Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 2 April 2018

This report is for the media and the general public.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions between the evenings of 30 and 31 March, compared with the previous reporting period. Between the evenings of 31 March and 1 April, it recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and a similar number of ceasefire violations in Luhansk region, compared with the previous 24 hours. Between the evenings of 1 and 2 April, it recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region, compared with the previous 24 hours. The SMM observed damage to civilian properties caused by gunfire in Dokuchaievsk. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it observed ceasefire violations inside the Petrivske disengagement area and near the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas, as well as, again, in border areas near Izvaryne, Leonove, Sievernyi, Voznesenivka (near the border with the Russian Federation), at a checkpoint near Popasna and in Novohryhorivka.* The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. The Mission observed for the first time anti-tank mines near Zaitseve and Sosnivske. The SMM continued to facilitate access for workers to and from the Donetsk Filtration Station; it also facilitated repairs to the Petrivske pumping station near Artema and to a water pipeline near Maiorsk. The SMM monitored the administrative boundary line in Kherson region and a gathering in Bila Krynytsia, Chernivtsi region. In Kyiv, the Mission continued to monitor a group of people near the entrance to a television station.

In Donetsk region, between the evenings of 30 and 31 March, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations[1], including fewer explosions (26), compared with the previous reporting period (about 110 explosions). Between the evenings of 31 March and 1 April, it recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including, however, more explosions (50), compared with the previous 24 hours. Between the evenings of 1 and 2 April, it recorded more ceasefire violations, including about 70 explosions, compared with the previous 24 hours.

On the evening 30 March, while in Svitlodarsk (government-controlled, 57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard an undetermined explosion and about 90 shots and bursts of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all 3-8km north-east and south-east. During the day on 1 April, while at the same location, the SMM heard ten undetermined explosions 5-8km south-east. On the evening and night of 1-2 April, the SMM heard about 30 undetermined explosions and about 160 shots and bursts of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all 1-5km east, south-east and south.

On the evening of 30 March, the SMM camera at the entry-exit checkpoint in Pyshchevyk (government-controlled, 25km north-east of Mariupol) recorded, in sequence, four projectiles in flight from west to east and two projectiles from east to west, followed by an undetermined explosion and 40 projectiles (27 from west to east and 13 from east to west), all 0.5-2km north.

On the night of 30-31 March, the SMM camera 1km south-west of Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) recorded, in sequence, 12 projectiles in flight from east to west and 11 projectiles from west to east, followed by totals of 17 undetermined explosions and 218 projectiles (142 from west to east and 76 from east to west), all 1-4km north. On the evening of 31 March, the camera recorded an illumination flare in vertical flight, followed by two projectiles in flight from east to west, all 1-4km north. On the night of 1-2 April, it recorded 47 projectiles in flight from east to west and four undetermined explosions, all 1-4km north.

During the day on 2 April, positioned in Pikuzy (formerly Kominternove, non-government-controlled, 23km east of Mariupol), the SMM heard an undetermined explosion and about 20 shots of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all 1-3km south-west.

During the day on 31 March, positioned at the railway station in Yasynuvata (non-government-controlled, 16km north-east of Donetsk) for four hours, the SMM heard about 40 shots and bursts of small-arms fire 2-5km south-west, west and north-west. During the day on 1 April, positioned at the same location for about four hours, the SMM heard ten undetermined explosions and two shots of small-arms fire, all 2-4km west. The same day, positioned on the south-western edge of Yasynuvata for about two hours, the SMM heard eight undetermined explosions and about 30 shots and bursts of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all 2-8km south-west and west.

During the day on 1 April, positioned on the south-western edge of Avdiivka (government-controlled, 17km north of Donetsk) for about six hours, the SMM heard six undetermined explosions 3-5km east-south-east. The following day, positioned at the same location for about six hours, the SMM heard five undetermined explosions and about ten shots of small-arms fire 3-5km south-east, south and south-south-west.

In Luhansk region, between the evenings of 30 and 31 March, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including one explosion, compared with the previous reporting period (no explosions). Between the evenings of 31 March and 1 April, it recorded a similar number of ceasefire violations, including five explosions, compared with the previous 24 hours. Between the evenings of 1 and 2 April, it recorded fewer ceasefire violations (consisting of three explosions only) compared with the previous 24 hours.

On 31 March, the SMM observed fresh damage to civilian properties caused by gunfire in Dokuchaievsk (non-government-controlled, 30km south-west of Donetsk). On the second floor of a five-storey apartment at 90 Lenina Street, the SMM saw a broken south-south-west-facing window and a fresh hole in the side of a microwave in the kitchen of the apartment. It assessed that the damage had been caused by a 12.7mm bullet fired from a south-south-westerly direction. A female resident of the apartment told the SMM that the damage had occurred between 15:10 and 15:40 on 29 March when her husband had been in the kitchen, adding that he had not sustained any injuries.

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 30 March, while on the eastern edge of Stanytsia Luhanska, the SMM heard an undetermined explosion 4-5km west-south-west. During the day on 31 March, positioned just north of the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area, the SMM heard six shots of small-arms fire 4km south-west. In the evening, while on the eastern edge of Stanytsia Luhanska, the SMM heard two undetermined explosions and a burst of small-arms fire 3km south-east. On 1 April, while at the same location, the SMM heard six undetermined explosions 3km south-east. The SMM assessed all of these ceasefire violations as having occurred outside the disengagement area.

On 31 March, positioned near the Zolote and Petrivske disengagement areas, the SMM observed calm situations. The following day, positioned in Petrivske, the SMM heard two shots of small-arms fire 1-2km south-west (assessed as inside the disengagement area). Positioned near the Zolote disengagement area, the SMM observed a calm situation.

During the day on 2 April, positioned near all three 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 non-government-controlled areas, on 30 March an SMM mid-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted two probable tanks (T-64) in a residential area of Sosnivske (78km south of Donetsk). On 2 April, the SMM saw a surface-to-air- missile system (9K35 Strela-10) in a residential area of Uzhivka (formerly Leninske, 24km north-east of Mariupol), and seven tanks (T-72), seven self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm), ten towed howitzers (five 2A65 Msta-B, 152mm, and five D-30 Lyagushka, 122mm), seven multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS) (BM-21 Grad, 122mm) and seven surface-to-air missile systems (9K35) all stationary at an airfield on the south-eastern outskirts of Luhansk city (for previous observations, see SMM Daily Report 31 March 2018).

In violation of withdrawal lines in government-controlled areas, on 1 April the SMM saw two stationary MLRS (BM-21) near Rivnopil (65km south-west of Donetsk) and a surface-to-air missile system (9K33 Osa, 120mm) heading north 2.5km north of Shchastia (20km north of Luhansk).

Beyond withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites in government-controlled areas, on 31 March the SMM saw eight tanks (five T-72 and three T-64) and two towed howitzers (D-30), all stationary at the railway station in Rubizhne (84km north-west of Luhansk); an SMM mid-range UAV spotted ten towed howitzers (2A65 Msta-B, 152mm) near Denezhnykove (59km north-west of Luhansk). On 1 April, the SMM saw a tank (T-72) moving north in the northern outskirts of Mariupol. On 2 April, the SMM saw two tanks (T-80) on flatbed trucks moving west near Sievierodonetsk (74km north-west of Luhansk), two stationary self-propelled howitzers (2S3 Akatsiya, 152mm) at the railway station in Rubizhne, a tank (T-64) on a flatbed truck moving west near Kostiantynivka (60km north of Donetsk) and a stationary tank (T-64) near the railway station in Zachativka (74km south-west of Donetsk).

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles and anti-aircraft guns[2] in the security zone. In government-controlled areas, on 30 March an SMM mid-range UAV spotted an armoured recovery vehicle (BREM-1), an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (BMP-2), an armoured reconnaissance vehicle (BRDM-2) near a south-eastern part of Zaitseve (50km north-east of Donetsk) and an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23, 23mm) near Chermalyk (77km south of Donetsk); an SMM mini-UAV spotted four IFV (BMP-2) near Mykolaivka Druha (55km north of Donetsk). On 31 March, the SMM saw two IFVs (BMP-1) just north of the Zolote disengagement area, an armoured reconnaissance vehicle (BRDM-2) near Novotoshkivske (53km west of Luhansk), three armoured personnel carriers (APC) (BTR-70), six IFVs (BMP-1) and two APCs (MT-LB) near Mykhailivka (34km north of Luhansk), an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23) near Artema (26km north of Luhansk), an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23) mounted on an APC (MT-LB) near Nyzhnoteple (26km north of Luhansk), and an APC (MT-LB), three IFVs (BMP-1) and four armoured reconnaissance vehicles (three BRM-1K and one BRDM-2) near Popasna (69km west of Luhansk). On 1 April, the SMM saw a self-propelled anti-aircraft system (ZU-23-4 Shilka, 23mm) near Sopyne (16km east of Mariupol), two APCs (BTR-70) and an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23) near Kyrylivka (26km north-east of Mariupol), an IFV (BMP-2) near Mykolaivka Druha, and three IFVs (BMP-1) and an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23) and two IFVs (BMP-1) near Zolote.

In non-government-controlled areas, on 30 March an SMM mid-range UAV spotted an IFV (BMP variant) and an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23) mounted on an APC (MT-LB) in a residential area of Sosnivske, three IFVs (BMP-1) near Tavrycheske (76km south of Donetsk). On 1 April, the SMM saw an APC (MT-LB) near Fashchivka (60km south-west of Luhansk). On 2 April, the SMM saw seven IFVs (BMP-2) and seven APCs (BTR-80) at an airfield on the south-eastern outskirts of Luhansk city (at the same locations as the weapons mentioned above) and an APC (BTR-80) in a residential area of Uzhivka.

The SMM continued to observe anti-tank mines. On 30 March, an SMM mid-range UAV spotted for the first time at least 100 anti-tank mines (TM-62) laid in a field about 2km west-south-west of Sosnivske (not present in imagery from 17 November 2017). The same day, an SMM mid-range UAV spotted for the first time at least 66 anti-tank mines (TM-62) laid in a row in a field about 200m east of the government-controlled Zhovanka neighbourhood of Zaitseve (not present in imagery from 7 February 2018). (On 5 January, the SMM observed about 200 anti-tank mines in two areas under government control about 600-800m further north and north-east. See SMM Daily Report 10 January 2018.)

The SMM continued to observe mine hazard signs. On 31 March, the SMM saw for the first time at least two mine hazard signs in a field on the south-western edge of Avdiivka and children playing near and in the field. (The Mission drew the children’s attention to the mine hazard signs, after which it saw them leave the field.)

On 31 March, 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). On 2 April, the SMM also facilitated and monitored repairs to the Petrivske pumping station near Artema and to a water pipeline near Maiorsk (government-controlled, 45km north-east of Donetsk).

The SMM visited eight border areas outside of government control. On 31 March, while at a border crossing area near Ulianivske (61km south-east of Donetsk) for about 20 minutes, the SMM saw three pedestrians entering Ukraine. While at a border crossing point near Uspenka (73km south-east of Donetsk) for about 90 minutes, the SMM saw 79 cars (24 with Ukrainian, 30 with Russian Federation, two with Georgian, one with Belarusian, and one Lithuanian licence plates, and 21 with “DPR” plates), one bus (with Ukrainian licence plates and 15 passengers), seven covered cargo trucks (all with Ukrainian licence plates) and eight pedestrians (men and women, aged 20-30) exiting Ukraine, 16 cars (two with Ukrainian, six with Russian Federation, and one with Moldovan licence plates, and seven with “DPR” plates), one bus (with “DPR” plates) and three pedestrians (two men and a woman, aged 40-50) entering Ukraine.

On 1 April, while at a border crossing point near Izvaryne (52km south-east of Luhansk), the SMM saw 55 cars (42 with Ukrainian, five with Russian Federation, one with Georgian and one with Lithuanian licence plates, and six with “LPR” plates), nine covered cargo trucks (eight with Ukrainian and one with Russian Federation licence plates) and around 80 people (men and women, aged 40-60) in a queue to exit Ukraine. After three minutes, a member of the armed formations told the SMM to leave the area.*

The following day, while at the same border crossing point for about ten minutes, the SMM saw 20 pedestrians exiting Ukraine and 51 cars (29 with Ukrainian, 11 with Russian Federation, one with Georgian, two with Lithuanian, two with Belarusian, and one with German licence plates, and five with “LPR” plates), one covered cargo truck (with Ukrainian licence plates), one bus (licence plates not visible) and around 60 people (men and women, mixed ages) in a queue to exit Ukraine. A member of the armed formations told the SMM to leave the area.*

On 1 April, while at a pedestrian border crossing point near Novoborovytsi (79km south of Luhansk) for about 20 minutes, the SMM saw a pedestrian (man in his thirties) exiting Ukraine and five pedestrians (four women and one man, aged 35-45) entering Ukraine. It noted that there were no members of the armed formations present at the crossing point.

On 1 April, while at a pedestrian border crossing point near Sievernyi (50km south-east of Luhansk) for two minutes, the SMM observed six pedestrians (three men and three women, 30-60 years old) entering Ukraine and three women (30-50 years old) exiting Ukraine. A member of the armed formations told the SMM to leave the area.*

On 2 April, while at the Chervona Mohyla railway station in Voznesenivka (formerly Chervonopartyzansk, 65km south-east of Luhansk) for five minutes, the SMM saw over 40 railway wagons, at least 12 of which were with cisterns. Two members of the armed formations told the SMM to leave the area.* While at a border crossing point near Voznesenivka for ten minutes, the SMM saw no traffic or pedestrians entering or exiting Ukraine. A member of the armed formations told the SMM to leave the area.* While at a border crossing point near Verkhnoharasymivka (57km south-east of Luhansk) for 20 minutes, the SMM saw two pedestrians (man and woman, aged 30) exiting Ukraine.

On 25 March, the SMM continued to monitor the administrative boundary line between Kherson region and Crimea. The SMM monitored the crossing points at Kalanchak (67km south-east of Kherson) and Chaplynka (77km south-east of Kherson) and observed a calm situation.

On 1 April, the SMM monitored a gathering near Bila Krynytsia (36km south of Chernivtsi) of about 230 people (men and women, mixed ages) in commemoration of events that took place on 1 April 1941. The SMM observed priests of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, representatives of district and regional authorities, and two individuals who were introduced as representatives from Romania. Speakers addressed the group in Romanian and Ukrainian languages and the SMM saw people holding national flags of Ukraine and Romania. The SMM saw two police officers present; the gathering ended peacefully.

In Kyiv, on 31 March, and 1 and 2 April, the SMM continued to monitor a group of people near the entrance to a television station. (See SMM Daily Report 31 March 2018.) At 1 Heroiv Nebesnoi Sotni Alley, each day the SMM saw between 15-20 people (men and women, aged 18-25) gathered outside the station, some of whom were carrying Ukrainian and Bratstvo flags. The Mission continued to observe barbed wire strung between wooden tripods in front of entrance on the north side of the building, but noted that the obstacle had been slightly moved away from the entrance, as well as two nearby tents and banners with messages critical of a politician. Each day the SMM observed people passing the barbed wire and entering the building. The SMM also saw about 15 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 Odessa, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk and Kharkiv.

*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:

• On 31 March, at a checkpoint in the north-eastern edge of Popasna, an armed Ukrainian Armed Forces soldier, citing orders from his commander, told the SMM that it was not allowed to proceed towards another Ukrainian Armed Forces checkpoint about 1km south-east as the road leading to the checkpoint was blocked. The SMM saw four static anti-tank obstacles made of metal angle beams placed in front of a wooden beam on the road.
• On 31 March, at a military-type compound in Diakove (non-government-controlled, 70km south-west of Luhansk), a member of the armed formations told the SMM that it could not visit a border crossing point near Leonove (formerly Chervonyi Zhovten, 82km south of Luhansk). He said that for further information, it should contact his “superiors” in Luhansk city.
• On 1 and 2 April, while at a border crossing point near Izvaryne, a member of the armed formations told the SMM to leave the area.
• On 1 April, at a pedestrian border crossing point near Sievernyi, a member of the armed formations told the SMM to leave the area and said that the “restriction on the SMM’s presence at the border crossing point was still in force.”
• On 1 April, the SMM was prevented from accessing Novohryhorivka (non-government-controlled, 33km west of Luhansk) by an improvised road barrier. The SMM observed a cut tree placed across the road and a red, rectangular and metal board with the writing “Stop Mines” in Russian. The SMM heard a single shot of small-arms fire and departed the area. A member of the armed formations then told the SMM by telephone that the road block had been removed. However, ten minutes later the SMM observed that the road block was still in place. After 20 minutes, the SMM was again told by the same member of the armed formations by telephone that the road block had been removed; however, the SMM observed that the road block was still in place. About 30 minutes later, at the same spot, an armed member of the armed formations told the SMM that it could not proceed due to demining in the area.
• On 2 April, at the Chervona Mohyla railway station in Voznesenivka, two members of the armed formations told the SMM that it was “not authorized” to be present at the station and told it to leave the area.
• On 2 April, at a border crossing point near Voznesenivka, a member of the armed formations told the SMM that it was “not authorized” to be present at the border crossing point or the border area, and told the SMM to leave.

Related to disengagement areas and mines/UXO:

• On 31 March, and 1 and 2 April, 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 each time.[3]
• On 31 March, and 1 and 2 April, 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 each time.4
• On 31 March, and 1 and 2 April, 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 the centre for internally displaced persons in Zuhres (non-government-controlled, 36km east of Donetsk), a group of 12-15 men (in plain clothes) interrupted the SMM’s meeting with the administrator of the centre and told the SMM to leave, saying that the SMM needed permission from senior “DPR” members in order to 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.

[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.