Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 1 November 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 heard small-arms fire assessed as directed at its mini-unmanned aerial vehicle flying near Zhovte. The SMM recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote disengagement area, including an impact explosion 200-500m from its positon. The Mission’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas; it was also restricted near Novoazovsk and Voznesenivka – areas close to the border with the Russian Federation – Luhansk city and again near Zaichenko.* The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to the phenol sludge reservoir near Zalizne, to damaged houses in Marinka and Krasnohorivka and to critical civilian infrastructure in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, as well as to enable demining near Nyzhnoteple.

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations[1], including about 200 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 130 explosions).  

On the evening and night of 31 October, while in Svitlodarsk (government-controlled, 57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard about 80 explosions and nearly 500 bursts and shots of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all 2-7km at southerly directions.

The same evening, while in Horlivka (non-government-controlled, 39km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard about 30 explosions (23 assessed as outgoing, the remainder undetermined) and seven bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire, all 5-7km at north-westerly directions.

Also on the evening of 31 October, the SMM camera 1.5km north-east of Hnutove (government-controlled, 20km north-east of Mariupol) recorded four undetermined explosions and about 160 projectiles in flight (mostly from westerly to easterly directions), all 2-4km at easterly directions.

During the day on 1 November, positioned on the eastern edge of Kamianka (government-controlled, 20km north of Donetsk), the SMM heard an undetermined explosion 1-2km south-east followed by another undetermined explosion less than 500m east of its position. The SMM immediately departed the area.

In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including about 100 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (three explosions).

On the night of 31 October, while in Kadiivka (formerly Stakhanov, non-government-controlled, 50km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard 56 undetermined explosions 4-6km north-north-east and north-east and 26 undetermined explosions 10-17km north-north-east.

Small arms fire was again assessed as directed at an SMM unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). While conducting a mini-UAV flight in the southern outskirts of Zhovte (non-government-controlled, 17km north-west of Luhansk), the SMM heard 40 shots of small-arms fire about 2km north-north-west of its position, in the area where the UAV was flying, and assessed it as aimed at the UAV. The SMM landed the UAV without damage and left 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.*

In the late afternoon of 31 October, the SMM camera in Zolote recorded an explosion 1-2km east-south-east (assessed as outside the disengagement area) and seven projectiles in flight 1-2km south-east (unable to assess whether inside or outside the disengagement area).

During the day on 1 November, positioned in Zolote-4/Rodina (government-controlled, 59km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard two undetermined explosions 4-8km east-north-east and south-west, respectively, followed by an explosion assessed as an impact 200-500m east of its position (all assessed as outside the disengagement area). The SMM felt the shock wave from the impact explosion and immediately departed the area. While in Zolote‑4/Rodina, the SMM had been told by two residents that they face shelling and shooting on a daily basis.

On 1 November, positioned on the north-eastern edge of Katerynivka (government-controlled, 64km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard three undetermined explosions 3-5km east-south-east (assessed as outside the Zolote disengagement area).

On the same day, positioned on the northern edge of Pervomaisk (non-government-controlled, 58km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard five undetermined explosions 7-10km north-east (assessed as outside the Zolote disengagement area).

On the morning of 1 November, the SMM camera in Stanytsia Luhanska recorded the muzzle flash of a mortar round (type undetermined) 200-300m south-south-west (assessed as outside the disengagement area).

During the day on 1 November, positioned in Bohdanivka (government-controlled, 41km south-west of Donetsk), 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.

Beyond the respective withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites, near Smolianynove  (government-controlled, 61km north-west of Luhansk), the SMM saw two surface-to-air missile systems (9K33 Osa).

The SMM visited areas previously holding 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. In government-controlled areas of Donetsk region, the SMM noted as missing 23 self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm), six towed howitzers (D-30 Lyagushka, 122mm), 28 mortars (12 M-120 Molot, 120mm; 15 2B11 Sani, 120mm; and one BM-37, 82mm) and three anti-tank guns (MT-12 Rapira, 100mm).

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles[3] in the security zone. In government‑controlled areas, an SMM mid-range UAV spotted three probable infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) (BMP-1) and a probable armoured command vehicle (BMP-1 Ksh Potok 2) near Travneve (51km north-east of Donetsk) on 31 October. On 1 November, the SMM saw an armoured personnel carrier (APC) (BTR-80) near Zolote‑2/Karbonit (62km west of Luhansk) and an IFV (BMP-1) near Zolote.

In non-government-controlled Luhansk city, on 1 November, the SMM saw two APCs (undetermined types).

In Myrne (government-controlled, 63km south of Donetsk), the SMM noted that two covered wooden boxes mounted on pillars of a railway bridge (see SMM Daily Report of 19 October 2017) had been removed. National Guard personnel had previously told the SMM that the boxes contained explosives.

The SMM observed demining activities near Lomakyne (government-controlled, 15km north-east of Mariupol). On the southern side of road T0519, the SMM observed two Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers using portable metal detectors and a tractor with mine sweeping equipment in its rear.

The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repair works to the Petrivske water pumping station near Artema (government-controlled, 26km north of Luhansk), the water pipeline near Popasna (government-controlled, 69km west of Luhansk), damaged houses in Marinka (government-controlled, 23km south-west of Donetsk) and Krasnohorivka (government-controlled, 21km west of Donetsk) and the phenol sludge reservoir near Zalizne (government-controlled, 42km north-east of Donetsk). It also facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable demining activities near Nyzhnoteple (government-controlled, 26km north of Luhansk). The Mission continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station.

The SMM visited a border area outside government control. While at a border crossing point near Voznesenivka (formerly Chervonopartyzansk, 65km south-east of Luhansk) for about five minutes, the SMM saw no cross-border traffic. A member of the armed formations told the SMM to leave the area.* At the Chervona Mohyla railway station in Voznesenivka, the SMM observed a train consisting of two locomotives and 40 cargo wagons heading west.*

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 below). 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 1km 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 to Pikuzy (formerly Kominternove, non-government-controlled, 23km north-east of Mariupol) and to Sakhanka (non-government-controlled, 24km north-east of Mariupol), claiming ongoing demining in the area. The SMM observed a car proceeding through the checkpoint towards Pikuzy.
• At a checkpoint near Novoazovsk (non-government-controlled, 40km east of Mariupol), near the border with the Russian Federation, three members of the armed formations again prevented the SMM from passing through to the city and accessing Siedove (non-government-controlled, 106km south of Donetsk), citing orders from their superiors. The SMM observed nine cars proceeding through the checkpoint.
• A member of the armed formations prevented the SMM from accessing certain areas within a compound in Luhansk city where the SMM observed armoured combat vehicles.
• At a border crossing point near Voznesenivka, a member of the armed formations again  told the SMM to leave the area.
• At the Chervona Mohyla railway station in Voznesenivka, two members of the armed formations again prevented the SMM from entering the railway station and told the SMM to leave 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.[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.[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:

• While it was flying a mini-UAV in the southern outskirts of Zhovte, the SMM heard 40 shots of small-arms fire 2.4km north-north-west of its position, assessed as aimed at the mini-UAV. The SMM was able to land the UAV safely and departed the area.
• A member of the armed formations prohibited the SMM from taking cameras and telephones into a compound in Luhansk city where the SMM observed armoured combat vehicles (see above) and insisted on accompanying the SMM at all times while it was within the compound.

[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 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.