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

Summary

• Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and a similar number of ceasefire violations in Luhansk region.
• The Mission recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote disengagement area.
• Small-arms fire was directed at an SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle near Novotoshkivske.*
• The SMM saw weapons in violation of the withdrawal lines near Bakhmut, Kostiantynivka and Lysychansk.
• The Mission continued to observe long queues of civilians travelling across the contact line near Stanytsia Luhanska.
• The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repair works to essential civilian infrastructure and damaged houses in Marinka and Krasnohorivka. It continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station.
• Restrictions of the Mission’s access continued in all three disengagement areas.*

Ceasefire violations[1]

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including 350 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 80 explosions). The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded in areas between Yasynuvata (non-government-controlled, 16km north-east of Donetsk) and Kamianka (government-controlled, 20km north of Donetsk), including about 280 explosions, and in areas south-east of Svitlodarsk (government-controlled, 57km north-east of Donetsk).

In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded a similar number of ceasefire violations, including six explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (nine explosions). The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded in areas south-west of Kriakivka (government-controlled 38km north-west of Luhansk).

On the morning of 19 December, while conducting a mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flight west of Novotoshkivske (government-controlled, 53km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard a single burst of small-arms fire at an assessed range of 1km south, assessed as aimed at the UAV, which at the time was about 1 km south-south-east of the patrol’s position. The Mission recalled the UAV, which landed safely.*

Disengagement areas[2]

On the evening of 18 December, the SMM camera in Zolote (government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk) recorded 16 projectiles in flight at an assessed range of 2-3km east (unable to assess whether inside or outside the disengagement area).

During the day on 19 December, positioned inside the disengagement area near Stanytsia Luhanska (government-controlled, 16km north-east of Luhansk) and close to the disengagement area near Zolote, the SMM observed a calm situation.

Withdrawal of weapons

The Mission 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

19 December

• 26 self-propelled howitzers (nine 2S3 Akatsiya, 152mm and 17 2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) at the railway station in Bakhmut (67km north of Donetsk)
• a self-propelled howitzer (2S1) moving south-west 4km south-west of Kostiantynivka (60km north of Donetsk)
• a self-propelled howitzer (2S1) moving south-west in Kostiantynivka
• four multiple launch rocket systems (BM-21 Grad, 122mm) near Lysychansk (75km north-west of Luhansk)

Beyond the withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites

Government-controlled areas

19 December

• two anti-tank guided missile systems (9P148 Konkurs, 135mm) in Sievierodonetsk (74km north-west of Luhansk)

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

Government-controlled areas

19 December

• an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (BMP-1) near Zolote
• an IFV (BMP-1) and two armoured personnel carriers (APC) (MT-LBs, one towing an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23, 23mm)) near Popasna (69km west of Luhansk)
• an IFV (BMP-2) and an APC (BTR-60) in Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk)

An SMM mini-UAV spotted:

• three APCs (MT-LB) near Vynohradne (10km east of Mariupol); and
• an IFV (BMP variant) near Novotoshkivske

Non-government-controlled areas

19 December

An SMM mini-UAV spotted:

• seven IFVs (BMP-2) and an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23) mounted atop a military-type truck near Vesela Hora (16km north of Luhansk).

New mine hazard signs

The SMM saw for the first time two improvised mine signs (with “ATTENTION MINES” written in Russian on white sheets of paper attached to wooden stakes) in front of an agricultural facility, next to a road about 1km south-west of Petrivske (non-government-controlled, 40km south-east of Donetsk).

Long queues of civilians travelling across the contact line near Stanytsia Luhanska

At 09:20 on 19 December, at the checkpoint of the armed formations south of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge (15km north-east of Luhansk), the SMM saw about 700 people queuing to travel towards government-controlled areas and no people queueing in the opposite direction. The Mission also saw another 120 people waiting at a nearby bus stop. About four hours later, at the entry-exit checkpoint north of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge, it observed about 750 people queuing to enter government-controlled areas and about 150 people queuing to travel in the opposite direction.

SMM facilitation of repair works to civilian infrastructure

The Mission 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), water pipelines near Popasna and near Zalizne (government-controlled, 42km north-east of Donetsk) and to damaged houses in government-controlled Marinka (23km south-west of Donetsk) and Krasnohorivka (21km west of Donetsk), as well as to enable an inspection of power lines near government-controlled Troitske (69km west of Luhansk) and Novozvanivka (70km west of Luhansk). The SMM continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station.

The Mission 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 18 December 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.

Denials of access:

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 Mission that mines on the road leading north had not been cleared.

Other impediments:

• While conducting a mini-UAV flight west of Novotoshkivske, the SMM heard a single burst of small-arms fire at an assessed range of 1km south, assessed as aimed at the UAV.

 

[1] For a complete breakdown of ceasefire violations, please see the annexed table. During the reporting period, the SMM cameras in Krasnohorivka and at the entry-exit checkpoints in Pyshchevyk and Maiorsk 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] This hardware is not proscribed by the provisions of the Minsk agreements on the withdrawal of weapons.