Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 5 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. Small arms were fired in the direction of an SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) near Zaitseve and an SMM long-range UAV was jammed near Horlivka. The SMM followed up on reports of two civilian casualties, in Vozdvyzhenka and in an area close to the contact line. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations near all three disengagement areas. The Mission’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas and was also restricted near Siedove, an area in Donetsk region near the border with the Russian Federation. The SMM monitored the security situation and successfully facilitated the access of Voda Donbassa water company employees to and from the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS), as well as of repair works to the DFS and demining activities around the station. Due to ceasefire violations registered in the area and the presence of explosive devices near the DFS, the Mission decided to suspend and review its facilitation of the physical access of DFS employees through enhanced SMM presence. It continued to monitor and facilitate repairs to the Petrivske pumping station in Artema.

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations[1], including, however, fewer explosions (about 170), compared with the previous reporting period (about 180 explosions).

On the evening and night of 4-5 June, the SMM camera at the DFS (15km north of Donetsk) recorded, in sequence, a projectile in flight from north-west to south-east, an illumination flare in vertical flight and a projectile from west to east, followed by totals of 24 undetermined explosions, one illumination flare in vertical flight and 138 projectiles (26 from east to west, 112 from west to east), all 1-4km south.

On the evening and night of 3-4 June, the SMM camera at the entry-exit checkpoint in Maiorsk (government-controlled, 45km north-east of Donetsk) recorded, in sequence, three undetermined explosions, five projectiles in flight from south-east to north-west and a projectile from south to north, followed by totals of 12 undetermined explosions and 330 projectiles (127 from south-east to north-west, 49 from north to south, 66 from south to north, 83 from north-west to south-east, one from north-east to south-west, one from south-west to north-east and three from east to west), all 1-2km east.

On the evening and night of 3-4 June, the SMM camera at Oktiabr mine (non-government-controlled, 9km north-west of Donetsk) recorded, in sequence, two projectiles from west to east, seven projectiles from south to north and a projectile from east to west, followed by totals of two undetermined explosions, an illumination flare in vertical flight and 14 projectiles (one from north-west to south-east, 12 from south to north, and one from west to east), all 1-3km east and north-west.

On the evening and night of 4-5 June, while in Svitlodarsk (government-controlled, 57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard 57 undetermined explosions and about 920 shots and bursts of small-arms and heavy-machine-gun fire, all 3-5km south-south-east.

On the night of 4-5 June, while in Debaltseve (non-government-controlled, 58km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard 16 undetermined explosions and three shots of small-arms fire, all 1-8km north-west and west-north-west.

Positioned at the DFS for about three hours, the SMM heard nine undetermined explosions and 13 bursts of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all 1-3km east and south-west.

Positioned about 1km north-west of the railway station in Yasynuvata (non-government-controlled, 16km north-east of Donetsk) for about two hours, the SMM heard 18 undetermined explosions and 11 shots and bursts of small-arms fire, all 1-4km north, west and south-west.

While conducting a mini-UAV flight in the western part of Zaitseve (government-controlled, 62km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard about 20 shots of small-arms fire, 50-70m south of its position. The SMM assessed that the shots had likely been aimed at the UAV. The SMM landed the UAV, which was undamaged. A few minutes later, two Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers approached the SMM and apologized for shooting at the SMM UAV. The SMM then departed the area.     

In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations[2], including, however, more explosions (three explosions), compared with the previous reporting period (one explosion).

The SMM followed up on reports of two civilian casualties due to small-arms fire. In Luhanske (government-controlled, 59km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM spoke with a man (64 years old) with a bandage on his left hip. He told the SMM that he had been injured by a bullet on 28 May around 21:30 while he had been in the yard of his house at 96 Luhova Street in Vozdvyzhenka (government-controlled, 66km north-east of Donetsk), about 8km from the contact line. A Ukrainian Armed Forces representative of the JCCC told the SMM that a civilian with the same name and address had been wounded on 28 May. The deputy head doctor of a hospital in Svitlodarsk told the SMM that the man had been admitted to the hospital in the early morning hours of 29 May, received treatment for a bullet wound to his left hip and had been released on 30 May.

At the same hospital, a man (61 years old) told the SMM that he had been shot as he tried to cross the contact line on foot from the area around Debaltseve towards Svitlodarsk during ongoing fighting on the morning of 2 June. The SMM saw that he was in shock. Medical staff at the hospital told the SMM that the man had been admitted to the hospital on the afternoon of 2 June and had received treatment for an open displaced fracture of a bone in the lower part of his left leg, caused by a bullet which had penetrated and exited the bone. In Svitlodarsk, a police officer told the SMM that the man was a resident of the area around Debaltseve and had been admitted to the hospital on 2 June.

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 3-4 June, the SMM camera at the Prince Ihor Monument south-east of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge (15km north-east of Luhansk) recorded two undetermined explosions 4-8km north-north-east, as well as an illumination flare in vertical flight and 15 muzzle flashes 50-200m north and north-north-west (all assessed as outside the disengagement area). During the same evening, while on the eastern edge of Stanytsia Luhanska, the SMM heard six shots of heavy-machine-gun fire 3-5km south-east (assessed as outside the disengagement area).

On the night of 4-5 June, the SMM camera in Zolote recorded an undetermined explosion and six projectiles in flight (two from south to north and four from north-west to south-east), all 8-15km east (assessed as outside the disengagement area).

Inside the Zolote disengagement area, on 28 May, an SMM mid-range UAV spotted for the first time a footpath originating from the southern edge of the disengagement area (about 600m east of road T1316) and leading north-north-west along a tree line for about 900m, before turning west (for about 300m) and east (for about 200m). At the westernmost end of the footpath, the UAV spotted a newly dug trench about 40-metre-long.

Inside the Zolote disengagement area, the same UAV also spotted for the first time two rows of anti-tank mines: the first one about 600m north of the southern edge of the disengagement area and about 1km west of its eastern edge; the second one about 700m north from the southern edge of the disengagement area and 200m west of its eastern edge.

During the day on 5 June, positioned in Petrivske for about two and a half hours, the SMM heard 11 shots of small-arms fire 1-2km west (unable to assess whether inside or outside the disengagement area).

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

Beyond withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites in government-controlled areas, on 5 June, the SMM saw two tanks (T-64) on a flatbed truck in the western outskirts of Pidhorodne (73km north of Donetsk) and a towed anti-tank gun (MT-12 Rapira, 100mm) near Paraskoviivka (75km north of Donetsk).

The SMM revisited a permanent storage site whose location was beyond the respective withdrawal lines in a government-controlled area of Donetsk region and noted that the site continued to be abandoned and the following weapons were missing: 53 tanks (T-64) and seven mortars (five 2B9 Nona-S, 120mm, and two PM-38, 120mm).

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles and other indications of military-type presence in the security zone. In government-controlled areas, on 5 June, the SMM saw two armoured personnel carriers (APC) (BTR-80) near Voitove (33km north-west of Luhansk), and an armoured vehicle (unknown type) near Heorhiievka (27km south-west of Donetsk).

In non-government-controlled areas, on 3 June, an SMM mid-range UAV spotted two box-body military trucks (KamAZ-4310) with an antenna belonging to a TORN radio intelligence system near Debaltseve.

The SMM monitored the security situation and successfully facilitated the access of Voda Donbassa water company employees to and from the DFS, as well as of repair works to the DFS and demining activities around the station. Positioned in areas near the DFS, the SMM heard explosions and small-arms fire, despite explicit security guarantees (see above and the table for ceasefire violations). Approximately 1.2km north of the DFS on road H-20, the SMM continued to observe 25 anti-tank mines placed on the grass surface beside the eastern side of the road, and nine anti-tank mines in two rows on the western side of the road. (See SMM Daily Report 4 June 2018.) The SMM also saw for the first time a (probable 82mm) mortar tailfin sticking out of the asphalt on the eastern-side shoulder of the road. On 5 June, due to ceasefire violations registered in the area and the presence of explosive devices near the DFS, the SMM decided to suspend and review its facilitation of the physical access of DFS employees through enhanced SMM presence.

The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to the Petrivske pumping station in Artema (government-controlled, 26km north of Luhansk).

The SMM visited a border area not under government control. While at a border crossing point near Novoazovsk (40km east of Mariupol) for about an hour, the SMM saw 22 cars (eight with Ukrainian, seven with Russian Federation and one with Lithuanian licence plates, as well as six with “DPR” plates) and two minivans (with Ukrainian licence plates) entering Ukraine. The SMM also observed 18 cars (six with Ukrainian, six with Russian Federation, and one with Polish licence plates, as well as five with “DPR” plates), one minibus (with “DPR” plates) and two cargo trucks (one with Ukrainian, and one with Russian Federation licence plates) exiting 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 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, for example, SMM Daily Report 5 June 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 checkpoint about 1.2km north-west of Siedove (non-government-controlled, 33km north-east of Mariupol), near the border with the Russian Federation, four armed members of the armed formations denied the SMM access to the village, saying that a special operation was ongoing in the area and that the SMM needed to obtain permission from other members of the armed formations.

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 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.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:

• An SMM long-range UAV was jammed for six minutes while flying over areas near Horlivka (non-government-controlled, 39km north-east of Donetsk).[4]
• While conducting a mini-UAV flight near Zaitseve, the SMM heard about 20 shots of small-arms fire 50-70m south of the SMM’s position. The SMM landed the UAV, which was undamaged. A few minutes later, two Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers approached the SMM and apologized for shooting at the SMM UAV. The SMM then departed the area.   

[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] 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.

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