Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 18 June 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 24 hours. The Mission observed fresh damage caused by shelling in residential areas of Pikuzy and Novotoshkivske. Small arms were fired in the direction of an SMM unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) near Petrivske, assessed as targeting the UAV. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote and the Petrivske disengagement areas. The Mission’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas, and was also restricted near Izvaryne and Sievernyi at the border with the Russian Federation as well as near Holmivskyi and Zachativka. The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Oleksandropil and Khlibodarivka. It continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station, including through monitoring the security situation around the station. The SMM facilitated and monitored repairs of the water distribution network in Stanytsia Luhanska, the Petrivske pumping station near Artema and the Zolote-Popasna water pipeline.In Odessa, the Mission monitored a gathering in front of the Consulate General of the Russian Federation.

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations[1],including about 105 explosions, compared with the previous 24 hours (about 120 explosions). 

On the evening and night of 17-18 June, the SMM camera at the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS) (15km north of Donetsk) recorded three undetermined explosions, an illumination flare in vertical flight, seven muzzle flashes and 15 projectiles (six from south-east to north-west, four from north-west to south-east, four from west to east and a projectile from east to west), all 0.5-5km south.

On 18 June, positioned on the south-eastern edge of Avdiivka (government-controlled, 17km north of Donetsk), the SMM heard 11 undetermined explosions and 35 bursts and shots of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all 2-3km east and south-east. 

On the evening and night of 17-18 June, while in Svitlodarsk (government-controlled, 57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard about 70 undetermined explosions and about 240 shots and bursts of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all 3-5km south-east and south.

In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including ten explosions, compared with the previous 24 hours (one explosion). 

On 18 June, while flying an SMM mid-range UAV north of Petrivske (non-government-controlled, 41km south of Donetsk), the SMM heard six to eight shots of small-arms fire 1km south of its position, which it assessed were directed at the UAV.* The SMM landed the UAV safely and left the area.

The SMM observed fresh damage caused by shelling in residential areas of Pikuzy (formerly Kominternove, non-government-controlled, 23km north-east of Mariupol) and Novotoshkivske (government-controlled, 53km west of Luhansk).

On 17 June, on Akhmatovoi Street in Pikuzy, the SMM saw two holes in the corrugated asbestos boards covering the north-facing side of a shop’s roof and multiple small holes in the metal plates covering the roof’s peak. The SMM saw fragments of the metal plates on the stairs in front of the shop. It assessed that the damage had been caused by 73mm rounds, however, it could not assess the direction of fire. The SMM also saw a hole in the corrugated metal boards on the south-facing side of the shop’s roof as well as fragments of those metal boards on the ground below. It could not assess the weapon used or the direction of fire. A local resident (woman, in her fifties) told the SMM that shelling had occurred on the evening of 16 June.

At 17 Akhmatovoi Street, the SMM saw that parts of the corrugated asbestos boards covering the west-facing side of the roof of a residential one-storey building had been blown away. About 6m west of the building it saw a tree with one larger branch and several smaller branches broken. The SMM assessed the damage to have been caused by a 73mm round coming from a westerly direction. 

At 19 Akhmatovoi Street, the SMM saw a crater on a paved driveway leading to a one-storey residential building, 16m north of the building and 1m north of a passenger car parked in front of the entrance gate. It saw that the car’s boot and boot lid were twisted and pierced with multiple holes. Inside the crater, the SMM saw pieces of shrapnel which it assessed as parts of an 82mm mortar shell. It assessed that the fire had come from a westerly direction. 

At 21 Akhmatovoi Street, the SMM saw a hole in the north-facing gable of a one-storey residential building as well as broken and damaged branches of a tree 6m north-east of the building. The SMM was unable to assess the weapon used or the direction of fire. 

On 17 June, at 2 Oleha Vatazhka Street in Novotoshkivske, the SMM saw three craters: the first one in a paved road, 20m east of the south-eastern corner of afour-storey apartment building; the second one in grass 9m east of the building’s south-eastern corner; and the third one in grass 18m west of the building’s south-western corner. The SMM saw multiple shrapnel marks on the south-east corner of the building and six broken windows on the ground floor and the first floor. It also saw shrapnel marks and broken windows on the east side of a second building situated 26m west of the first one. The SMM assessed the damage to have been caused by 120mm mortar rounds coming from a south-easterly direction.Three residents of the first building (women, in their sixties) told the SMM that shelling had occurred at around 21:30 on 14 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, 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 of 16 June, the SMM camera in Zolote recorded an explosion assessed as an impact of a round of an undetermined weapon, followed by 15 bursts of anti-aircraft-gun (ZU-23, 23mm) fire, all 5-10km at directions ranging from east-north-east to south (all assessed as outside the disengagement area).

On the evening and night of 17-18 June, the same camera recorded, in sequence, four projectiles in flight from west to east, nine projectiles in vertical flight and eight projectiles in flight from north-north-west to south-south-east, followed by totals of one undetermined explosion and 74 projectiles (42 in vertical flight, 31 from west to east and one from south to north), all 5-10km east, east-south-east and south (all assessed as outside the disengagement area).

On 18 June, positioned 2km north of Petrivske, the SMM heard four undetermined explosions and about 30 bursts and shots of small-arms fire, all 1-2km south and south-south-west (all assessed as outside the disengagement area).

Positioned in the disengagement area near Stanytsia Luhanska, 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, on 16 June, an SMM mid-range UAV spotted three self-propelled howitzers (2S3 Akatsiya, 152mm) and an anti-tank gun (MT-12 Rapira, 100mm) near Oleksandropil (43km north of Donetsk). On 18 June, the SMM saw four multiple launch rocket systems (BM-21 Grad, 122mm) near Khlibodarivka (65km south-west of Donetsk).

Beyond withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites in government-controlled areas, on 16 June, an SMM mid-range UAV spotted 15 tanks (type undetermined) near Oleksandropil. On 18 June, the SMM saw six self-propelled howitzers (one 2S3 and five 2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) and two surface-to-air missile systems (9K35 Strela-10) at a railway station in Khlibodarivka and two self-propelled howitzers (2S1) west of Zachativka (74km south-west of Donetsk).

Beyond withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites in a non-government-controlled area, the SMM saw four tanks (T-64) near Kruhlyk (31km south-west of Luhansk).

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles [2] in the security zone. In government-controlled areas, on 17 June, an SMM long-range UAV spotted four infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) (BMP-2) north-east of Starohnativka (51km south of Donetsk), an IFV (BMP variant) near Bohdanivka (41km south-west of Donetsk) and an armoured reconnaissance vehicle (type undetermined) near Nevelske (18km north-west of Donetsk). On 18 June, the SMM saw an IFV (BTR-4) near Stepove (30km north-east of Luhansk) and an armoured personnel carrier (APC) (BRDM-2) near Trokhizbenka (32km north-west of Luhansk).

In non-government-controlled areas, on 17 June, an SMM long-range UAV spotted an IFV (BMP-1) and an APC (MT-LB variant) near Bila Kamianka (51km south of Donetsk) and an APC (type undetermined) south-east of Styla (34km south of Donetsk).

The SMM continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station, including through monitoring adherence to the ceasefire. Positioned in areas near the DFS, the SMM heard ceasefire violations, despite explicit security guarantees (see above and table below for ceasefire violations). 

The SMM facilitated and monitored repairs of the water distribution network in Stanytsia Luhanska. It also continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to the Petrivske pumping station near Artema (government-controlled, 26km north of Luhansk) and the Zolote-Popasna water pipeline near Popasna (government-controlled, 69km 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), the SMM saw 28 cars (13 with Ukrainian, 11 with Russian Federation, one with Georgian and one with Lithuanian licence plates, and two with “LPR” plates), a bus with Ukrainian licence plates and 21 pedestrians (mixed gender and ages) waiting to exit Ukraine. After about ten minutes, a member of the armed formations told the SMM to leave the area.*  

While at a border crossing point near Sievernyi (50km south-east of Luhansk), the SMM saw 18 cars (12 with Ukrainian and six with Russian Federation licence plates) waiting to exit Ukraine. After about a minute, an armed member of the armed formations told the SMM to leave the area.*

On 16 June, the SMM monitored a gathering in front of the Consulate General of the Russian Federation at 14 Haharinske Plateau in Odessa. The SMM saw 20 people (men and women of different age groups), including some known to the SMM as members of the Auto-Maidan group. Speeches were held in support of releasing Ukrainians detained in the Russian Federation and boycotting the FIFA World Cup. Some of those gathered poured red liquid on four footballs and threw them over a wall onto the consulate premises. The SMM saw about 30 law enforcement officers present. It observed the gathering dispersing without further incidents.

The SMM continued monitoring in Kherson, 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 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: 

• On 17 June, in Zachativka (government-controlled, 74km south-west of Donetsk), a Ukrainian Armed Forces soldier told the SMM to leave the area. 
• On 18 June, near Holmivskyi (non-government-controlled, 49km north-east of Donetsk), a member of the armed formations told the SMM to move at least 500m away from its position.  
• On 18 June, at a border crossing point near Izvaryne, a member of the armed formations told the SMM to leave the area.
• On 18 June, at a border crossing point near Sievernyi, an armed member of the armed formations told the SMM to leave 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 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. [3]
• 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 did not travel across the bridge in Shchastia (20km north of Luhansk) due to the presence of mines. At a checkpoint south of the bridge, an armed member of the armed formations told the SMM that he had no information regarding demining activities in the area. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed.

Other impediments:

• On 17 June, at a checkpoint on road H15 east of Kreminets (non-government-controlled, 16km south-west of Donetsk), a member of the armed formations told the SMM it could not park its vehicles inside the checkpoint area.
• On 18 June, whileconducting a mini-UAV flight near Petrivske, the SMM heard six to eight shots of small-arms fire 1km south of its position, which it assessed as directed at the UAV. The SMM landed the UAV safely.

[1] Please see the annexed table for a complete breakdown of the ceasefire violations as well as a map of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions marked with locations featured in this report. The SMM cameras at the entry-exit checkpoints in Marinka and Pyshchevyk were 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.