Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 6 May 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 4 and 5 May compared with the previous reporting period. Between the evenings of 5 and 6 May, it recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer ceasefire violations in Luhansk region compared with the previous 24 hours. The SMM observed the impact of a projectile at the entry-exit checkpoint in Pyshchevyk. At an apartment building in Donetsk city, the Mission followed up on reports of a civilian casualty caused by shelling and observed damage from shelling. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations inside the Zolote disengagement area and near the Petrivske and the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement areas; its access remained restricted there and elsewhere, including near Olenivka, Kreminets, Mineralne and at two locations near the border with the Russian Federation.* It continued to facilitate access to the Donetsk Filtration Station for Voda Donbassa employees and heard ceasefire violations in the area, despite security guarantees. The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to power lines near Yuzhna-Lomuvatka.

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations[1] between the evenings of 4 and 5 May, including about 100 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 110 explosions). Between the evenings of 5 and 6 May, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including about 400 explosions, compared with the previous 24 hours.

On the evening of 4 May, while in Horlivka (non-government-controlled, 39km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard and saw about 60 anti-aircraft cannon airbursts 8-10km north.

On 5 May, positioned on the south-western edge of Avdiivka (government-controlled, 17km north of Donetsk), the SMM heard 32 undetermined explosions and heard and saw eight airbursts (type undetermined), all 2-5km at southerly directions.

On 5 May, positioned approximately 1km north-west of Pyshchevyk (government-controlled, 25km north-east of Mariupol), the SMM heard and saw the impact of an undetermined round 1km south-east (see below).

On the evening of 4 May, while in Svitlodarsk (government-controlled, 57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard 13 explosions (two assessed as impacts of artillery (122mm) rounds and the remainder undetermined), as well as bursts of infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (BMP-2) cannon (30mm) and heavy-machine-gun fire, all 4-7km south-east. The following day, while at the same location, the SMM heard over 200 undetermined explosions 5-6km east and south-east. On 6 May, while at the same location, the SMM heard about 120 explosions (62 outgoing artillery (type undetermined) rounds and the remainder undetermined), as well as bursts and shots of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all 2-5km at directions ranging from east to south-south-west.

In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations between the evenings of 4 and 5 May, including about 20 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (51 explosions). Between the evenings of 5 and 6 May, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations and no explosions, compared with the previous 24 hours.

Positioned approximately 1km north-west of Pyshchevyk at 09:47 on 5 May, the SMM heard and saw an explosion and subsequently examined the resulting impact site within the vehicle inspection area of the entry-exit checkpoint in Pyshchevyk. The SMM saw a fresh crater in the soft dirt on the eastern side of the vehicle inspection area of the entry-exit checkpoint, about 35m north of the eastern entrance to the vehicle inspection area of the checkpoint, about 30m north-east of the nearest civilian house, which is currently being used by Ukrainian Border Guard personnel. The SMM observed a second fresh crater in the tarmac about 2m east of the aforementioned house. The SMM observed fresh scratches in the tarmac around the crater consistent with shrapnel spray from an explosion and saw that the south-facing wall of the house had been pockmarked by shrapnel or debris from an explosion and that two south-facing and two-north-facing windows had been shattered. The SMM further observed a car with civilian licence plates bearing scratches from shrapnel or debris from an explosion to its front grill and bumper and a cracked windshield stationary in the inspection area. The SMM assessed both craters to have been caused by the impacts of anti-tank guided missiles (9M113 Konkurs) fired from an east-south-easterly direction.

The SMM followed up on reports of a civilian injured by shelling. On 6 May, in a five-storey apartment building at 13A Lenkoranska Street in Donetsk city’s Kuibyshevskyi district (non-government-controlled), a woman (aged 70-80) told the SMM that at around 05:15 on 11 April, while she had been visiting a neighbour who lived in the building, she heard shelling nearby when her leg was struck by shrapnel which, she said, had ricocheted off a wall. In the apartment where the incident occurred, the SMM observed seven chips in the kitchen and living room walls (3-7cm in diameter) and that the apartment’s north-west-facing window had been broken. A resident of a neighbouring apartment (woman, aged 40-50) showed the SMM two broken north-west-facing windows and shrapnel scarring on the walls of her apartment. At Hospital No. 17 in Donetsk city, medical staff told the SMM that a woman (aged 70-80) had been admitted to the hospital at 10:15 on 11 April with a shrapnel injury and a haematoma on her right thigh.   

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 28 April, the SMM camera in Petrivske recorded an airburst 1.5km south (assessed as outside the disengagement area). On 6 May, positioned in Bohdanivka (government-controlled, 41km south-west of Donetsk), the SMM heard an undetermined explosion at an undetermined distance east (unable to determine whether inside or outside the disengagement area near Petrivske).

On 4 May, the SMM camera in Zolote recorded a projectile in flight from south-west to north-east, 4-6km south-south-west (assessed as inside the disengagement area). On 5 May, the SMM observed four Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel inside the disengagement area near Zolote. In the late evening of 5 May, the SMM camera in Zolote recorded two projectiles in flight from north-west to south-east 3-6km east and two projectiles from north to south 5km east-north-east (all assessed as outside the disengagement area).

On 5 May, while on the eastern edge of Stanytsia Luhanska, the SMM heard an undetermined explosion 6-8km south-west (assessed as outside the disengagement area).

The SMM continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons in implementation of the Package of Measures and its Addendum, as well as the Memorandum.

Beyond withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites in government-controlled areas, on 5 May, an SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted a self-propelled howitzer (2S3 Akatsiya, 152mm) near Popasne (60km north-west of Luhansk).

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. On 5 May, in non-government-controlled areas of Donetsk region, the SMM saw two towed howitzers (D-30 Lyagushka, 122mm) and noted as missing 11 multiple launch rocket systems (BM-21 Grad, 122mm) and eight anti-tank guns (MT-12 Rapira, 100mm).

On 5 May, in government-controlled areas of Donetsk region, the SMM noted as missing 16 multiple launch rocket systems (BM-21) and two surface-to-air missile systems (9K35 Strela‑10).

On 3 May, the SMM revisited a permanent storage site whose location was beyond the respective withdrawal lines in an area of Donetsk region outside government control, and noted that 12 tanks (six T-64 and six T-72) remain missing. On 5 May, at another such site, the SMM noted that ten tanks (three T-64 and seven T-72) remain missing while one tank (T‑64) was noted as missing for the first time.

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles,[2] ordnance and recently excavated trenches in the security zone. In government-controlled-areas, the SMM saw an armoured personnel carrier (APC) near Roty (66km north-east of Donetsk) on 4 May. The following day, the SMM saw an IFV (BMP-1) and an APC (MT-LB) in Zolote, an IFV (BTR-4) in Stanytsia Luhanska, as well as an APC (MT-LB) and an armoured reconnaissance vehicle (BRDM) near Svitlodarsk. Also on 5 May, in Orikhove-Donetske (44km north-west of Luhansk), the SMM observed seven handheld anti-tank grenades lying in the grass near a Ukrainian Armed Forces checkpoint, as well as three soldiers loading 82mm mortar shells into green wooden boxes. On 6 May, the SMM saw two IFVs (BMP-1) in Popasna (69km west of Luhansk). The same day, the SMM observed 1km of freshly dug trenches along the western side of road O-0530 south of Krasnohorivka (21km west of Donetsk) and 60m of freshly dug trenches along the western side of the same road at the northern entrance to Marinka (23km west of Donetsk).

In non-government-controlled areas, an SMM mini-UAV spotted two IFVs (BMP-2) and an APC (MT-LB) near Vesela Hora (16km north of Luhansk) and an IFV (BMP-1) near Pryvitne (11km north of Luhansk) on 4 May. On 5 May, in Luhansk city, the SMM observed a car with “Police” written on it escorting two buses and 34 military-type trucks carrying people in military-type attire in their cargo areas. The following day, in Katerynivka (formerly Yuvileine, 8km west of Luhansk), the SMM observed a convoy consisting of four buses and six military-type trucks with around 250 persons in military-type attire moving towards Luhansk city. Also on 6 May, the SMM saw an IFV (BMP-2) in Debaltseve (58km north-east of Donetsk).

The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to power lines near Yuzhna-Lomuvatka (non-government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk).

The SMM continued to facilitate the access of Voda Donbassa water company employees to the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS) in order to keep the station operational. Positioned in several locations close to the DFS, the SMM heard about 30 undetermined explosions on 5 May and about ten undetermined explosions on 6 May, as well as small-arms and heavy-machine-gun fire on both days, despite security guarantees having been provided. From its position in Avdiivka, the SMM saw eight airbursts 2-3km south and, some ten minutes later, the sound of a small engine (assessed as that of a UAV) 1-3km south-east.

The SMM visited three border areas not under government control. On 5 May, while at a border crossing point near Izvaryne (52km south-east of Luhansk) for 50 minutes, the SMM observed ten pedestrians (men and women, aged 25-50) exiting Ukraine as well as a covered cargo truck (with Ukrainian licence plates), two buses (with Ukrainian licence plates) and two women (mid-40s) entering Ukraine. After about 35 minutes, a member of the armed formations told the SMM to leave the area; 15 minutes later the SMM left the area.*

On 5 May, while at a border crossing point near Sievernyi (50km south-east of Luhansk) for 15 minutes, the SMM observed two men (aged 40-50) entering Ukraine. After about five minutes, a member of the armed formations told the SMM to leave the area; ten minutes later the SMM left the area.*

On 6 May, while at a border crossing point near Dovzhanske (84km south-east of Luhansk) for an hour, the SMM saw six cars (two with Ukrainian and four with Russian Federation licence plates) and six covered cargo trucks (including three with Ukrainian licence plates and one with “LPR” plates) exiting Ukraine as well as seven cars, a covered cargo truck and a bus entering Ukraine.

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 (for example see SMM Daily Report 4 May 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:

• On 5 May, while present at a border crossing point near Izvaryne, a member of the armed formations demanded that the SMM leave the area.
• On 5 May, while present at a border crossing point near Sievernyi, a member of the armed formations demanded that the SMM leave the area.
• On 5 May, at a checkpoint near Olenivka (23km south-west of Donetsk), a man wearing camouflage attire demanded that the SMM leave the area.
• On 5 May, at a checkpoint near Kreminets (16km south-west of Donetsk), a man wearing camouflage attire demanded that the SMM leave the area.
• On 6 May, four armed members of the armed formations prevented the SMM from passing through a checkpoint east of Mineralne (non-government-controlled, 10km north-east of Donetsk).

Related to disengagement areas and mines/UXO:

• On 5 and 6 May, 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 no demining had taken place during the previous 24 hours. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed and informed the JCCC on both occasions.[3]
• On 5 and 6 May, 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 no demining had taken place during the previous 24 hours. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed and informed the JCCC on both occasions.4
• On 5 and 6 May, 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.

Conditional:

• At a checkpoint south of Debaltseve, a member of the armed formations demanded to visually inspect the trunks of the SMM’s patrol vehicles before allowing the SMM to pass.

[1] For a complete breakdown of the ceasefire violations, please see the annexed table. The SMM cameras at the entry-exit checkpoints in Marinka, Maiorsk and Pyshchevyk were 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.