Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 6 July 2018

This report is for the media and the general public.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. Small-arms fire was directed at an SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle near non-government-controlled Vesele in Donetsk region. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. The SMM’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas and was restricted near Izvaryne, Voznesenivka and Siedove, near the border with the Russian Federation, and near Horlivka. The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. The Mission continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station, including through monitoring the security situation around the station, as well as repairs and maintenance works to other essential civilian infrastructure. In Kyiv, the SMM followed up on an incident at an office where a political party was scheduled to hold a meeting.

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations[1], including 42 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (33 explosions).

On the evening and night of 5-6 July, the SMM camera at the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS) (15km north of Donetsk) recorded, in sequence, a projectile in flight from east-south-east to west-north-west, a projectile from east to west and four projectiles from west-north-west to east-south-east, followed by totals of seven projectiles (three from north-west to south-east, two from east-north-east to west-north-west, one from east-north-east to west-south-west and one in vertical flight) and an illumination flare in vertical flight, all 0.8-4km south and south-south-west.

On the evening and night of 5-6 July, the SMM camera at the entry-exit checkpoint in Maiorsk (government-controlled, 45km north-east of Donetsk) recorded, in sequence, six projectiles in flight from north-north-west to south-south-east and three projectiles from south-south-east to north-north-west, followed by totals of 29 projectiles (14 from north-north-west to south-south-east and 15 from south-south-east to north-north-west) and 13 illumination flares in vertical flight, all 2-4km east-north-east.

On the evening of 5 July, while in Svitlodarsk (government-controlled, 57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard seven undetermined explosions 3-6km south. During the day on 6 July, while at the same location, the SMM heard 17 undetermined explosions 5-6km south-east.

During the day on 6 July, positioned about 1km north-west of the railway station in Yasynuvata (non-government-controlled, 16km north-east of Donetsk) for about six hours, the SMM heard 12 undetermined explosions, about 40 bursts and shots of small-arms fire and two minutes of uncountable and overlapping bursts and shots of small-arms fire, all 0.5-6km at directions ranging from south-west to north, as well as an undetermined explosion 5-6km east.

In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including 36 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (two explosions).

During the day on 6 July, positioned 1.5km east of Popasna (government-controlled, 69km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard three explosions assessed as impacts of artillery rounds 5-7km south and three explosions assessed as outgoing artillery rounds 2-3km south-west.

Positioned about 1.5km south of Kalynove (non-government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard seven undetermined explosions 10-11km north-west.

Positioned on the north-western edge of Orikhove (government-controlled, 57km north-west of Luhansk), the SMM heard ten undetermined explosions 8-10km south-south-west.

Positioned about 2km north of Vesele (non-government-controlled, 28km north-east of Mariupol), while flying a mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the SMM heard 12 shots of small-arms fire about 2km south of its position, which it assessed as aimed at the UAV. The SMM landed the UAV and left the area.

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 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.*

Positioned near the Zolote and Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement areas, the SMM observed calm situations. Due to the presence of mines, including those on a road between Bohdanivka and Petrivske, the SMM’s access to its camera in Petrivske remained limited.

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 a government-controlled area, on 5 July, an SMM long-range UAV spotted a stationary self-propelled howitzer (2S3 Akatsiya, 152mm) in a compound in Ocheretyne (31km north-west of Donetsk).

In violation of withdrawal lines in non-government-controlled areas, on 5 July, an SMM long-range UAV again spotted two stationary tanks (T-64) in a residential area of Verkhnoshyrokivske (formerly Oktiabr, 85km south of Donetsk), one of which was parked 1m from the nearest civilian house (see SMM Daily Report 16 February 2018). The same day, an SMM mid-range UAV spotted a tank (T-72) in the south-eastern residential area of Pikuzy (formerly Kominternove, 23km north-east of Mariupol), a village where the Mission had recently observed shelling impacts (see SMM Daily Report 23 June 2018).

The SMM revisited a permanent storage site in a non-government-controlled area of Donetsk region and observed that 12 tanks (six T64 and six T72) were again missing.

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles[2] and other indications of military presence in the security zone. In government-controlled areas, on 5 July, an SMM long-range UAV spotted an armoured personnel carrier (APC) (BTR-70) near Nevelske (18km north-west of Donetsk), an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (BMP-2) near Novomykhailivka (28km south-west of Donetsk) and three APCs (MT-LB) near Yasnobrodivka (25km north-west of Donetsk). On 6 July, the SMM saw an IFV (BMP-2) in the garden of a residential house in Hranitne (60km south of Donetsk), an APC (BTR variant) near Artema (26km north of Luhansk) and an APC (MT-LB variant) near Troitske (69km west of Luhansk).

On 5 July, an SMM mid-range UAV spotted four houses with damage assessed as caused by shelling in Vodiane (94km south of Donetsk) (not visible in imagery from 10 April 2018) as well as trenches leading to two of the houses. On the south-eastern edge of the village, the same UAV spotted 14 recent craters assessed as caused by probable 120mm mortar rounds fired from an east-north-easterly direction (not visible in imagery from 1 June 2018). About 800m east of the village, the UAV spotted a probable IFV (BMP-1) and trenches.

In Troitske, the SMM observed a Ukrainian Armed Forces compound 350m from a functioning school building.

In non-government-controlled areas, on 5 July, an SMM long-range UAV spotted an IFV (BMP-2) and three APCs (two BTR-80 and one MT-LB) near Bezimenne (30km east of Mariupol), two IFVs (BMP variants) near Bila Kamianka (51km south of Donetsk) and an APC (BTR variant) near Styla (34km south of Donetsk).

The SMM continued to facilitate the operation of the DFS, 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 details). The SMM also continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to a water pipeline near Zaitseve (non-government-controlled, 50km north-east of Donetsk), a water channel and fibre-optic cables in Stanytsia Luhanska, a water pipeline in Novotoshkivske (government-controlled, 53km west of Luhansk) and a power line near Raivka (non-government-controlled, 16km north-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 two buses (one with Russian Federation licence plates) and a truck (with Ukrainian licence plates) entering Ukraine. Upon arrival, a member of the armed formations immediately told the SMM to leave the area.* While at a border crossing point near Voznesenivka (formerly Chervonopartyzansk, 65km south-east of Luhansk), the SMM observed a bus entering Ukraine. After about 20 minutes, a member of the armed formations told the SMM to leave the area.*

In Kyiv, the SMM followed up on reports of an incident that occurred in the building where the Rozumna Syla (“wise force”) political party was scheduled to hold a meeting. At 33 Velyka Zhytomyrska Street, the SMM saw two police officers and two paramedics inside the building, as well as four police officers, a police car and an ambulance parked outside. The SMM attended a press conference where a man, who introduced himself as the deputy leader of the Rozumna Syla party, said that earlier in the morning about 30 young men, some wearing balaclavas, had entered yelling. He said that some of the group had become violent and attacked him. The SMM saw that the he had a swollen eye and red blood spots on his shirt.

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 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:

• 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 Voznesenivka, a member of the armed formations told the SMM to leave the area.
• At a checkpoint northwest of Siedove (non-government-controlled, 33km north-east of Mariupol), five armed members of the armed formations denied the SMM access to the town and said that prior permission was needed from senior members of the armed formations.
• On two occasions, at a checkpoint near Horlivka (nongovernment-controlled, 39km north-east of Donetsk), an armed member of the armed formations requested to inspect the trunks of the SMM’s vehicles. The SMM refused both times and was not allowed to proceed through the checkpoint. On one occasion, the SMM saw a minivan with the logo of an international organization passing through the checkpoint without undergoing any inspection.

Regular restrictions 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.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 did not travel across the bridge in Shchastia (governmentcontrolled, 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.

Conditional:

• At a checkpoint on road H15 east of Kreminets (non-government-controlled, 16km south-west of Donetsk), a member of the armed formations allowed the SMM to proceed only after having visually inspected an SMM trailer.

Other impediments:

• Positioned north of Vesele, the SMM heard 12 shots of smallarms fire in an area where it was flying a mini-UAV, assessed as directed at the UAV. The SMM landed the mini-UAV and left the area (see above).

 

[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.

* 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.