Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 19 April 2018
This report is for the media and the general public.
The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more ceasefire violations in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM followed up on reports of three people wounded by small-arms fire near Donetsk city. The SMM saw fresh damage caused by shelling in residential areas of Staromykhailivka. The SMM visited the Yunkom mine amidst concerns of possible radioactive contamination from planned flooding. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations near the Stanytsia Luhanska and Zolote disengagement areas. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas, at an airfield near Peremozhne, and in areas near Voznesenivka close to the border with the Russian Federation. The SMM saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to the Zolote-Popasna water pipeline, a high-voltage powerline near Yuzhna-Lomuvatka, a water pipeline near Maiorsk and a water pumping station near Berezove. Operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station remained suspended following the 17 April gunfire that wounded Voda Donbassa employees. In Kyiv, the SMM observed three gatherings in front of the Parliament building, including one in relation to an Orthodox church.
In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations2 , including about 50 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 180).
On the evening and night of 18-19 April, the SMM camera at the Donetsk Filtration Station (15km north of Donetsk) recorded, in sequence, three projectiles in flight from west to east, an undetermined explosion and four projectiles from west to east, followed by totals of five undetermined explosions, 25 projectiles (19 from west to east, six from east to west), six muzzle flashes and an illumination flare, all 0.5-3km south.
On the night of 19 April, the SMM camera at the entry-exit checkpoint in Pyshchevyk (government-controlled, 25km north-east of Mariupol) recorded, in sequence, 25 projectiles in flight from west to east, a projectile from east to west and an undetermined explosion, followed by 19 projectiles (12 from east to west, seven from west to east), all 1-3km east-south-east.
On the evening of 18 April, while in Svitlodarsk (government-controlled, 57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard ten undetermined explosions and about 50 shots and bursts of small-arms and heavy-machine-gun fire, all 3-7km at directions ranging from south-east to south-south-west. The following day, while at the same location, the SMM heard four undetermined explosions and four bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire, all 3-8km at directions ranging from south-east to west.
During the day on 19 April, positioned at the railway station in Yasynuvata (non-government-controlled, 16km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard six undetermined explosions and about 50 bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire, all 2-4km west to north-west.
During the day on 19 April, positioned in Oleksandrivka (non-government-controlled, 20km south-west of Donetsk), the SMM heard two undetermined explosions and 36 bursts and shots of small-arms fire, all 2-4km west to north-west.
During the day on 19 April, positioned on the northern edge of Sakhanka (non-government-controlled, 24km east-north-east of Mariupol), the SMM heard eight undetermined explosions and about ten bursts and shots of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all at unknown distances south-west to north-west.
In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including eight explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (same number of explosions).
The SMM followed up on reports of civilian casualties caused by small-arms fire near a checkpoint on road H15 east of Kreminets (non-government controlled, 16km south-west of Donetsk) on 19 April. At a first aid container near the checkpoint, at around 11:00 the SMM saw a woman (about 70 years old) with a bandage on her left leg above her knee, another woman (about 65 years old) with a bandage on the calf of her right leg and a man (about 70 years old) with bandages on the calf of his right leg. Medical staff present told the SMM that the wounds were caused by small-arms fire. A member of the armed formations at the checkpoint told SMM that the incident occurred between 10:45 and 10:50 on the same day. The three wounded persons told the SMM that they had been at a bus stop 300m west of the checkpoint waiting for a bus when they had been hit by small-arms fire. A personnel member of the Ukrainian Armed Forces at a checkpoint close to nearby Marinka (government-controlled, 23km south-west of Donetsk) told the SMM that they had heard small-arms fire at around 10:45 on 19 April. The SMM later visited Donetsk Central Trauma Hospital where medical staff told the SMM that one of the women (about 65 years old) had been admitted with a bullet wound to her leg.
The SMM observed fresh damage to a house caused by shelling in Staromykhailivka (non-government-controlled, 15km west of Donetsk). At 6 Molodizhna Street, the SMM saw fresh damage of two broken west-facing windows and a hole (about 30cm long, 5cm wide) in the front door of a one-storey house. The owner of the house, a woman, told the SMM that the damage had occurred during shelling on the morning of 11 April.
The SMM followed up on the condition of Voda Donbassa water company employees injured from the gunfire incident near the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS) on 17 April. (See SMM Daily Report 18 April 2018). Medical staff at Yasynuvata (non-government-controlled, 16km north-east of Donetsk) Railway Hospital told the SMM that three of the injured (two men, aged 30-50, and one woman in her forties) had been released from hospital, while one man (aged about 40) remained in their hospital. Medical staff in Yasynuvata confirmed that the fifth injured employee (man, aged about 40) had been admitted to Donetsk Trauma Hospital.
The SMM followed up on the planned flooding of the Yunyi Kommunar (Yunkom) mine in Bunhe (formerly Yunokomunarivsk, non-government-controlled, 43km north-east of Donetsk). (See SMM Daily Report 12 April 2018). Employees of the mine present expressed to the SMM concerns of risks associated with the flooding of the mine. They said that four pumps that help regulate water levels in the mine were removed about three weeks ago. They claimed that they had been ordered to shut down and remove the remaining pumps by the end of the month. The SMM was unable to view the removed pumps and other infrastructure of the mine as it was told that permission from armed formations was necessary.
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 and night of 18-19 April, while on the eastern edge of Stanytsia Luhanska, the SMM heard eight undetermined explosions 2-5km at directions ranging from south-south-east to west-south-west (all assessed as outside the disengagement area).
During the day on 19 April, positioned 1km south-west of Molodizhne (non-government-controlled, 63km north-west of Luhansk) the SMM heard two undetermined explosions 3-7km north (assessed as outside the Zolote disengagement area).
On 18 April, positioned at a Ukrainian Armed Forces checkpoint on the northern edge of the Zolote disengagement area, the SMM saw a Ukrainian Armed Forces soldier carrying a long-barrel weapon walk into the disengagement area and proceed south and then west. On the following day, positioned on the northern edge of the disengagement area, the SMM saw two Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers each carrying an assault rifle proceeding from a western part of Katerynivka (64km west of Luhansk) inside the disengagement area towards the above-mentioned checkpoint.
Positioned near the Petrivske disengagement area, 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 a government-controlled area, the SMM saw a self-propelled howitzer (2S19 Msta-B, 152mm) loaded on a flatbed truck in Smolianynove (61km north-west of Luhansk) heading east on road T-1306.
In non-government-controlled areas, an SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted on 19 April at least seven towed howitzers (2A65 Msta-B, 152mm and D-30 Lyagushka, 122mm), at least seven self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) and at least seven multiple launch rocket systems (BM-21 Grad, 122mm) in an airfield about 2km north of Peremozhne (19km south of Luhansk). (On 16 April, the SMM observed similar types and numbers of weapons in violation of withdrawal lines at another airfield near Luhansk city (see SMM Daily Report 17 April 2018). 3 Imagery from 19 April 2018 showed no weapons present at the latter airfield (see SMM Daily Report 18 April 2018).
Beyond withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites, in government-controlled areas, the SMM saw a stationary surface-to-air missile system (9K33 Osa) near Sloviansk (95km north of Donetsk), a surface-to-air missile system (9K33) heading south-west near Oleksiivka (52km north of Luhansk) and a self-propelled howitzer (2S1) near Sievierodonetsk (74km north-west of Luhansk) heading east on road T-1306. In non-government-controlled areas, an SMM mini-UAV spotted on 19 April seven surface-to-air missile systems (9K35, Strela-10) in an airfield about 2km north of Peremozhne (19km south of Luhansk) (see above).
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 saw six self-propelled howitzers (2S1) and five mortars (2B9 Vasilek, 82mm).
The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles and other indications of military presence in the security zone. In government-controlled areas, the SMM saw three infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) (two BMP-2 and one BMP-1) in Chermalyk (31km north-east of Mariupol), an IFV (BMP-1) near Novotroitske (36km south-west of Donetsk) and an IFV (BMP-2) near Zolote (just north of the Zolote disengagement area). In a non-government-controlled area, the SMM saw two IFVs (BMP-2) in Yasynuvata.
On 17 April, at an airfield in the south-eastern outskirts of Luhansk city, the SMM saw fresh shrapnel damage to the hull, track and road wheel of a tank (T-34) (see SMM Daily Report 18 April 2018).
The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to the Olenivka water pumping station near Berezove (government-controlled, 31km south-west of Donetsk), the Zolote-Popasna water pipeline, a water pipeline near Maiorsk (government-controlled, 45km north-east of Donetsk) and a high-voltage powerline near Yuzhna-Lomuvatka (non-government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk).
The SMM visited two border areas not under government control. While at a border crossing point near Voznesenivka (formerly Chervonopartyzansk, non-government-controlled, 65km south-east of Luhansk) for five minutes, the SMM observed 16 civilian vehicles queueing to leave Ukraine and was then told by an armed formations member to leave the area saying that the SMM was not allowed there.
While at the Chervona Mohyla railway station near Voznesenivka (non-government-controlled, 65km south-east of Luhansk), the SMM was unable to observe as a member of the armed formations told the SMM to leave the area saying that the SMM was not allowed there. The SMM continued to monitor the situation of civilians living near the contact line. On 20 April, in non-government-controlled areas, a shopkeeper in Pryvitne (11km north of Luhansk), four residents in Obozne (18km north of Luhansk), and three residents in Vesela Hora (16km north of Luhansk) told the SMM that their villages had been without water since 15, 17 and 18 April, respectively.
In Kyiv, the SMM observed three gatherings in front of the Parliament building at 5 Hrushevskoho Street. The SMM saw one group of about 100 people (mixed ages and gender), some of whom were carrying flags of a political party and banners with messages in favour of an address by the parliament to create a single, local and independent orthodox church in Ukraine. The SMM saw a second group consisting of about 100 people (mostly men, aged 18-45), some of whom were carrying flags of the National Corps and Svoboda flags, among others, as well as banners with messages critical of the Government. The SMM also saw a third group of about 100 people (mixed age and gender). One of the participants addressed the gathering with a loudspeaker about the restoration of pension and social benefits for the victims of the Chernobyl disaster. About 100 enforcement officers were present at the gatherings, which dispersed peacefully.
The SMM continued monitoring in Kherson, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kharkiv, Lviv, Dnipro, Odessa 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 SMM Daily Report 14 April 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:
- At a border crossing point near Voznesenivka, a member of the armed formations told the SMM to leave the area saying it was not allowed there. The SMM departed the area.
- At the Chervona Mohyla railway station near Voznesenivka, a member of the armed formations told the SMM to leave the area saying that it was not allowed there. The SMM departed the area.
- At an airfield near Peremozhne, two members of the armed formations, each carrying a gun, in a car approached the SMM and prevented them from conducting a UAV flight in the vicinity. They said that the SMM was not allowed to fly the UAV in the area and the UAV would be shot down if it did. The SMM departed 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.
- 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.
- 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.
1. All times are in Eastern European Time.
2. For a complete breakdown of the ceasefire violations, please see the annexed table. During this reporting period the SMM camera at the Maiorsk entry-exit checkpoint remained non-operational.
* 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”.