SMM was attempting to recover the UAV, a member of the armed formations approached the SMM on board of a military-type truck and demanded that the SMM leave the area.* (On 12 March, aerial imagery revealed the presence of ten tanks (type undetermined) and 12 pieces of towed artillery (type undetermined) in this area (see SMM Daily Report 15 March 2018).)

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 near all three disengagement areas during the day on 30 March, the SMM observed 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 multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) (BM-21 Grad, 122mm) near Topolyne (90km south of Donetsk) and an anti-tank gun (MT-12 Rapira, 100mm) near Berkhivka (73km north of Donetsk) heading south-east. In non-government-controlled areas, the SMM saw seven tanks (T-72), seven self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm), five towed howitzers (2A65 Msta-B, 152mm) and seven MLRS (BM-21), all stationary at an aerodrome on the south-eastern outskirts of Luhansk city.

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 two towed howitzers (D-30 Lyagushka, 122mm) and noted that six towed howitzers (2A65), two self-propelled howitzers (2S1), six anti-tank guns (MT-12) and 11 MLRS (BM-21) were again missing.     

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles[2] and other indications of military-type presence in the security zone. In government-controlled areas, the SMM saw an armoured personnel carrier (BTR-70) in Stanytsia Luhanska and two infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) (BMP-1) near Zolote 4/Rodina (60km west of Luhansk). The SMM also saw a military truck with one section of a pontoon bridge on the road between Bobrove (56km north-west of Luhansk) and Orikhove-Donetske (44km north-west of Luhansk). An SMM mini-UAV spotted on 29 March an armoured reconnaissance vehicle (BRDM-2) on the south-eastern outskirts of Avdiivka.

An SMM mini-UAV spotted on 29 March recently dug trenches about 40m from a residential house on the south-eastern edge of Travneve (government-controlled, 51km north-east of Donetsk) and 17 anti-tank mines laid across a road on the northern edge of Holmivskyi (non-government-controlled, 49km north-east of Donetsk) (see SMM Daily Report 21 December 2018).

The SMM observed the presence of mines. The SMM saw for the first time an anti-tank mine (TM-62M) 1.5m east of the paved road about 400m from the junction between roads M04 and H20 near the Donetsk Filtration Station. It also saw again an anti-personnel fragmentation mine (MON-50) about 50m south-east of road H20 (see SMM Daily Report 29 March 2018).

The SMM saw demining activities. 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 26 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 (see SMM Daily Report 30 March 2018). The SMM also facilitated and monitored repairs to the Petrivske pumping station near Artema (government-controlled, 26km north of Luhansk).

The SMM visited a border area outside of government control. While at a border crossing point near Voznesenivka (65km south-east of Luhansk) for five minutes, the SMM observed no traffic or people in either direction. While present at a border crossing point, two members of the armed formations told the SMM to leave the area.*

While at the Chervona Mohyla railway station near Voznesenivka for about six minutes, the SMM saw four cargo trains approaching the station from an easterly direction, including one consisting of seven cisterns and another transporting wood. While present at the railway station, two members of the armed formations approached the SMM and told it to leave the area.*

In Kyiv, the SMM continued to monitor a group of people blocking the entrance to a television station. (See SMM Daily Report 30 March 2018.) At 1 Heroiv Nebesnoi Sotni Alley on 30 March, the SMM saw about 30-35 people (men and women, aged 18-25) – an increase compared with the previous day (about 20 people) – gathered outside the station, some of whom were carrying Ukrainian and Bratstvo flags. The Mission continued to observe barbed wire strung between wooden tripods blocking an entrance on the north side of the building, as well as two nearby tents and banners with messages critical of a politician. The SMM also saw a group of six men (aged 18-19) with Natsionalni Druzhyny patches standing around the building of the station. The Mission saw no law enforcement officers inside or outside the station and noted a calm situation.

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, 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 (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 outside of government control near Voznesenivka, two members of the armed formations told the SMM to leave the area.
• At the Chervona Mohyla railway station near Voznesenivka, a member of the armed formations told the SMM to leave the area.
• At a checkpoint on the northern edge of Novohryhorivka (non-government-controlled, 33km west of Luhansk), six members of the armed formations denied the SMM passage.
• At a checkpoint 500m east of Verkhnoshyrokivske (formerly Oktiabr, non-government-controlled, 29km north-east of Mariupol), three members of the armed formations again denied the SMM passage. (See SMM Daily Report of 30 March 2018.)
• While the SMM was attempting to recover its UAV close to a training area about 6km south-east of Miusynsk (see below), a member of the armed formations approached the SMM on board of a military-type truck and told the SMM to leave the area.

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.5
• 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:

• While flying an SMM mini-UAV over an area close to the central railway station in Donetsk city, the SMM heard three shots of small-arms fire about 500m north-west. The SMM assessed that the shots were fired at the UAV. It recalled the UAV and left the area.
• While flying an SMM mini-UAV over an area close to Olenivka, the SMM heard about 30 bursts of small-arms fire 500m south-west. The SMM assessed that the shots were fired at the UAV. It recalled the UAV and left the area.  
• While flying an SMM mini-UAV over a training area about 6km south-east of Miusynsk, the SMM heard about 30 bursts of small-arms fire about 3km south-east, assessed as targeting the UAV. The SMM lost control of the UAV, which the SMM assessed that it crashed in the area.

[1] For a complete breakdown of the ceasefire violations, please see the annexed table. The SMM camera at Oktiabr mine was 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.