Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 1 June 2018

This report is for the media and the general public.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region, compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM observed fresh damage in a residential area of Dokuchaievsk. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote disengagement area. The Mission’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas and elsewhere, including near Izvaryne and Sievernyi at the border with the Russian Federation. The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Oleksandropil and Tarasivka. The SMM’s monitoring and facilitation of the access of Voda Donbassa water company employees to the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS) as well as of repair works to the DFS were interrupted due to the presence of anti-tank mines near the station. The SMM heard ceasefire violations near the DFS, despite security guarantees. It continued to monitor and facilitate repairs to high-voltage power lines near Yuzhna-Lomuvatka and Almazna. In Kyiv, the SMM observed a gathering on the occasion of International Children’s Day.

In Donetskregion, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations[1], including, however, fewer explosions (about 120), compared with the previous reporting period (about 150 explosions). 

On the evening and night of 31 May-1 June, the SMM camera at the DFS (15km north of Donetsk) recorded, in sequence, two projectiles in flight from north-north-east to south-south-west, two projectiles from south to north, five projectiles from north to south, followed by 13 projectiles (eight from west-north-west to east-north-east, two from south to north, one from north-north-east to south-south-west, one from north to south and one from south-west to north-east) and an undetermined explosion, all 0.15-3km west.

On the evening and night of 31 May-1 June, the SMM camera at the entry-exit checkpoint in Maiorsk (government-controlled, 45km north-east of Donetsk) recorded, in sequence, two illumination flares from south-east to north-west, an undetermined explosion, 13 projectiles in flight from north to south, followed by totals of 14 undetermined explosions, 161 projectiles (100 from south to north, 59 from north to south, one from east to west and one from west to east), eight illumination flares from east to west and three bursts, all 1-4km east and east-south-east.

On the evening and night of 31 May-1 June, the SMM camera at the Oktiabr mine (non-government-controlled, 9km north-west of Donetsk) recorded, in sequence, two projectiles from west to east, an undetermined explosion and ten projectiles from south-west to north-east, followed by totals of two illumination flares in vertical flight and 15 projectiles (ten from west-south-west to east-north-east, one from west to east and four from south-west to north-east), all 1-6km north-east.

On the evening and night of 31 May-1 June, while in Svitlodarsk (government-controlled, 57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard 39 explosions (12 assessed as mortar rounds, four as infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (BMP-1) cannon fire, four as artillery rounds and the remainder as undetermined) and about 590 bursts and shots of IFV (BMP-2) cannon fire, heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all 1-9km at directions ranging from south-east to south-west. During the day on 1 June, the SMM heard three undetermined explosions and 11 bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire, all 2-5km south-east and south-south-east.

On the evening of 31 May, positioned in Debaltseve (non-government-controlled, 58km north-east of Donetsk) the SMM heard 20 undetermined explosions and about 35 bursts and shots of small-arms fire, all 0.4-8km south-south-east and north-north-west. 

Positioned about 1km north-west of the railway station in Yasynuvata (non-government-controlled, 16km north-east of Donetsk) the SMM heard 21 undetermined explosions and about 20 bursts and shots of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all 1-2km at directions ranging from west-south-west to north. 

In Luhanskregion, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including one explosion, compared with the previous reporting period (five explosions).

The SMM observed fresh damage to a civilian property in a residential area of Dokuchaievsk (non-government-controlled, 30km south-west of Donetsk). At 84 Lenina Street, the SMM saw fresh damage (a hole, approximately 15cm in diameter) with cracks radiating from it to the edges of the outer glass pane of a plastic frame of a north-facing double-glazed window on the ground floor of a five-storey apartment building, assessed as probably caused by shrapnel or a ricocheting bullet. The SMM also saw shards of broken glass on the ground below the window. The owner (woman, 30-40 years old) told the SMM that on the evening of 30 May, while she was inside her apartment, she had heard firing and an explosion.

On 24 May, aerial imagery revealed ten buildings damaged by probable shelling (including six without roofs) near Lopaskyne (government-controlled, 23km north-west of Luhansk) (not seen in imagery from 13 November 2017).

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 hardwareof 21 September 2016. The SMM’s access remained restricted, but the Mission was able to partially monitor them.* 

On the evening and night of 31 May-1 June, the SMM camera in Zolote recorded, in sequence, an undetermined explosion, four projectiles in flight from south-west to north-east and a projectile from south-east to north-west, all 0.5-8km south, south-west and north-east (all assessed as outside the disengagement area). 

Positioned near the Petrivske and Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area, the SMM observed a calm situation.  

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

In violation of withdrawal lines, in government-controlled areas, an SMM long-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) on 31 May spotted an anti-tank gun (MT-12 Rapira, 100mm) in Oleksandropil (43km north of Donetsk) and two self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) in Tarasivka (43km north-west of Donetsk).

Beyond withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites, in government-controlled areas, an SMM long-range UAV on 31 May spotted a surface-to-air missile system (9K37) south-east of Lozuvatske (35km north-west of Donetsk) and three surface-to-air missile systems (9K33 Osa) east of Valerianivka (51km south-west of Donetsk).

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles[2]and new trenches in the security zone. In non-government-controlled areas, on 27 May aerial imagery revealed the presence of four armoured combat vehicles (type undetermined) in the northern outskirts of Horlivka (39km north-east of Donetsk). On 31 May, an SMM long-range UAV spotted an IFV (BMP-1) north-west of Petrivske, an armoured personnel carrier (APC) (MT-LB) and an IFV (BMP-1) near Styla (34km south of Donetsk),an IFV near Bohdanivka (41km south-west of Donetsk), an armoured reconnaissance vehicle (BRDM-2) and four IFVs (BMP-1) south-east of Bohdanivka (about 700m south of the disengagement area near Petrivske)and three IFVs (two BMP-1 and one probable BMP-2) near Dokuchaievsk. On 1 June, an SMM patrol saw an IFV (BTR-80) in Donetsk city centre.

In government-controlled areas, on 30 May, aerial imagery revealed the presence of new trenches in areas north and south of Pivdenne (40km north-east of Donetsk) (not present in imagery from 28 April 2018). On 31 May, an SMM long-range UAV spotted two probable APCs (MT-LB) near Novohnativka (40km south of Donetsk) and an IFV (BMP-1) near Berezove (31km south-west of Donetsk). On 1 June, the SMM saw an IFV (unknown type) in Zolote.

The SMM observed possible demining activities. On the northern outskirts of Nikishyne (non-government-controlled, 60km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM saw a Kamaz truck and eight people wearing dark blue-green clothing, one of whom was carrying a metal detector, in a field (marked with white tape) 20m west of the road running north from Nikishyne to the junction with the M-03/E-50 highway. About 2km further north, 700m east of Ridkodub (non-government-controlled, 61km north-east of Donetsk), the same SMM patrol observed an Ural truck and a minibus carrying a group of people wearing the same type of clothing.

The SMM observed a mine hazard sign in the northern outskirts of Krasna Talivka (government-controlled, 51km north-east of Luhansk), reading “Caution, demining is in progress” in Ukrainian and Russian language and bearing the logo of an international organization.

The SMM’s monitoring and facilitation of the access of Voda Donbassa water company employees to the DFS as well as of repair works to the DFS were interrupted due to the observation of 18 anti-tank mines 1.2km north of the DFSacross road H-20. The SMM informed Ukrainian Armed Forces officers of the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) about the presence of these mines. A demining team from the Ukrainian State Emergency Services then cleared a 6-8m wide corridor on the highway asphalt but did not remove the anti-tank mines from the road. The patrol decided not to proceed further due to security concerns and the operation was subsequently suspended. Positioned in the same location, the SMM heard undetermined explosions as well as small-arms fire (see ceasefire violation section above), despite explicit security guarantees.

The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to high-voltage power lines near Yuzhna-Lomuvatka (non-government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk) and Almazna (non-government-controlled, 55km west of Luhansk).

The SMM visited two border areas not under government control. While at a border crossing point near Izvaryne (52km south-east of Luhansk)for about five minutes, the SMM saw eight cars (licence plates not visible), and two buses (one with Ukrainian licence plates, the other not visible) exiting Ukraine, and a bus (with “LPR” plates) entering Ukraine. An armed member of the armed formations then approached the SMM and told it to leave the area.*

While at a border crossing point near Sievernyi (50km south-east of Luhansk) for about five minutes, the SMM observed no traffic across the border. An armed member of the armed formations then approached the SMM and told it to leave the area.*

On 1 June, in Kyiv, the SMM observed a pre-announced gatheringon the occasion of International Children’s Day titled “Children Internally Displaced Persons into Nowhere: Let’s Protect Their Future”, held by a non-governmental organization. The SMM saw about 30 people (about half of them children, aged 3 to 12) gathered at Independence Square, many of whom held blue or yellow balloons. Some of the children were painting cardboard houses or writing on a banner about how they wished to be able to live in homes of their own. 

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 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 near Izvaryne, a member of the armed formations told the SMM to leave the area.
• At a border crossing point near Sievernyi, an armed member of the armed formations told the SMM to leave the area, saying that the restrictions on the SMM’s presence were still in place.

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 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.[3]
• The SMMwas 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.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.
• The SMM was prevented from accessing the DFS due to the presence of 18 anti-tank mines 1.2km north of the DFS on road H-20.

Other impediments:

• At a hospital in Horlivka, medical staff refused to speak with the SMM without permission from a member of the armed formations.
• A mini-UAV was temporarily jammed while flying over an area near Berdianske (government-controlled, 18km east of Mariupol).
• An SMM long-range UAV was temporarily jammed while flying over an area near Yablunivka (government-controlled, 49km north of Donetsk).[4] 
• An SMM long-range UAV was temporarily jammed while flying over areas near Stepanivka (government controlled, 54km north of Donetsk). 

[1]For a complete breakdown of the ceasefire violations, please see the annexed table. The SMM camera at the entry-exit checkpoint in Marinka was not operational during the reporting period.

[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.

[4]The interference could have originated from anywhere in a radius of several kilometres of the UAV’s position.