Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 19 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 recorded ceasefire violations near the Stanytsia Luhanska and Petrivske disengagement areas and observed enhanced military and military-type presence inside the Petrivske disengagement area. The Mission’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas as well as in Staromykhailivka and near Bezimenne.* The SMM observed weapons in violation of agreed withdrawal lines near Pyshchevyk. 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 Donetsk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations,[1] including about 300 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 200 explosions).

On the evening of 18 October, while in Svitlodarsk (government-controlled, 57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard about 95 undetermined explosions and 140 shots and bursts of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all 2-6km at directions ranging from east to west.

On the evening and night of 18-19 October, the SMM camera at the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS) (15km north of Donetsk) recorded 58 explosions (35 assessed as impacts and the remainder undetermined) and about 125 projectiles in flight (most from west to east), all 1-4km south-south-east, south and south-south-west.   

On the same evening and night, the SMM camera in Chermalyk (government-controlled, 31km north-east of Mariupol) recorded two undetermined explosions and about 340 projectiles in flight (most from south-west to north-east), all 2-5km south and south-east.

On the same evening and night, the SMM camera 1.5km north-east of Hnutove (government-controlled, 20km north-east of Mariupol) recorded 29 explosions (six assessed as impacts and the remainder undetermined) and about 440 projectiles in flight (most from south to north and from north to south), all 2-4km in easterly directions.

In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including 13 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (11 explosions).

During the day on 19 October, positioned 1.5km south-west of Molodizhne (non-government-controlled, 63km north-west of Luhansk), the SMM heard 11 undetermined explosions 3-5km west-south-west.

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.*

Positioned about 2km north of Petrivske, the SMM saw a recently deepened trench leading to a position assessed as belonging to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, inside the Petrivske disengagement area, about 500m south of its northern edge and about 2km east of its western edge. About 700m north-east of that trench, also inside the disengagement area, the SMM saw another recently deepened trench and fortified position, assessed as belonging to the armed formations, about 150m south of the northern edge of the disengagement area and about 500m west of its eastern edge. From the same location, the SMM saw three members of the armed formations, one armed, outside the disengagement area moving to positions in a treeline north of its north-eastern edge.

Positioned inside the Stanytsia Luhanska 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 agreed withdrawal lines, on 19 October, the SMM saw a towed howitzer (D-30 Lyagushka, 122mm) near Pyshchevyk (government-controlled, 25km north-east of Mariupol).

Beyond the respective withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites in government-controlled areas, on 18 October, an SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted 18 self-propelled howitzers (11 2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm and seven 2S3 Akatsiya, 152mm), three towed howitzers (D-30), six anti-tank guided missile systems (9P148 Konkurs, 135mm) and six anti-guns (MT-12 Rapira, 100mm) at a railyard near Rubizhne (84km north-west of Luhansk). The same day, an SMM long-range UAV spotted a surface-to-air missile system (9K33 Osa) near Predtechyne (58km north of Donetsk), 12 tanks (T-64), 13 self-propelled howitzers (11 2S3 and two 2S1) and a self-propelled anti-aircraft system (2K22 Tunguska) near Rubizhne and a tank (T-64) near Siversk (99km north of Donetsk). On 19 October, the SMM saw four tanks (T-72) loaded onto trailers on the western outskirts of Sievierodonetsk (74km north-west of Luhansk), five tanks (T-72) loaded onto trailers on the south-eastern outskirts of Sievierodonetsk, 17 tanks (T-72) being loaded onto trains in Rubizhne, a surface-to-air missile system (9K33) near Memryk (33km north-west of Donetsk) and a self-propelled howitzer (2S1) at the train station in Zachativka (74km south-west of Donetsk).

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles (ACV)[3] in the security zone. In government-controlled areas, on 18 October, an SMM mini-UAV spotted seven armoured reconnaissance vehicles (BRDM-2) near Leonidivka (41km north of Donetsk) and an SMM long-range UAV spotted four ACVs (type undetermined) 2km north-west of Katerynivka (64km west of Luhansk), two infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) (BMP-1) in Zolote, and three IFVs (BMP-1) and two ACVs (type undetermined) near Novotoshkivske (53km west of Luhansk). The same day, the SMM saw an armoured reconnaissance vehicle (BRDM-2) near Toretsk (government-controlled, 43km north of Donetsk), an ACV (type undetermined) inside a compound of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near Zolote-4/Rodina (59km west of Luhansk). On 19 October, the SMM saw an IFV (BMP-2) in Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk) and an IFV (BTR-4) at a checkpoint of the Ukrainian Armed Forces west of Novobakhmutivka (28km north of Donetsk).

In non-government-controlled areas, on 18 October, an SMM mini-UAV spotted seven IFVs (BMP-1) and one armoured personnel carrier (MT-LB) near Lobacheve (13km east of Luhansk). On the same day, an SMM long-range UAV spotted an ACV (type undetermined) near Smile (31km north-west of Luhansk) and an ACV (type undetermined) near Znamianka (36km north-west of Luhansk).

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 at the Krasnohorivka gas distribution station between Marinka (23km south-west of Donetsk) and Oleksandrivka (20km south-west of Donetsk)[4]. It also monitored adherence to the ceasefire to facilitate demining in the area of Zolote-2/Karbonit (government-controlled, 62km west of Luhansk). The SMM continued to facilitate the operation of the DFS, including through monitoring adherence to the ceasefire.

The SMM monitored a border area outside of government control. While at a border crossing point near Marynivka (78km east of Donetsk) for about 45 minutes, the SMM observed 12 cars (four with Ukrainian and eight with Russian Federation licence plates) entering Ukraine and eight cars (three with Ukrainian and four with Russian Federation licence plates and one with “DPR” plates), one bus (with Ukrainian licence plates) and three covered cargo trucks (with Ukrainian licence plates) exiting Ukraine.

The SMM observed nine stationary gasoline tank railcars with inscription “RZhD” and 70 stationary coal railcars on tracks in Rovenky (non-government-controlled, 54km south of Luhansk).

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, 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 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.

Denial of access:

• At a checkpoint in Staromykhailivka (non-government-controlled, 15km west of Donetsk), a member of the armed formations denied the SMM passage, citing “the need to submit a request to the armed formations for crossing the checkpoint”. The SMM observed that civilian vehicles were allowed to pass the checkpoint in both directions.
• At a checkpoint near Bezimenne (non-government-controlled, 30km east of Mariupol), an armed member of the armed formations again denied the SMM passage, citing “ongoing demining activities in the area”. The SMM observed that civilian vehicles were also refused passage west at the checkpoint, however civilian vehicles were allowed to turn north towards Sakhanka (non-government-controlled, 24km north-east of Mariupol). 

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.[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 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.6
• 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 did not travel south across the bridge in government-controlled Shchastia (20km north of Luhansk) due to the possible presence of mines. 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.6

Other impediments:

• On the evening of 18 October, an SMM long-range UAV temporarily lost communications[6]  on five occasions, assessed as due to jamming, near Ivanopillia (government-controlled, 51km north of Donetsk), between Predtechyne and Klishchiivka (government-controlled, 60km north of Donetsk), between Pokrovske (government-controlled, 74km north of Donetsk), Popasna (government-controlled, 69km west of Luhansk), Novotoshkivske and Trokhizbenka (government-controlled, 32km north-west of Luhansk), near Kudriashivka (government-controlled, 83km north-west of Luhansk) and near Pryvillia (government-controlled, 90km north-west of Luhansk).
• At a school in Koshary (non-government-controlled, 51km south of Luhansk), staff refused to speak with the SMM, citing the need for written permission from the armed formations. 

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

* 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 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 region of Oleksandrivka was incorrectly referenced in SMM Daily Report 19 October 2018 and should read 20km south-west of Donetsk.

[5] 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.

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