Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 9 December 2018
This report is for the media and the general public.
Summary
- Compared with the previous reporting period, between the evenings of 7 and 8 December, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
- Between the evenings of 8 and 9 December, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, compared with the previous 24 hours.
- Small-arms fire was directed at an SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle near Bila Hora.*
- The Mission observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines in non-government-controlled areas of Luhansk region.
- The SMM continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station.
- Restrictions of the Mission’s access continued in all three disengagement areas. The SMM was also restricted at a checkpoint in Novolaspa and close to Voznesenivka, a non-government-controlled area of Luhansk region near the border with the Russian Federation.*
- The Mission observed a calm situation at the crossing point in Chonhar and other areas in the south-eastern part of Kherson region.
Ceasefire violations[1]
In Donetsk region, between the evenings of 7 and 8 December, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including about 50 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 30 explosions). The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded in areas north-east, east and south-east of Hnutove (government-controlled, 20km north-east of Mariupol) and north-west of the railway station in Yasynuvata (non-government-controlled, 16km north-east of Donetsk).
Between the evenings of 8 and 9 December, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including about 250 explosions, compared with the previous 24 hours. The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded in areas south and south-west of Svitlodarsk (government-controlled, 57km north-east of Donetsk), south-west of Dokuchaievsk (non-government-controlled, 30km south-west of Donetsk) and, again, north-east, east and south-east of Hnutove.
On 8 December, while conducting a mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flight in Bila Hora (government-controlled, 54km north of Donetsk), the SMM heard 12 shots of small-arms fire at an assessed range of 400-500m north-east, assessed as aimed at its UAV. The SMM recalled the UAV, which landed safely.*
In Luhansk region, between the evenings of 7 and 8 December, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including two explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (no explosions). Between the evenings of 8 and 9 December, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including about 470 explosions, compared with the previous 24 hours. The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded in areas west of Sentianivka (formerly Frunze, non-government-controlled, 44km west of Luhansk) as well as in areas south of Orikhove-Donetske (government-controlled, 44km north-west of Luhansk) and south-south-east of Toshkivka (government-controlled, 60km north-west of Luhansk), including about 130 explosions of artillery rounds.
Disengagement areas[2]
During the day on 8 December, positioned near all three disengagement areas, the SMM observed a calm situation.
During the day on 9 December, positioned on the eastern edge of Zolote-2/Karbonit (government-controlled, 62km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard 36 undetermined explosions at an assessed range of 3-7km south-east (assessed as outside the Zolote disengagement area).
During the day on 9 December, positioned about 2km north of Petrivske (non-government-controlled, 41km south of Donetsk), the SMM heard nine undetermined explosions and about 40 shots and bursts of small-arms fire, all at an assessed range of 2-3km south-south-east (all assessed as outside the Petrivske disengagement area). [3]
On the same day, positioned inside the disengagement area near Stanytsia Luhanska (government-controlled, 16km north-east of Luhansk), 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
Non-government-controlled areas
8 December
- An SMM mini-UAV spotted:
- three tanks (T-72) in Novohryhorivka (33km west of Luhansk); and
- a mortar (type undetermined, 82mm) south of Donetskyi (49km west of Luhansk).
Beyond the withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites
Government-controlled areas
9 December
- Two surface-to-air missile systems (9K33 Osa) in Kasianivka (22km north of Mariupol), on road H-20 heading south
- 24 tanks (T-72) in a compound near Andriivka (61km south of Donetsk)
Non-government-controlled areas
9 December
- Five stationary tanks (type undetermined) at a training area near Myrne (28km south-west of Luhansk)
Indications of military and military-type presence in the security zone[4]
Government-controlled areas
8 December
- An armoured reconnaissance vehicle (BRDM-2) near Muratove (51km north-west of Luhansk)
- An infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (BMP-1) in Orikhove-Donetske
- An SMM mini-UAV spotted:
- an IFV (BMP-1), four armoured reconnaissance vehicles (BRDM-2) and an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23, 23mm) in a residential area of Bila Hora.
- Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel and trenches within yards of houses in a residential area of Bila Hora.
9 December
- An IFV (BTR-4) near Kamianka (20km north of Donetsk)
Non-government-controlled areas
9 December
- An armoured personnel carrier (probable MT-LB) near the central railway station in Donetsk city (6km north-west of the city centre)
Unexploded ordnance
On 7 December, on Stratonavtiv Street, in the Kyivskyi district of Donetsk city, the SMM saw for the first time a piece of unexploded ordnance (UXO) embedded in the tarmac, assessed as the tail section of a multiple launch rocket system (BM-21 Grad, 122mm) rocket (see SMM Daily Report 8 December 2018).
SMM facilitation of operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station
On 8 and 9 December, the Mission continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station (15km north of Donetsk).
Border areas not under government control
On 8 December, while at a border crossing point near Uspenka (73km south-east of Donetsk) for about one and a half hours, the SMM saw six container trucks (four with Ukrainian, one with Russian Federation and one with Belarusian licence plates), a fuel tanker with Russian Federation licence plates, 54 cars (12 with Ukrainian, 26 with Russian Federation and one with Lithuanian licence plates, as well as 15 with “DPR” plates) and a bus (with a destination sign “Donetsk-Rostov” on it) exiting Ukraine. The SMM saw seven container trucks (five with Ukrainian licence plates and two with “DPR” plates), two buses (one with Ukrainian licence plates, a destination sign “Rostov-Donetsk” on it and about 40 passengers on board; the other with Russian Federation licence plates, a destination sign “Piatyhorsk-Donetsk” on it and about 40 passengers on board) and four cars (two with Ukrainian and two with Russian Federation licence plates) entering Ukraine.
On 8 December, while at a border crossing point near Voznesenivka (formerly Chervonopartyzansk, 65km south-east of Luhansk) for about ten minutes, the SMM saw nine cars (six with Ukrainian and three with Russian Federation licence plates) and a covered-cargo truck with Ukrainian licence plates in a queue to exit Ukraine. The SMM saw two pedestrians (males, aged 40-50) exiting Ukraine and five pedestrians (three females, aged 25-40 and two males aged 30-40) entering Ukraine. About ten minutes after the SMM’s arrival, a member of the armed formations told the SMM to leave the area.*
On the same day, at the Chervona Mohyla railway station in Voznesenivka, the SMM saw about 80 stationary bulk cargo wagons and five tank wagons in front of the railway station (their spring suspensions were compressed and they were marked with a sign “Benzin”).
The SMM observed a calm situation in Chonhar, south-east of Kherson
The SMM observed a calm situation at the crossing point in Chonhar (163km south-east of Kherson) and other areas in the south-eastern part of Kherson region.
The SMM continued monitoring in Odessa, Lviv, Kharkiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, 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, 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.
Denial of access:
- On 8 December, at a checkpoint on the eastern edge of Novolaspa (non-government-controlled, 50km south of Donetsk), two armed members of the armed formations denied again the SMM passage.
- On 8 December, at a border crossing point near Voznesenivka, a member of the armed formations told the SMM to leave the area.
Regular restrictions related to disengagement areas and mines/UXO:
The sides continued to deny the SMM full access to the three disengagement areas, as well as the ability to travel certain roads previously identified as important for effective monitoring by the Mission and for civilians’ movement, through failure to conduct comprehensive clearance of mines and UXO.
Other impediments:
- On 8 December, while conducting a mini-UAV flight in Bila Hora, the SMM heard 12 shots of small-arms fire at an assessed range of 400-500m north-east, assessed as aimed at its UAV.
- On 8 December, while the SMM was following up on reports of a woman injured by shelling, medical staff at a hospital in Horlivka (non-government-controlled, 39km north-east of Donetsk) told the SMM that it could not provide information without the permission of those in effective control in Horlivka.
- On 9 December, an SMM long range-UAV lost its GPS signal due to signal interference while flying over areas near Pivdenne (formerly Leninske, government-controlled, 40km north-east of Donetsk) and Kurdiumivka (government-controlled, 54km north of Donetsk).[5]
[1] For a complete breakdown of ceasefire violations, please see the annexed table. During the reporting period, the SMM camera in Hranitne and Krasnohorivka were not operational and mist and fog limited the observation capabilities of the majority of other SMM cameras.
[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] Due to the presence of mines, including 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.
[4] This hardware is not proscribed by the provisions of the Minsk agreements on the withdrawal of weapons.
[5] The interference could have originated from anywhere within the radius of several kilometres of the SMM UAV’s position.