Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 5 October 2018

This report is for the media and the general public.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission followed up on a casualty as a result of an explosion in Kadiivka. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas, as well as near Zaichenko and 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 to and maintenance of critical water and electrical infrastructure in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, repairs to the phenol sludge reservoir near Zalizne, as well as demining in the area of Zolote-2/Karbonit.

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations,[1] including about 80 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 70 explosions).

On the night of 4-5 October, the SMM camera at the Donetsk Filtration Station (15km north or Donetsk) recorded six undetermined explosions and 30 projectiles in flight (mostly east to west and from north-westerly to south-easterly directions), all 1-5km south-south-east, south, and south-south-west.

On 5 October, positioned in areas north-west of Yasynuvata (non-government-controlled, 16km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard seven undetermined explosions and about 30 shots and bursts of small-arms and heavy-machine-gun fire, all 1-4km north, south-south-east, south-west, west, and north-west.

On the evening and night of 4-5 October, the SMM camera in Svitlodarsk (government-controlled, 57km north-east of Donetsk) recorded two undetermined explosions, about 170 projectiles in flight (mostly from north to south and from south to north) and six bursts, all 3-5km at easterly directions. The following day, while in Svitlodarsk, the SMM heard 14 undetermined explosions 4-8km at south-westerly directions.

On the evening and night of 4-5 October, the SMM camera 1.5km north-east of Hnutove (government-controlled, 20km north-east of Mariupol) recorded three undetermined explosions, about 175 projectiles in flight (mostly from north to south), two bursts, a muzzle flash and an illumination flare in vertical flight, all 2-4km at easterly directions.

In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including about 120 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (41 explosions).

On the evening and night of 4-5 October, the SMM camera in Kriakivka (government-controlled, 38km north-west of Luhansk) recorded five undetermined explosions, about 270 projectiles in flight (mostly from west-north-west to east-south-east) and 19 muzzle flashes, all 2-5km at south-westerly directions.

On the early evening of 5 October, while in Kadiivka (formerly Stakhanov, non-government-controlled, 50km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard 51 undetermined explosions 10-15km north and north-north-west.

The SMM followed up on reports of a casualty in Kadiivka. At the Kadiivka Hospital, medical staff told the SMM that a man (39 years old) had been admitted to the hospital on 3 October at 08:00 with injuries caused by an explosion that occurred earlier the same morning at an outdoor communal refuge on Manakova Street in Kadiivka. According to medical staff, the man is homeless and refused to be hospitalised for his injuries, which included injuries to both hands, an amputation of two fingertips on his right hand and an amputation of one fingertip on his left hand. At the communal refuge on Manakova Street, four local residents (two male and two female, around 70 years old) told the SMM that on the morning of 3 October at around 07:15 they had heard an explosion and had then discovered the injured man for whom they called an ambulance.   

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 4 October, the SMM camera positioned at the Prince Ihor monument south-east of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge (15km north-east of Luhansk) recorded four undetermined explosions 1-3km north-west (unable to determine whether inside or outside the disengagement area). Shortly after the SMM camera in Stanytsia Luhanska recorded one undetermined explosion 3-5km south-east (unable to determine whether inside or outside the disengagement area).

On 5 October, the SMM observed 15 members of the armed formations (eight visibly armed) near a position of the armed formations on the south side of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge, inside the disengagement area, shoot a white signal flare toward government-controlled areas, which they said was an indication of the armed formations’ readiness to disengage. No flare launched in government-controlled areas was observed.

On the evening of 4 October, while on the eastern edge of Stanytsia Luhanska, the SMM heard two undetermined explosions 3-5km south-east and south, both assessed as outside the disengagement area.

On the evening of 4 October the SMM camera in Zolote recorded three projectiles in vertical flight 1-2km east-south-east, assessed as outside the disengagement area.

While positioned near the Petrivske disengagement area on 5 October, 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.

Beyond withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites in government-controlled areas, on 4 October an SMM long-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted seven surface-to-air missile systems (9K37) near Kostiantynivka (60km north of Donetsk). On 5 October the SMM observed a tank (T-64) parked on the side of the road about 2km south-west of Berestok (63km north of Donetsk), a flatbed truck transporting a tank (T-72) near Druzhkivka (72km north of Donetsk) and eight surface-to-air missile systems (9K33 Osa) being unloaded at a train station in Khlibodarivka (65km south-west of Donetsk).

The SMM observed weapons that could not be verified as withdrawn, as their storage did not comply with the criteria set out in the 16 October 2015 notification from the SMM to the signatories of the Package of Measures on effective monitoring and verification of the withdrawal of heavy weapons. At sites in government-controlled areas of Donetsk region, the SMM observed eight multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) (BM-21 Grad, 122mm), a surface-to-air missile system (9K35 Strela-10) and a tank (T-64) and noted that 23 MLRS (BM-21), two surface-to-air missile systems (9K35), one self-propelled howitzer (2S1 Gvozdika 122mm) and a tank (T-64) continued to be missing.

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles (ACVs)[2] in the security zone. In government-controlled areas, on 4 October an SMM long-range UAV spotted an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (BTR-4) near Novobakhmutivka (28km north of Donetsk), an armoured personnel carrier (APC) (undetermined variant) near Pobeda (27km west of Donetsk), an ACV (type undetermined) near Novomykhailivka (28km south-west of Donetsk), eight ACVs (type undetermined) near Berezove (31km south-west of Donetsk), two ACVs (type undetermined) near Hranitne (60km south of Donetsk), two ACVs (type undetermined) near Vodiane (94km south of Donetsk) and four APCs (BTR variants) near Chermalyk (77km south of Donetsk). On 5 October the SMM saw an IFV (BTR-4) near Novobakhmutivka and an armoured reconnaissance vehicle (BRDM-2) near Petrivka (27km north of Luhansk).

In non-government-controlled areas, on 4 October, an SMM long-range UAV spotted an ACV (type undetermined) near Bila Kamianka (51km south-west of Donetsk) and five ACVs (type undetermined) near houses in the Kirpoty neighbourhood of eastern Pikuzy (formerly Kominternove, 92km south of Donetsk).

The Mission 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), the phenol sludge reservoir near Zalizne (government-controlled, 42km north-east of Donetsk), electrical infrastructure between Verkhnotoretske (government-controlled, 23km north-east of Donetsk) and Betmanove (non-government-controlled, 23km north-east of Donetsk), the Petrivske pumping station near Artema (government-controlled, 26km north of Luhansk).

The SMM continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station, including through monitoring adherence to the ceasefire. It also continued to facilitate and monitor adherence to the ceasefire to enable demining in the area of Zolote-2/Karbonit (government-controlled, 62km west of Luhansk).

The SMM visited a border area outside of government control. At a border crossing point near Novoazovsk (40km east of Mariupol) for about 20 minutes, the SMM saw three cars (one with Russian Federation licence plates and two with “DPR” plates), two cargo trucks (both with Ukrainian licence plates, one covered and one uncovered) entering Ukraine and three cars (one with Ukrainian licence plates and two with “DPR” plates) leaving Ukraine.

On 4 October, the SMM observed a protest at Lanzheron Beach in Odessa. (See SMM Daily Report 24 September 2018.) About 10-15 people (mostly men in their twenties and thirties) known to the SMM as members of National Corps, Automaidan, Right Sector, Street Front and Sokil were present. The SMM saw one of them knock on the fence surrounding the construction site and, when no one opened the gate, post a large copy of a document on the fence. Several activists spray-painted slogans on the fence, including “Illegal Construction.” The SMM observed that at least six police officers were present as well as media. The situation was calm when the SMM departed.

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 (for example, see SMM Daily Report 5 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.

Denials of access:

• At a checkpoint north of Zaichenko (non-government-controlled, 26km north-east of Mariupol), three armed members of the armed formations again stopped the SMM and denied it passage southward to Sakhanka (non-government-controlled, 24km north-east of Mariupol), citing “orders not to allow the SMM through.”
• At a checkpoint in Yuzhna-Lomuvatka (non-government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk), a member of the armed formations again denied it passage to the village, citing demining in the area.

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. [3]
• 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.
• The SMM was prevented from traveling south on the bridge near Shchastia (government-controlled, 20km north of Luhansk) 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 in the previous 24 hours. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed and informed the JCCC. [3]

[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] 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.