Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 11 December 2018
This report is for the media and the general public.
Summary
- Compared with the previous 24 hours, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region.
- Small-arms fire was directed at SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicles near Maiorsk and in Khoroshe.*
- The Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to water and electric infrastructure on both sides of the contact line and to damaged houses in Marinka. It 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 near Zaichenko.*
Ceasefire violations[1]
In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including about 320 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 400 explosions). The majority of ceasefire violations, including about half of the explosions, were recorded in areas north and south of Yasynuvata (non-government-controlled, 16km north-east of Donetsk) and in areas south-west of Svitlodarsk (government-controlled, 57km north-east of Donetsk).
While conducting a mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flight about 1.6km north-west of the entry-exit checkpoint in Maiorsk (government-controlled, 45km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard about 30 shots of small-arms fire at an assessed range of 400-500m south-west, assessed as aimed at its UAV which at the time was about 1km south of the patrol’s position. The SMM recalled the UAV, which landed safely.*
In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including 40 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (one explosion). About two-thirds of the ceasefire violations, including about 20 explosions, were recorded in areas north-north-east of Donetskyi (non-government-controlled, 49km west of Luhansk) as well as south and south-east of Bobrove (government-controlled, 56km north-west of Luhansk).
While conducting a mini-UAV flight in the eastern outskirts of Khoroshe (non-government-controlled, 36km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard 11 shots of small-arms fire at an assessed range of 200-300m south, assessed as aimed at its UAV, which at the time was about 350m south of the patrol’s position. The SMM recalled the UAV, which landed safely.*
Disengagement areas[2]
Positioned about 2km north of Petrivske (non-government-controlled, 41km south of Donetsk), the SMM heard an undetermined explosion at an assessed range of 5-7km south (assessed as outside the Petrivske disengagement area).[3]
Positioned inside the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska (government-controlled, 16km north-east of Luhansk) and near Zolote (government-controlled, 60km west 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
10 December
An SMM mini-UAV spotted:
- a tank (T-64), assessed as non-operational, near Khoroshe
Indications of military and military-type presence in the security zone[4]
Government-controlled areas
9 December
An SMM mid-range UAV spotted:
- an armoured reconnaissance vehicle (BRDM-2) and an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23, 23mm) mounted atop a truck near Taramchuk (29km south-west of Donetsk).
10 December
An SMM mini-UAV spotted:
- two armoured personnel carriers (APC) (BTR-70 and MT-LB Blade) near Fedorivka (71km south of Donetsk);and
- an APC (BTR-70) and an armoured reconnaissance vehicle (BRDM-2) near Novoselivka Druha (36km north-east of Mariupol).
11 December
- An armoured reconnaissance vehicle (BRDM-2) in Zolote;
- An armoured reconnaissance vehicle (BRDM-2) near Muratove (51km north-west of Luhansk);
- An APC (BTR-60) and one APC (BTR variant) near Volnovakha (53km south of Donetsk);
- An APC (BTR-70) near Berezove (31km south-west of Donetsk);
- An APC (MT-LB) near Novoselivka (37km north-east of Mariupol);
- An APC (BTR-70) in Novoselivka Druha
Non-government-controlled areas
10 December
An SMM mini-UAV spotted:
- an APC (BTR-80) and a trench digger (TMK-2) near Khoroshe;
- two military trucks with multiple masts, each with several antenna arrays, and a generator unit as well as a trailer assessed as electronic warfare equipment near Lozivskyi (32km west of Luhansk).
Demining activities and mine hazard signs
The SMM saw 12 people wearing clothing with the logo of an international demining organization conducting demining activities in a field east of road P22, 3km north of Shyrokyi (government-controlled, 38km north-east of Luhansk).
The Mission saw at least ten mine hazard signs (red background with a skull and crossbones and “Stop, Mines” written in Cyrillic) on the northern side of road P22 in the northern outskirts of Krasna Talivka (government-controlled, 51km north-east of Luhansk). It also saw an 80m-long safe lane leading from the road into a field as well as an ambulance and one other vehicle of the abovementioned international demining organization parked nearby. About 1km north-east, the SMM saw four people wearing clothing with the logo of the same international demining organization conducting demining activities in a field on the southern side of road P22. About 500m south-east of the previous location, next to a local road, the SMM observed an area about 150m by 80m marked with wooden sticks, and further 500m south-east it saw at least ten mine hazard signs (red background with a skull and crossbones and “Stop, Mines” written in Cyrillic) as well as a vehicle with the logo of the same international demining organization. (For previous observations from this area, see SMM Daily Report 5 November 2018.)
SMM facilitation of repairs to civilian infrastructure
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), to power lines in Zolote-4/Rodina (government-controlled, 59km north-west of Luhansk) and near Semyhiria (government-controlled, 58km north-east of Donetsk), to water pipes in Zolote and to damaged houses in Marinka (government-controlled, 23km south-west of Donetsk). The Mission continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station (15km north of Donetsk).
Other observations
The SMM observed a calm situation at the crossing point in Chonhar (163km south-east of Kherson) and at a Ukrainian Border Guard Service security position in Valok (188km south-east of Kherson).
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, 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, SMM Daily Report 11 December). 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:
- Two armed members of the armed formations again denied the SMM passage through a checkpoint north of Zaichenko (non-government-controlled, 26km north-east of Mariupol), preventing the SMM from travelling west towards Pikuzy (formerly Kominternove, non-government-controlled, 23km north-east of Mariupol) and south towards Sakhanka (non-government-controlled, 24km north-east of Mariupol), citing recent mortar shelling and small-arms fire in the area.
Other impediments:
- While conducting a mini-UAV flight about 1.6km north-west of the entry-exit checkpoint in Maiorsk, the SMM heard about 30 shots of small-arms fire at an assessed range of 400-500m south-west, assessed as aimed at its UAV.
- While conducting a mini-UAV flight in the eastern outskirts of Khoroshe, the SMM heard 11 shots of small-arms fire at an assessed range of 200-300m south, assessed as aimed at its UAV.
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.
At a checkpoint of the armed formations south of the bridge in Shchastia (government-controlled, 20km north of Luhansk), a member of the armed formations told the SMM that mines on the road leading north had not been cleared.
[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. During the reporting period, the SMM cameras in Hranitne and Krasnohorivka were not operational.
[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.