Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 9 July 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 Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded a ceasefire violation near the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area and continued to observe military presence inside the Zolote and Petrivske disengagement areas. The SMM’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas and was restricted near Starolaspa in Donetsk region and at a military-type compound in Luhansk region. The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Kreminna, Krasnorichenske and Chervonopopivka. 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 near Artema, Novotoshkivske, Novoselivka, Stanytsia Luhanska and Bolotene. In Kyiv, the SMM observed a public gathering.

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations[1], including, however, fewer explosions (15), compared with the previous reporting period (about 20 explosions).

On the evening and night of 8-9 July, the SMM camera at the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS) (15km north of Donetsk) recorded, in sequence, an undetermined explosion, seven projectiles in flight from west to east and a projectile from south-west to north-east, followed by totals of 26 projectiles (20 from west to east, four from east to west and two from north-north-west to south-south-east), an illumination flare in vertical flight and an undetermined explosion, all 0.3-3km south and south-south-west.

On the evening and night of 8-9 July, the SMM camera at the entry-exit checkpoint in Maiorsk (government-controlled, 45km north-east of Donetsk) recorded, in sequence, an undetermined explosion, four projectiles and a burst in vertical flight and 15 projectiles from south to north, followed by totals of 22 projectiles (12 from north to south and ten from south to north) and an undetermined explosion, all 2-3km east.

On the evening and night of 8-9 July, the SMM camera at the entry-exit checkpoint in Pyshchevyk (government-controlled, 25km north-east of Mariupol) recorded, in sequence, six projectiles in flight from north-east to south-west, an undetermined explosion and two illumination flares in vertical flight, followed by totals of 31 projectiles (including 14 projectiles from south-west to north-east and 13 from west to east), an illumination flare from east to west and two muzzle flashes, all 2-3km east.

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

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)[2], 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.*

While on the eastern edge of Stanytsia Luhanska, the SMM heard a shot of small-arms fire 1-1.5km south, assessed as outside the disengagement area.

Positioned near Katerynivka (government-controlled, 64km west of Luhansk), the SMM observed a black car with military licence plates and uniformed Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel inside entering the Zolote disengagement area from the north before heading west.

On 7 July, an SMM mid-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) again spotted 25 anti-tank mines (TM-62) on the road between Bohdanivka (government-controlled, 41km south-west of Donetsk) and Viktorivka (42km south-west of Donetsk), about 170m north of the Petrivske disengagement area (see SMM Daily Report 28 February 2018). The same UAV spotted two infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) inside the Petrivske disengagement area: a BMP-1 in a tree line about 500m north of the disengagement area’s southern edge and 1km from its western edge and a BMP-2 900m of its southern edge and 1.6km from its eastern edge. The same UAV also spotted trenches, including one being fortified about 800m south of Viktorivka, inside the Petrivske disengagement area, as well as three recent impacts of mortar rounds on the south-eastern edge of 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.

In violation of withdrawal lines in government-controlled areas, the SMM saw 12 multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) (BM-27 Uragan, 220mm) near Kreminna (97km north-west of Luhansk), seven MLRS (BM-27) near Krasnorichenske (109km north-west of Luhansk) and an MLRS (BM-27) near Chervonopopivka (106km north-west of Luhansk).

Beyond withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites in a non-government-controlled area, the SMM saw four tanks (type undetermined) near Ternove (57km east of Donetsk).

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles and an anti-aircraft gun[3] in the security zone. In government-controlled areas, on 7 July, an SMM mid-range UAV spotted two IFV (BMP-2) in a residential area in Bohdanivka, an IFV (BMP-2) south-east of Bohdanivka, an IFV (BMP-1) near Mykolaivka (40km south of Donetsk) and two IFVs (a BMP-1 and a BMP-2) inside the Petrivske disengagement area (see above). On the same day, an SMM long-range UAV spotted three armoured personnel carriers (APC) (type undetermined) near Zaitseve (62km north-east of Donetsk), an APC (type undetermined) near Vidrodzhennia (formerly Dymytrova, 58km north-east of Donetsk) and an armoured combat vehicle (type undetermined) near Novoluhanske (53km north-east of Donetsk). On 8 July, an SMM mini-UAV spotted an IFV (BMP variant) near a Ukrainian Armed Forces checkpoint north of the Zolote disengagement area, as well as three IFVs (two BMP-1 and a BMP-2) east of the abovementioned checkpoint (outside the disengagement area), an IFV (BMP-1) in a residential area near Katerynivka, three APCs (MT-LB), an armoured recovery vehicle (BREM-2) and a fire control vehicle (1VXX series) near Shchastia (20km north of Luhansk) and two APCs (a BTR-70 and a BTR-80) and two IFVs (a BMP-1 and a BMP variant) near Artema (26km north of Luhansk).

In non-government-controlled-areas, an SMM long-range UAV spotted, on 7 July, two armoured combat vehicles (type undetermined) near Lozove (52km north-east of Donetsk). On 9 July, an SMM mini-UAV spotted an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23, 23mm) mounted on an APC (MT-LB), an IFV (BMP-2) and two APCs (BTR-80) on the north-western edge of Luhansk city, as well as an IFV (BMP-2) and an APC (BTR-80) near Pryvitne (11km north of Luhansk).

The SMM monitored the situation of civilians living close to the contact line. Accompanied by Ukrainian Armed Forces officers of the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC), the SMM reached Pisky (government-controlled, 11km north-west of Donetsk) for the first time since August 2017, as well as Opytne (government-controlled, 12km north-west of Donetsk) and Vodiane (government-controlled, 15km north-west of Donetsk) for the first time since 2016.[4] In Pisky, the SMM saw two Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers exiting a house. In Pisky and Opytne, the SMM observed that the electricity was not functioning. Residents of the two settlements told the SMM that there has been no electricity since the beginning of the conflict. In Pisky, the SMM observed a one-meter-wide metal sign with the words “Red Zone” written on it in English in red letters.

The SMM observed that the Vodafone mobile phone network was disrupted from 09:00 until 17:00 on 9 July in areas outside government control in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. In Luhansk region, the Lugakom mobile phone network was also disrupted during the same period.

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 the Petrivske pumping station in Artema, a water pipeline in Novotoshkivske (government-controlled, 53km west of Luhansk), a power line in Novoselivka (non-government-controlled, 17km north-west of Luhansk), a water channel in Stanytsia Luhanska and wells near Bolotene (government-controlled, 22km north-east of Luhansk). In addition, in Luhansk region, the Mission monitored and facilitated a transfer of funds from non-government to government-controlled areas; the funds were reportedly in relation to a water utility debt.

The SMM visited a border area not under government control. While at a border crossing point near Marynivka (78km east of Donetsk) for about 75 minutes, the SMM saw 48 cars (19 with Russian Federation, 18 with Ukrainian and one with Lithuanian licence plates, ten with “DPR” plates), three covered cargo trucks (two with Ukrainian licence plates and one with “DPR” plates) and a van (with “DPR” plates) exiting Ukraine, as well as 15 cars (six with Ukrainian, four with Russian Federation and one with Polish licence plates and four with “DPR” plates), five vans (with Ukrainian licence plates) and a bus (with “DPR” plates) entering Ukraine.

On 8 July, in Kyiv, the SMM monitored a pre-announced gathering in support of Ukrainian filmmaker Oleh Sentsov and Mykola Karpiuk, both being held in detention in the Russian Federation. The SMM saw 60-70 people (men and women, mostly 30-60 years old) gathered on Independence Square, where a stage had been set up. Some of the participants were holding banners with messages about freeing Sentsov and Karpiuk. The SMM then saw a group of about 30 people beginning to walk up Mikhailivska and Velyka Zhytomyrska Streets, followed by a procession of 11 cars. Two police cars escorted the procession. The group gathered in front of the French and German embassies where it continued to express its support for Oleh Sentsov and Mykola Karpiuk. The gathering ended peacefully. (For similar observations in other cities, see SMM Daily Report 9 July 2018.)

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, for example, SMM Daily Report 7 July 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 near Starolaspa (nongovernment-controlled, 51km south of Donetsk), three armed members of the armed formations denied the SMM access to the village. The SMM saw cars crossing the checkpoint without any restrictions.
• An armed member of the armed formations denied the SMM access to a militarytype compound in a non-government-controlled area of Luhansk region.

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.[5]
• 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.6
• 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.

Delay:

• At a checkpoint near Zaichenko (nongovernment-controlled, 26km north-east of Mariupol), two armed members of the armed formations first prevented the SMM from accessing Pikuzy (formerly Kominternove, non-government-controlled, 23km north-east of Mariupol) and Sakhanka (non-government-controlled, 24km north-east of Mariupol), citing “security concerns”, before allowing the patrol to proceed after 30 minutes.

[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] Due to presence of mines, including those on a road between Bohdanivka and Petrivske, the SMM’s access to its camera in Petrivske remained limited; therefore, the review of the camera footage may take place days later.

[3] This hardware is not proscribed by the provisions of the Minsk agreements on the withdrawal of weapons.

[4] The SMM had not been able to access Pisky, Opytne and Vodiane due to security considerations.

[5] 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.