Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 17 October 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. Small-arms fire was directed at an SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle near Zolote-5/Mykhailivka. The Mission recorded ceasefire violations near the Stanytsia Luhanska and Zolote disengagement areas. The SMM observed weapons in violation of the agreed withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. The Mission’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas as well as near Verkhnoshyrokivske and Valianivske.* An SMM long-range unmanned aerial vehicle again spotted vehicles in a non-government-controlled area of Donetsk region moving on a dirt road in the middle of the night away from and towards the border with the Russian Federation where there are no border crossing facilities. 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 critical civilian infrastructure in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. In Kyiv, the SMM monitored a gathering in relation to public service and economy and observed it disperse peacefully.

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations,[1] including, however, a similar number of explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 260 explosions).

On the evening of 16 October, the SMM camera at the entry-exit checkpoint in Maiorsk (government-controlled, 45km north-east of Donetsk) recorded an undetermined explosion and five projectiles in flight from south-east to north-west, all 0.5-1km east-south-east. Immediately thereafter, the camera recorded an explosion assessed as an impact of either a rocket-propelled grenade launcher (RPG-7) or a recoilless gun (SPG-9, 73mm) about 100m east-north-east within the premises of the entry-exit checkpoint.

On the evening and night of 16-17 October, the SMM camera at the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS) (15km north of Donetsk) recorded about 30 undetermined explosions and about 110 projectiles in flight (mostly from west-north-west to east-south-east and from south to north), all 0.5-4km at southerly directions.

On the evening and night of 16-17 October, the SMM camera 1.5km north-east of Hnutove (government-controlled, 20km north-east of Mariupol) recorded 22 undetermined explosions and about 500 projectiles in flight (mostly from north-west to south-east and from south-west to north-east), all 3-5km at easterly directions.

On the evening and night of 16-17 October, the SMM camera in Chermalyk (government-controlled, 31km north-east of Mariupol) recorded 30 undetermined explosions and about 130 projectiles (mostly from west-south-west to east-north-east and from east-north-east to west-south-west), all 1-7km at directions ranging from east-south-east to south-south-west.

On the evening of 16 October, while in Svitlodarsk (government-controlled, 57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard nine undetermined explosions 4-5km north-east as well as about 80 undetermined explosions and about 40 bursts of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all 2-4km at south-westerly directions.

In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including seven explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 20 explosions).

On 17 October, while conducting a mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flight near the southern edge of Zolote-5/Mykhailivka (non-government-controlled, 58km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard eight shots of small-arms fire 0.5-1km north, assessed as aimed at the UAV. The SMM landed the UAV, which was undamaged, and departed the area.*

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[2] (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 night of 16-17 October, while on the eastern edge of Stanytsia Luhanska, the SMM heard six shots of small-arms fire 4-5km south-west (assessed as outside the disengagement area).

During the day on 17 October, positioned in Zolote-4/Rodina (government-controlled, 59km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard two undetermined explosions 8-12km east-south-east, followed by 16 bursts of small-arms fire 0.6-1.5km east-north-east, all assessed as outside the disengagement area.

The same day, positioned in the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area 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 a government-controlled area, on 17 October, the SMM saw four self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) being transported by trucks on the eastern edge of Sievierodonetsk (74km north-west of Luhansk).

In violation of withdrawal lines in a non-government-controlled area, the SMM saw ten stationary multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) (BM-21 Grad, 122mm) near Khrustalnyi (formerly Krasnyi Luch, 56km south-west of Luhansk).

Beyond the respective withdrawal lines but outside designated storage areas in government-controlled areas, on 16 October, an SMM mini-UAV spotted three towed howitzers (D-30 Lyagushka, 122mm) and six self-propelled howitzers (2S1) in a railyard in Khlibodarivka (65km south-west of Donetsk) and four towed howitzers (2A36 Giatsint-B, 152mm) in a compound about 400m south of the aforementioned railyard. The same day, the SMM saw six self-propelled howitzers (2S7 Pion, 152mm) at the railway station in Zachativka (74km south-west of Donetsk). On 17 October, the SMM saw four self-propelled howitzers (2S1) near Khlibodarivka.

Beyond the respective withdrawal lines but outside designated storage areas in a non-government-controlled area, on 17 October, the SMM saw eight self-propelled howitzers (2S1) in firing positions at a training area near Myrne (28km south-west of Luhansk).

The SMM revisited a heavy weapons permanent storage site in a non-government-controlled area of Luhansk region and noted that four MLRS (BM-21), three self-propelled howitzers (2S1) and six towed howitzers (five D-30 and a 2A65 Msta-B, 152mm) were again missing.

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles (ACV)[3] and a UAV in the security zone. In government-controlled areas, on 16 October, an SMM mini-UAV spotted an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (BMP-1) near Hranitne (60km south of Donetsk). The same day, an SMM long-range UAV spotted an armoured personnel carrier (MT-LB) near Troitske (69km west of Luhansk). On 17 October, the SMM observed an unmarked, fixed-wing UAV flying from south-west to north-east about 2km south-west of Chermalyk at an altitude of about 100m and then turn west towards Kyrylivka (26km north-east of Mariupol).

In non-government-controlled areas, on 16 October, an SMM mid-range UAV spotted two armoured reconnaissance vehicles (BRDM-2) in Novoazovsk (40km east of Mariupol). The same day, an SMM long-range UAV spotted two IFVs (BMP-1) near Dovhe (22km north-west of Luhansk). On 17 October, the SMM saw an ACV (BMP or MT-LB variant) near Makiivka (12km north-east of Donetsk).

In a non-government-controlled area of Donetsk region, an SMM long-range UAV again spotted vehicles on the unpaved road moving north-east towards the border with the Russian Federation and then south-west away from it where there are no border crossing facilities. At around 23:00 on 16 October, the UAV spotted a truck (Ural) and a car (SUV) near Manych (non-government-controlled, 76km east of Donetsk) heading north-east on an unpaved road until it reached a parking area in a field about 3.5km east-north-east of Manych. The truck then moved in reverse on the dirt road a few metres further north-east and stopped there with its rear cargo deck facing north-east towards the border with the Russian Federation. About one hour later, the UAV spotted a group of at least 12 people walking from the border to the parked truck and some of them entering the rear of the truck, which remained in the area. At around 00:20 on 17 October, in the same area, the UAV spotted three trucks separately moving south-west from the border: one of them continued to travel south-west along the aforementioned dirt road while the others remained in the aforementioned parking area.

The SMM continued to observe unexploded ordnance (UXO). On the asphalt road about 1.5 km east of Pyshchevyk (government-controlled, 25km north-east of Mariupol), the SMM noted that a previously observed anti-tank mine (TM-62M) was no longer present. (See SMM Daily Report 17 October 2018.) However, the Mission continued to observe anti-tank mine fuses scattered on the southern part of the road.

The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to the phenol sludge reservoir near Zalizne (formerly Artemove, government-controlled, 42km north-east of Donetsk), to the Petrivske pumping station near Artema (government-controlled, 26km north of Luhansk) and to electrical infrastructure in Betmanove (formerly Krasnyi Partyzan, non-government-controlled, 23km north-east of Donetsk) and near Zolote-5/Mykhailivka. The SMM continued to facilitate the operation of the DFS, including through monitoring adherence to the ceasefire.

In Kyiv, the SMM monitored about 5,000 people (mixed ages and genders) gather at Shevchenko Park and walk to the Cabinet of Ministers building at 12/2 Mykhayla Hrushevskoho Street. Participants were demanding lower utility costs and higher salaries. On the way to the Cabinet of Ministers building, the SMM saw police officers surround and detain two participants. The SMM saw approximately 400 police officers securing the building. After about four hours, the gathering dispersed peacefully.  

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, 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 17 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 about 600m west of Verkhnoshyrokivske (formerly Oktiabr, non-government-controlled, 29km north-east of Mariupol), two armed members of the armed formations again prevented the patrol from traveling west, citing “orders from 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 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 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.5
• 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:

• While conducting a mini-UAV flight near the southern edge of Zolote-5/Mykhailivka, the SMM heard small-arms fire 0.5-1km north, assessed as aimed at the UAV.
• An SMM mid-range UAV temporarily lost its GPS signal, assessed as due to jamming[5], near Chermalyk.
• An SMM mini-range UAV temporarily lost its GPS signal, assessed as due to jamming, near Novohnativka (government-controlled, 40km south of Donetsk).

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

[2] Due to the presence of mines, including on a road between Bohdanivka and Petrivske, the SMM’s access to its camera in Petrivske remains limited, and thus the SMM has not been able to access observations from the camera since 22 June 2018.

[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 withdrew from the JCCC as of 18 December 2017.

[5] The interference could have originated from anywhere in a radius of several kilometres of the UAV’s position.