Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 20 April 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. Small-arms fire was directed at an SMM mini- unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) near non-government-controlled Novohryhorivka in Luhansk region. The SMM followed up on reports of civilian casualties, including an employee of Voda Donbassa, in Donetsk city and Toretsk. Operations at the Donetsk Filtration Station remained suspended following the 17 April gunfire that wounded Voda Donbassa employees. The Mission facilitated the handover of possible human remains from Malaysia Airlines flight MH17. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas.* The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Novohryhorivka. The Mission observed for the first time anti-tank mines across a road near Kamianka. The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to the Petrivske pumping station near Artema, a water pipeline near Maiorsk, a water pipeline in Obozne and a high-voltage powerline near Yuzhna-Lomuvatka.

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations[1], including about 30 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 50 explosions).

On the evening and night of 19-20 April, the SMM camera at the Donetsk Filtration Station (15km north of Donetsk) recorded, in sequence, an undetermined explosion and a projectile in flight from west to east, followed by totals of three undetermined explosions, 23 projectiles (seven from east to west and 16 from west to east), a muzzle flash and an illumination flare in vertical flight, all 0.5-3km south.

On the evening and night of 19-20 April, the SMM camera at the entry-exit checkpoint in Pyshchevyk (government-controlled, 84km south of Donetsk) recorded, in sequence, 47 projectiles in flight from west to east, two muzzle flashes and three projectiles from west to east, followed by totals of 39 projectiles (18 from east to west and 21 from west to east) and 26 muzzle flashes, all 1-3km at directions ranging from east-south-east to north-east.

During the day on 20 April, positioned at the railway station in Yasynuvata (non-government-controlled, 16km north-east of Donetsk) for about three and a half hours, the SMM heard about ten undetermined explosions and 35 shots of small-arms fire, all 3-8km west and north-west.

Positioned in Lebedynske (government-controlled, 16km north-east of Mariupol), the SMM heard about ten undetermined explosions 3-5km north-east.

In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including about ten explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (eight explosions).

During the night of 19-20 April, while in Kadiivka (formerly Stakhanov, non-government-controlled, 50km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard six undetermined explosions 3-8km north-west.

On 20 April, small-arms fire was directed at an SMM mini-UAV in an area of Luhansk region outside government control. While flying a mini-UAV over an area on western edge of Novohryhorivka (33km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard about 50 shots of small-arms fire about 500m south-east of its position. The SMM assessed the fire as aimed at the UAV, which it landed safely.* Footage from the mini-UAV revealed the presence of four tanks (T-64) in violation of withdrawal lines (see below) and also three men taking aim and probably firing at the UAV.

The SMM followed up on reports of civilian casualties. At Donetsk Trauma Hospital in Donetsk city, medical staff told the SMM that a 64-year-old woman from Horlivka, who had been injured on 19 April near a checkpoint on road H15 east of Kreminets (non-government controlled, 16km south-west of Donetsk) (see SMM Daily Report of 20 April 2018), had been admitted on 19 April. Medical staff told the SMM that the woman had sustained a gunshot wound to her left hip and had undergone surgery on 19 April. According to medical staff, during the surgery, a bullet had been extracted from the woman’s hip. At the same hospital, medical staff told the SMM that a Voda Donbassa employee, a 42-year-old man, who had come under gunfire on 17 April, had been admitted on 17 April with shrapnel wounds to his upper right arm, neck and chest and had undergone surgery the same day (see SMM Daily Report 18 April 2018).

At a hospital in Toretsk (formerly Dzerzhynsk, government-controlled, 43km north of Donetsk), medical staff told the SMM that a resident of Novhorodske (government-controlled, 26km north of Donetsk), a 78-year-old man, had been admitted with shrapnel wounds to his left forearm. Police in Toretsk told the SMM that the man had been repairing the roof of his house at Slovianska Street in Novhorodske at around 15:30 on 18 April when shelling had occurred in the area and that he had been injured while descending the roof to take shelter.

The SMM facilitated the handover of possible human remains of flight MH17 (see SMM Spot Report 22 July 2014) by members of the armed formations to a delegation from the Netherlands.

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.*

During the evening of 19 April, while on the eastern edge of Stanytsia Luhanska, the SMM heard two undetermined explosions and about 40 bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire, all 3-4km south and south-west (assessed as outside the disengagement area).

During the evening of 19 April, the SMM camera at the Prince Ihor Monument south-east of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge (15km north-east of Luhansk) recorded an undetermined explosion 3-4km north-west (assessed as outside the disengagement area). The following day, positioned at the Prince Ihor Monument, the SMM heard three shots of small-arms fire 2km south (assessed as outside the disengagement area).

During the day on 20 April, positioned 200m south of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge, the SMM heard nine shots of small-arms fire 1km north (assessed as inside the disengagement area) and seven shots of small-arms fire 2km north-north-west (assessed as outside the disengagement area). On the same day, positioned 600m and 800m north of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge, the SMM heard a total of 16 shots of small-arms fire 0.6-1km east (assessed as inside the disengagement area).

On 20 April, positioned on the northern edge of the Zolote disengagement area, the SMM saw two Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers, carrying each an assault rifle, on-board a military truck, which was heading from a western part of Katerynivka (64km west of Luhansk) inside the disengagement area towards a Ukrainian Armed Forces checkpoint on the northern edge of the disengagement area (see SMM Daily Report of 20 April 2018).

During the day on 20 April, 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 an area outside government control, an SMM mini-UAV again spotted four tanks (T-64) near Novohryhorivka (see SMM Daily Report of 17 April 2018).

Beyond withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites in government-controlled areas, the SMM saw three stationary self-propelled howitzers (2S19 Msta-S, 152mm) near Pryvillia (81km north of Donetsk), two stationary surface-to-air missile systems (9K37) near Mariupol, eight stationary multiple launch rocket systems (BM-21 Grad, 122mm) near Rivnopil (65km south-west of Donetsk), a self-propelled howitzer (2S19) and 12 towed howitzers (2A65 Msta-B, 152mm) stationary at a railway station in Rubizhne (84km north-west of Luhansk) and a self-propelled howitzer (2S19) on a flatbed truck near Shtormove (66km north-west of Luhansk) heading north on road H21.

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 four anti-tank guns (MT-12 Rapira, 100mm) and 16 towed howitzers (2A65), and noted that 41 anti-tank guns (38 MT-12 and three D-48, 85mm) and 30 towed howitzers (22 2A65 and eight 2A36 Giatsint-B, 152mm) continued to be missing.

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles and anti-aircraft guns[2] in the security zone. In government-controlled areas, the SMM saw two infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) (BMP-2) in Novobakhmutivka (28km north of Donetsk), an armoured personnel carrier (APC) (BTR variant) in Pavlopil (26km north-east of Mariupol), an IFV (BMP-1) near Popasna (69km west of Luhansk), two IFVs (BMP-2) near Zolote (outside the disengagement area), four IFVs (three BMP-2 and one BMP variant), one APC (MT-LB) and an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23, 23mm) mounted on a truck in Zolote-3/Stakhanovets (60km west of Luhansk), an IFV (BMP variant) in Nyzhnie (56km north-west of Luhansk), an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23) mounted on a truck in Shchastia (20km north of Luhansk) and an IFV (BMP-2) near Artema (26km north of Luhansk).

The SMM observed the presence of mines. On 20 April, the SMM saw for the first time about 20 anti-tank mines laid across road H20 near Kamianka (government-controlled, 20km north of Donetsk).

The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to the Petrivske pumping station near Artema, a water pipeline near Maiorsk (government-controlled, 45km north-east of Donetsk), a water pipeline in Obozne (non-government-controlled, 18km north of Luhansk) and a high-voltage powerline near Yuzhna-Lomuvatka (non-government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk).

The SMM visited two border areas outside government control. While at a border crossing point near Uspenka (73km south-east of Donetsk) for half an hour, the SMM saw 69 cars (39 with Ukrainian, 19 with Russian Federation and four with Georgian licence plates, as well as seven with “DPR” plates) in a queue to exit Ukraine and 35 curtain-sided heavy-goods trucks (27 with Ukrainian, four with Belarusian and two with Russian Federation licence plates as well as two with “DPR” plates) exiting Ukraine. The SMM saw four cars (two with Ukrainian licence plates and two with “DPR” plates) and a bus with Ukrainian licence plates entering Ukraine. While at a border crossing point near Ulianivske (61km south-east of Donetsk) for about half an hour, the SMM saw no traffic in either direction.

The SMM continued monitoring in Kherson, Odessa, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kharkiv, Dnipro, 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 (see SMM Daily Report of 20 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.

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:

• While flying an SMM mini-UAV over an area on the western edge of Novohryhorivka, the SMM heard about 50 shots of small-arms fire 500m south-east of its position. The SMM assessed that the shots as directed at the UAV. It recalled the UAV and left the area.

[1] For a complete breakdown of the ceasefire violations, please see the annexed table. The SMM camera at the entry-exit checkpoint near Maiorsk (government-controlled, 45km north-east of Donetsk) 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.