Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 22 November 2018

This report is for the media and the general public.

Summary

• Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region.
• The Mission followed up on a civilian injured by small-arms fire in Olenivka.
• It observed fresh damage caused by shelling in a residential area of Zolote-5/ Mykhailivka.
• The SMM observed military presence inside the Zolote disengagement area and recorded ceasefire violations while positioned near the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area.
• The Mission observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines in government-controlled areas.
• It facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to critical infrastructure in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• The SMM’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas; it was also restricted at a compound in Starohnativka.*
• It monitored delays for civilians at entry-exit checkpoints along the contact line.
• The Mission observed a convoy of trucks labelled “Humanitarian Aid from the Russian Federation” in Luhansk city.

Ceasefire violations[1]

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including about 60 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 20 explosions). About one-third of the ceasefire violations were recorded in areas north-east of Mariupol.

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

Civilian injured from small-arms fire

The SMM followed up on reports of a civilian injured by small-arms fire in Olenivka (non-government-controlled, 23km south-west of Donetsk). At the hospital in Dokuchaievsk (non-government-controlled, 30km south-west of Donetsk), the SMM saw a man (62 years old) with a bandaged upper right leg. He told the SMM that on 21 November, he had been walking from a shop on Chapaieva Street to his home when he had felt pain in his right hip and then collapsed after hearing small-arms fire. Medical staff at the hospital told the SMM that the man had been admitted on 21 November with a wound to his right hip that they had assessed was caused by a 7.62mm bullet.

Fresh damage caused by shelling in a residential area

At 8 Lizy Chaikinoi Street in Zolote-5/Mykhailivka (non-government-controlled, 58km west of Luhansk), on 20 November, the SMM saw a broken north-facing window and at least four holes about 10-15cm in diameter in three other north-facing windows on the second floor of a two-storey apartment building. The SMM assessed this damage as fresh and caused by shelling. Two local residents (man, about 30 years old and woman, about 50 years old) told the SMM that shelling had occurred in the area on the evening of 19 November and had damaged the abovementioned property.   

Disengagement areas[2]

Inside the disengagement area near Zolote (60km west of Luhansk), on 21 November, an SMM long-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (BMP-1) about 300m east of road T1316 and about 50m south of the railway tracks, assessed as belonging to the Ukrainian Armed Forces (see SMM Daily Report 20 November 2018).  On 22 November, the SMM saw two Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers in a military truck travelling west inside the Zolote disengagement area on the north-eastern edge of Katerynivka (government-controlled, 64km west of Luhansk).

On 21 November, positioned on the eastern edge of Stanytsia Luhanska (government-controlled, 16km north-east of Luhansk), the SMM heard seven shots of small-arms fire at an assessed range of 3-5km south-south-west (unable to assess whether inside or outside the disengagement area).

On 22 November, positioned near Petrivske (non-government-controlled, 41km south of Donetsk), the SMM observed a calm situation.

Withdrawal of weapons

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 the withdrawal lines

Government-controlled areas:

21 November:

An SMM long-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted:

• a towed howitzer (2A36 Giatsint-B, 152mm) in firing position near Petrivka (43km north of Donetsk); and
• a surface-to-air missile system (9K35 Strela-10) near Svitlodarsk (57km north-east of Donetsk).

Indications of military and military-type presence in the security zone[3]

Government-controlled areas:

21 November:

An SMM mid-range UAV spotted five armoured combat vehicles (undetermined variants), an armoured reconnaissance vehicle (BRDM-2), two combat engineer vehicles (an IMR-2 and a BAT-2), a mine layer (GMZ-3) and two mine clearing vehicles (UR-77 Meteorit) near Loskutivka (72km west of Luhansk); and

An SMM long-range UAV spotted:

• two IFVs (BMP-1), an armoured personnel carrier (APC) (MT-LB), an armoured reconnaissance vehicle (BRDM-2) and two anti-aircraft guns (ZU-23, 23mm) mounted on the rear of two military trucks near Leonidivka (41km north of Donetsk);
• an APC (MT-LB), a probable IFV (undetermined variant) and an armoured combat vehicle (undetermined variant) near the entry-exit checkpoint in Maiorsk (45km north-east of Donetsk);
• an APC (BTR-70) near Svitlodarsk;
• nine IFVs (seven BMP-2 and two BMP-1), five APCs (MT-LB) and an armoured reconnaissance vehicle (BRDM-2) in a residential area of Troitske (69km west of Luhansk) and two IFVs (a BMP-1 and a BMP-2) near Troitske.

22 November:

• three IFVs (BMP-1) in Nyzhnie (56km north-west of Luhansk)
• an APC (BTR-70) near Shchastia (20km north of Luhansk)
• six amphibious armoured reconnaissance vehicles (BRDM variants) in Umanske (25km north-west of Donetsk)
• an IFV (BRDM-2) near Karlivka (25km north-west of Donetsk);
• an APC (BTR-70) near Novobakhmutivka (28km north of Donetsk)
• an self-propelled anti-aircraft system (ZU 23-4 Shilka) and one APC (MT-LB) in Bohdanivka (41km south-west of Donetsk)
• three IFVs (BMP-1) near Mykolaivka (40km south of Donetsk)
• eight IFVs (BMP-2) near Starohnativka (51km south of Donetsk)

Non-government-controlled areas:

21 November:

An SMM long-range UAV spotted:

• three IFVs (BMP-1) near Nyzhnie Lozove (59km north-east of Donetsk); and
• an APC (MT-LB) near Shumy (41km north of Donetsk).

New mine hazard signs

The SMM saw two new mine hazard signs placed on trees, one on each side of road H20, near previously observed signs near Berezove (government-controlled, 31km south-west of Donetsk). The signs were red and had “danger mines” written on them in white lettering in Ukrainian and English.

SMM facilitation of repairs to civilian infrastructure

The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repair works to the phenol sludge reservoir near Zalizne (government-controlled, 42km north-east of Donetsk) and the Petrivske water pumping station near Artema (government-controlled, 26km north of Luhansk), as well as to enable an assessment of a water pipeline near Popasna (government-controlled, 69km west of Luhansk). The Mission continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station.

Border areas not under government control

While at a border crossing point near Uspenka (73km south-east of Donetsk) for about 20 minutes, the SMM saw four buses (two with Ukrainian and one with Russian Federation licence plates, and one with “DPR” plates) 12 cars (seven with Russian Federation and one with Ukrainian licence plates, and four with “DPR” plates), three tanker trucks (one with Russian Federation and one with Ukrainian licence plates, and one with “DPR” plates) and 16 covered cargo trucks (eight with Ukrainian, three with Russian Federation and one with Belarusian licence plates, and four with “DPR” plates) entering Ukraine. The SMM also saw 43 covered cargo trucks (19 with Ukrainian, six with Russian Federation, seven with Belorussian and one with Lithuanian licence plates, and ten with “DPR” plates), two civilian busses (one with Ukrainian licence plates and one with “DPR” plates), 34 civilian vehicles (nine with Ukrainian, 15 with Russian Federation and one with Georgian licence plates, and nine with “DPR” plates) exiting Ukraine.

While at a border crossing point near Ulianivske (61km south-east of Donetsk) for about 30 minutes, the SMM observed a woman entering Ukraine and a man and a woman exiting Ukraine.

While at a border crossing point near Marynivka (78km east of Donetsk) for about an hour, the SMM saw 19 civilian vehicles (six with Ukrainian and four with Russian Federation licence plates, and nine with “DPR” plates), a truck with Ukrainian licence plates with no cargo, three vans with “DPR” plates and a bus with “DPR” plates exiting Ukraine. The SMM saw eight vehicles (three with Ukrainian and two with Russian Federation licence plates, and three with “DPR” plates), five mini vans (one with Ukrainian and one with Russian Federation licence plates, and two with “DPR” plates and one with “LPR” plates) and a pedestrian entering Ukraine.

Monitoring the situation of civilians at checkpoints along the contact line

At the entry-exit checkpoint north of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge, six women (65-80 years old) told the SMM that the waiting time to enter government-controlled areas was up to four hours. At the checkpoint of the armed formations south of the bridge, the SMM saw a high number of people (about 1,000) queuing to enter government-controlled areas. The SMM continued to observe hazardous snow and ice on the bridge and wooden ramps. 

At a checkpoint on road H15, east of Kreminets (non-government-controlled, 16km south-west of Donetsk),  five women (30-80 years old) in a group told the SMM that they had been waiting almost ten hours to pass the checkpoint into government-controlled areas. A member of the armed formations told the SMM that 20 vehicles could be processed per hour at the checkpoint. The SMM saw about 150 civilian vehicles queueing at the checkpoint to travel to government-controlled areas.

Other observations

In non-government-controlled Luhansk city, the SMM saw ten white cargo trucks with Russian Federation licence plates, five of which had banners with “Humanitarian Aid from Russian Federation” written on the side in Russian. The SMM observed the convoy entering a compound, escorted by three vehicles with Russian Federation licence plates and two cars with “Rapid Operational Group” written on them in Russian.

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:

• A Ukrainian Armed Forces soldier denied the SMM passage through a checkpoint near Valuiky (government-controlled, 70km north-west of Luhansk), saying that his commander could not be reached to obtain permission for the SMM to pass.

Regular restrictions related to disengagement areas and mines/UXO:

• The SMM continued to be restricted in its access to the three disengagement areas, as well as in the ability to travel on certain roads identified by the Mission as important for effective monitoring due to the presence of mines and UXO.

Delay:

• At a compound in Starohnativka, a Ukrainian Armed Forces soldier told the SMM that he had been ordered by his superiors not to allow anyone to enter. The SMM informed the JCCC and after about two hours, following the intervention of the JCCC, the Mission was allowed to enter the compound.

Other impediments:

• On the evening of 21 November, an SMM long-range UAV temporarily lost its GPS signal, assessed as due to jamming,[4] near Troitske and Zolote-5/Mykhailivka.

[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] Disengagement is foreseen in the Framework Decision of the Trilateral Contact Group relating to disengagement of forces and hardware of 21 September 2016.

[3] The hardware mentioned in this section is not proscribed by the provisions of the Minsk agreements on the withdrawal of weapons.

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