Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 3 October 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 reporting period. The Mission continued to follow up on reports of injuries caused by an explosion in Donetsk city. The SMM recorded ceasefire violations inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas, as well as near Yuzhna-Lomuvatka.* The Mission continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station. It also facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs and maintenance to power lines in Raivka, the phenol sludge reservoir near Zalizne, the Krasnohorivka gas distribution station, as well as to enable demining in the area of Zolote-2/Karbonit.

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations,[1] including 60 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 175 explosions).

On the evening and night of 2-3 October, the SMM camera 1.5km north-east of Hnutove (government-controlled, 20km north-east of Mariupol) recorded an undetermined explosion, ten muzzle flashes and about 130 projectiles in flight (mostly from west-south-west to east-north-east and from north to south), all 1-5km at directions ranging from north-east to south-east.

On the evening of 2 October, while in Horlivka (non-government-controlled, 39km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard 23 undetermined explosions 4-5km south-south-west. During the day on 3 October, while at the same location, the SMM heard an undetermined explosion 3-4km south-south-west. The same day, positioned on the north-west edge of Horlivka, the SMM heard two undetermined explosions and about 15 bursts and shots of heavy-machine-gun of small-arms-fire, all 1-3km south-west and west.

In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded a similar number of ceasefire violations, including, however, more explosions (about 105), compared with the previous reporting period (about 50 explosions).

On the evening and night of 2-3 October, the SMM camera in Kriakivka (government-controlled, 38km north-west of Luhansk) recorded about 70 undetermined explosions, two muzzle flashes and 14 projectiles in flight from west-north-east to east-south-east, all 2-5km south-south-west and south-west.

The SMM continued to follow up on reports of injuries caused by an explosion in non-government-controlled Donetsk city on 29 September. (See SMM Daily Report 3 October 2018.) At Kalinina Hospital in Donetsk, on 3 October, medical staff told the SMM that a man (aged 32) had been admitted to the hospital on 29 September with injuries caused by an explosion on the premises of the “communist party” and had been released the same day.

The SMM continued to monitor 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 of 2 October, positioned on the eastern edge of Stanytsia Luhanska, the SMM heard three bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire 3-4km south-south-west, assessed as inside the disengagement area.

The same evening, the SMM camera in Zolote recorded an undetermined explosion 3-5km east, assessed as outside the disengagement area.

During the day on 3 October, positioned on the north-eastern edge of Katerynivka (government-controlled, 64km west of Luhansk), inside the Zolote disengagement area, the SMM heard five explosions assessed as artillery rounds 8-15km south-west, assessed as outside the disengagement area.

During the day on 3 October, positioned near the Petrivske disengagement area, 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 non-government-controlled areas, on 1 October, aerial imagery available to the SMM revealed the presence of three tanks (undetermined variants) in a training area 1km north of Svobodne (73km south of Donetsk). On 2 October, an SMM long-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted 14 towed howitzers (D-30 Lyagushka, 122mm), 13 self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) and six anti-tank guns (MT-12 Rapira, 100mm) in a training area near Buhaivka (37km south-west of Luhansk).

Beyond withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites in government-controlled areas, on 2 October, an SMM long-range UAV spotted four surface-to-air missile systems (9K37) at the railway station in Rubizhne (84km north-west of Luhansk), and an SMM mid-range UAV spotted five tanks (T-72) north of Druzhne (63km south of Donetsk).

Beyond withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites in non-government-controlled areas, on 1 October, aerial imagery available to the SMM revealed the presence of 27 tanks (undetermined variant) and four surface-to-air-missile systems (undetermined variants) in a training area near Buhaivka, 11 tanks in a training area near Shymshynivka (27km south-west of Luhansk), 30 tanks (undetermined variants) in a training area near Kruhlyk (31km south-west of Luhansk), 18 tanks (undetermined variants) in a training area near Myrne (28km south-west of Luhansk) and 43 tanks (undetermined variants) in a training area near Manuilivka (65km east of Donetsk). On 2 October, an SMM long-range UAV spotted 17 tanks (undetermined variants) near Buhaivka and 31 tanks (T-72) near Kruhlyk.

In a non-government-controlled area, on 1 October, aerial imagery available to the SMM revealed the presence of nine pieces of self-propelled artillery (undetermined variants) and 20 pieces of towed artillery (undetermined variants) in a training area near Buhaivka, as well as 32 pieces of towed artillery (undetermined variants) in a training area near Myrne.

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles and an anti-aircraft gun[2] in the security zone. In government-controlled areas, on 2 October, an SMM long-range UAV spotted an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23, 23mm) north-west of Zaitseve (50km north-east of Donetsk) and an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (BMP-2) near Hladosove (51km north-east of Donetsk). On 3 October, the SMM saw two IFVs (a BMP-1 and a BMP-2) near Troitske (69km west of Luhansk).

In a non-government-controlled area, on 3 October, an SMM mini-UAV spotted two IFVs (BMP-1) in Debaltseve (58km north-east of Donetsk).

The SMM observed the presence of unexploded ordnance (UXO) and mine hazard signs. In Uzhivka (formerly Leninske, non-government-controlled, 24km north-east of Mariupol), the SMM observed the tailfin of a 120mm mortar round embedded in the road at the eastern entrance to the village.

In Tavrycheske (non-government-controlled, 35km north-east of Mariupol), the SMM noted that a previously observed tailfin of a 120mm mortar round was no longer present. Earlier, the SMM had told members of armed formations in the village that it had observed UXO (see SMM Daily Report 20 September 2018), and on 3 October, two armed members of the armed formations informed the SMM that the tailfin had been removed.

Along road E58 about 4km north-west of Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol), the SMM observed two wooden sticks with red and white ribbons tied around them, assessed as improvised mine hazard signs.

The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to power lines between Raivka (non-government-controlled, 16km north-west of Luhansk) and Dovhe (non-government-controlled, 22km north-west of Luhansk), to the phenol sludge reservoir near Zalizne (government-controlled, 42km north-east of Donetsk) and to the Krasnohorivka gas distribution station between Marinka (government-controlled, 23km south-west of Donetsk) and Oleksandrivka (non-government-controlled, 20km south-west of Donetsk). The SMM continued to facilitate the operation of the DFS, including through monitoring adherence to the ceasefire.

The SMM also facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable demining in the area of Zolote-2/Karbonit (government-controlled, 62km west of Luhansk).

Near Mykhailivka (government-controlled, 37km north-west of Donetsk), the SMM saw about 50 people (mostly men, aged 35-50) walking back and forth across the road, blocking it. Some of them told the SMM that they worked at the nearby Kotliarevska coal mine and were protesting because of “unpaid salaries and other benefits”. The SMM observed a police vehicle parked nearby. The gathering had dispersed by late afternoon.

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, 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 (for example, see SMM Daily Report 2 October 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:

• A member of the armed formations prevented the SMM from passing through a checkpoint near Yuzhna-Lomuvatka (non-government controlled, 60km west of Luhansk), citing demining activities.

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 informed 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 informed 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 south of the Zolote disengagement area due to the possible presence of mines and UXO. A member of the armed formations informed the SMM that no demining had taken place during the previous 24 hours. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed.

Other impediments:

• The SMM temporarily lost communication with its long-range UAV due to signal interference while flying in a non-government-controlled area between Zelenopillia (73km south of Luhansk) and Bobrykove (71km south of Luhansk).

[1]     For a complete breakdown of the ceasefire violations, please see the annexed table.

[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 withdrew from the JCCC as of 18 December 2017.