Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 10 August 2018

This report is for the media and the general public.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region compared with the previous reporting period, and for the third day in a row, no ceasefire violations in Luhansk region. The SMM observed damage to a residential house in Yasynuvata as the result of shooting. The SMM observed at least two armed probable Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel inside the Zolote disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas and again near Zaichenko and Bezimenne, as well as Izvaryne, Sievernyi, and Novoazovsk, near the border with the Russian Federation.* The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines in Lobacheve. An SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle spotted for the first time four electronic warfare systems in Chornukhyne. 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 critical water and electrical infrastructure in Luhansk region.

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations[1], including, however, a similar number of explosions (68 explosions), compared with the previous reporting period (70 explosions).

On the evening and night of 9-10 August, the SMM camera at the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS) (15km north of Donetsk) recorded 160 projectiles in flight (110 from north-north-west to south-south-east, 28 from north to south, 15 from north-east to south-west, five from north-west to south-east and two from west to east) and two muzzle flashes, all 1-3km south and south-south-west.

The SMM camera at the entry-exit checkpoint in Pyshchevyk (government-controlled, 25km north-east of Mariupol) recorded two undetermined explosions and 52 projectiles in flight (32 from west to east and 20 from east to west), all 2-4km south.

The SMM camera 1km south-west of Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) recorded two undetermined explosions east-south-east and 222 projectiles in flight (137 and south-east to north-west, 84 from north-west to south-east and one in vertical flight), all 3-5km north-east.

In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded no ceasefire violations. In the previous reporting period, the SMM also recorded no ceasefire violations.

The SMM followed up on reports of fresh damage of a residential house. In Yasynuvata (non-government-controlled, 16km north-east of Donetsk), a man (72 years old) showed the SMM the damaged roof and gate of his house at 7 Timiriazieva Street. The SMM saw a hole in the roof assessed as caused by a 12.7mm round fired from the north. The Mission also saw a round embedded in a gatepost in front of the house assessed as a 12.7mm incendiary round fired from the north and saw soot assessed as from a fire around where the round was embedded. The man told the SMM that the shooting had happened during the evening on 9 August.

The SMM continued to monitor the disengagement process and to pursue full access to the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska (16km north-east of Luhansk), Zolote (60km west of Luhansk) and Petrivske (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.*

In Katerynivka (government-controlled, 64km west of Luhansk), inside the Zolote disengagement area, the SMM saw two armed probable Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel walking toward a Ukrainian Armed Forces checkpoint and later observed a mini-van on three occasions and car on one occasion, both with military plates, driving inside the disengagement area with military personnel inside. There was one man on two occasions in the mini-van and two men on another occasion, and three men and one woman in the car.

Positioned in the Stanytsia Luhanska and Zolote disengagement areas and near the Petrivske disengagement area, the SMM observed calm situations.

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 non-government-controlled areas, on 9 August an SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted a tank and a probable tank (both T-64) near military-type positions in Lobacheve (13km east of Luhansk) and five tanks (partially dismantled and covered with white canvas) in Luhansk city.

Beyond withdrawal lines but outside of designated storage sites in a government-controlled area, an SMM mini-UAV spotted four surface-to-air missile systems (S-300) near Nikolske (formerly Volodarske, 97km south of Donetsk).

Beyond withdrawal lines but outside of designated storage sites in non-government-controlled areas, aerial imagery revealed the presence of 21 tanks (type undetermined), 26 pieces of towed artillery, a multiple launch rocket system and four surface-to-air missile systems near Buhaivka (37km south-west of Luhansk) on 7 August and three tanks (type undetermined) near Boikivske (formerly Telmanove, 67km south-east of Donetsk) on 9 August.

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles (ACV)[3] in the security zone. In government-controlled areas, on 9 August, an SMM long-range UAV spotted an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (BMP-1) near Novhorodske (35km north of Donetsk), an armoured reconnaissance vehicle (BRDM-2) near Nevelske (18km north-west of Donetsk), two ACVs (type undetermined) near Berezove (31km south-west of Donetsk), a probable armoured reconnaissance vehicle (BRDM-2) and a probable IFV (BMP-1) near Mykolaivka (40km south of Donetsk), two IFVs (BMP-1) near Bohdanivka (41km south-west of Donetsk), a  target acquisition radar system (Parol-4) near Shevchenko (59km south of Donetsk), an IFV (BMP-2) and two probable armoured reconnaissance vehicles (BRDM-2 ) near Pyshchevyk (84km south of Donetsk) and two IFVs (BMP-2) near Hnutove (90km south of Donetsk). The SMM observed an armoured personnel carrier (APC) (BTR-60) near Vodiane (24km north-east of Mariupol) and an APC (BTR-70) near Shchastia (20km north of Luhansk).

In non-government-controlled areas, on 28 July, an SMM mini-UAV spotted four distinct electronic warfare systems (a Leer-3 RB-341V, a 1L269 Krasukha-2 and RB-109A Bylina, and an anti-UAV system, Repellent-1) near Chornukhyne (64km south-west of Luhansk), all seen for the first time by the SMM. On 2 August, during a flight over the same area, the UAV did not spot the same systems. On 9 August, an SMM mini-UAV spotted an armoured recovery vehicle (BREM-1) and an APC (BTR-80) near Luhansk city and three ACVs (type undetermined) near Lobacheve.

The SMM observed mine hazard signs. About 3km south-east of Fedorivka (non-government-controlled, 34km north-east of Donetsk) the SMM saw three wooden signs laying on the ground about 2m from the road with “Mines” written in Russian in white paint; one of the signs had vehicle track marks on it.

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 the table below).

The SMM also continued to facilitate and monitor repairs and maintenance works to water distribution infrastructure near Artema (government-controlled, 26km north of Luhansk), Novotoshkivske (government-controlled, 53km west of Luhansk) Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote-5/Mykhailivka (non-government-controlled, 61km north-west of Luhansk) and Pervomaisk (non-government-controlled, 58km west of Luhansk), and to electrical infrastructure in Zolote-5/Mykhailivka.

The SMM visited border areas outside of government control.* At a border crossing point near Izvaryne (52km south-east of Luhansk), the SMM observed a bus with about 50 passengers (Ukrainian licence plates with a route sign: Moscow – Alchevsk – Stakhanov) entering Ukraine, and two buses (one with Ukrainian licence plates, one with plates not visible) exiting Ukraine. After five minutes at the crossing, a member of the armed formations told the SMM to leave the area.*

While at the pedestrian border crossing near Verkhnoharasymivka (57km south-east of Luhansk) for about 40 minutes, the SMM saw 22 pedestrians (mixed gender, age) queuing to leave Ukraine. 

At the border crossing point near Sievernyi (50km south-east of Luhansk), the SMM observed four pedestrians enter Ukraine. About five minutes after arrival, a member of the armed formations told the SMM to leave the area.*

The SMM continued monitoring in Kherson, Odessa, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Chernivtsi and Kyiv.

*Restrictions of the 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 (for example, see SMM Daily Report of 8 August 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:

• On the eastern edge of Patriotychne (non-government-controlled, 35km north-east of Mariupol), two men, one in civilian clothing who refused to identify himself to the SMM, and an armed man in military-style clothing approached the SMM while preparing for a mini-UAV flight and asked what the SMM was doing. The man in civilian clothing told the SMM that he had not received any instructions regarding a UAV flight and that he would not communicate with his “superiors” or other members of the armed formation for clarification, and that the SMM could not fly the UAV and had to leave the area.
• At a checkpoint 800m north of Zaichenko (non-government-controlled, 26km north-east of Mariupol), two armed members of the armed formations again stopped the SMM and denied it passage westward to Pikuzy (formerly Kominternove, non-government-controlled, 23km north-east of Mariupol) and southward to Sakhanka (non-government-controlled, 24km north-east of Mariupol), citing “security reasons”.
• At a checkpoint 2.5km west of Bezimenne (non-government-controlled, 30km east of Mariupol), two armed members of the armed formations again denied the SMM passage, claiming that “it was for the SMM’s safety and security”.
• Three armed members of the armed formations again denied the SMM passage through a checkpoint near Novoazovsk (non-government-controlled, 102km south-east of Donetsk), citing “orders from their superiors”.
• At the border crossing point near Sievernyi (50km south-east of Luhansk), a member of the armed formations told the SMM to leave the area.
• At the border crossing point near Izvaryne (52km southeast of Luhansk), a member of the armed formations told the SMM to leave the area, citing a decision by his “superiors”.

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.[4]
• 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 telephone 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. A member of the armed formations 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.

[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.

[2] Due to presence of mines, including those on a road between Bohdanivka and Petrivske, the SMM’s access to its camera in Petrivske remains 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 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.