Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 21 December 2018

This report is for the media and the general public.

Summary

• Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• The SMM followed up on reports of a man injured due to gunfire in Chermalyk.
• The Mission observed damage to a house caused by shelling in Zolote-5/Mykhailivka and by small-arms fire to a post office in Holubivske.
• The SMM recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote and Petrivske disengagement areas.
• The Mission saw weapons in violation of the withdrawal lines in government-controlled areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• The SMM continued to observe long queues of civilians travelling across the contact line near Stanytsia Luhanska.
• The Mission 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.
• It monitored public gatherings in Odessa and Lviv.

Ceasefire violations[1]

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including about 150 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 200 explosions). The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded in areas south-east of Svitlodarsk (government-controlled, 57km north-east of Donetsk), including about 75 explosions. Positioned in the eastern outskirts of Zalizne (formerly Artemove, government-controlled, 42km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard one undetermined explosion and five bursts of small-arms fire at an assessed range of 0.5-1km south-east of its position.

In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including 45 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 130 explosions). The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded in areas east-south-east of Novoaidar (government-controlled, 49km north-west of Luhansk) (all assessed as live-fire exercise outside the security zone).

Man injured by gunfire in Chermalyk

The SMM followed up on reports of a man (in his fifties) wounded by small-arms fire in Chermalyk (government-controlled, 31km north-east of Mariupol). On 17 December, at a military hospital in Mariupol (government-controlled, 102km south of Donetsk), medical staff told the SMM that a man (in his fifties) had been admitted on 16 December with a gunshot wound in his left thigh which they assessed as caused by a 5.45mm bullet. According to the medical staff, the man was still in hospital. In Chermalyk, the wife of the wounded man told the SMM that on the morning of 16 December, while inside their house on the north-east edge of Chermalyk, she had heard her husband shouting that he had been shot, immediately after he had left the house.

Damage caused by shelling in Zolote-5/Mykhailivka

On 21 December, at 9 Poshtova Street in Zolote-5/Mykhailivka (non-government-controlled, 58km north-west of Luhansk), the SMM saw two shattered windows and numerous holes (assessed as caused by shrapnel) on the north-facing wall of a one-storey residential house.  A west-facing fence 6m north-east of the house was missing six wooden planks and broken parts of the planks were lying on the ground nearby. The Mission observed a tailfin of a recoilless-gun (SPG-9, 73mm), or infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (BMP-1) cannon round on the ground next to the fence. The SMM saw a fresh crater covered in snow, around 6.5m north of the house. A gas pipe running along the aforementioned damaged fence had been fixed with tape. The SMM assessed that the damage was caused by a self-propelled gun or IFV (BMP-1) cannon fired from a north-westerly direction. The owner of the house (man, in his sixties) said the damage had been caused by shelling in the afternoon of 14 December.

Damage caused by gunfire in Holubivske

On 21 December, at 1A Cooperativna Street in Holubivske (non-government-controlled, 51km west of Luhansk) the SMM saw a fresh hole and a 5.45mm bullet lodged in the north-west-facing wall of a one-storey building of a functioning post office. An employee of the post office (woman in her forties) told the SMM that when she had left the post office at about 16:00 the previous day, she had not observed any damage to the wall.

Disengagement areas[2]

During the day on 21 December, positioned on the southern edge of the Zolote disengagement area, the SMM heard about 14 bursts of small-arms fire at an assessed range of 2-4km north-north-east (assessed as outside the disengagement area) and three bursts of small-arms fire at an assessed range of 1-2km north (assessed as inside the disengagement area). On the same day, positioned close to the disengagement area near Zolote (government-controlled, 60 west of Luhansk), the SMM recorded 11 projectiles in flight from north-west to south-east at an assessed range of 2-4km east (unable to determine whether inside or outside the disengagement area).  

During the day on 21 December, positioned about 2km north of Petrivske (non-government-controlled, 41km south of Donetsk), the SMM heard ten undetermined explosions at an assessed range of 3-5km south-west (assessed as inside the disengagement area) and eight undetermined explosions as well as 15 shots of small-arms, all at an assessed range of 1-4km west-south-west (unable to determine whether inside or outside the 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 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

21 December

• 22 self-propelled howitzers (19 2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm and three 2S3 Akatsiya, 152mm) at a railway station in Bakhmut (formerly Artemivsk, 67km north of Donetsk)
• A self-propelled howitzer (2S1) near Bakhmut, heading north-west
• Nine self-propelled howitzers (2S1) at the railway station in Kostiantynivka (60km north of Donetsk)
• An anti-tank gun (MT-12 Rapira, 100mm) being towed by a military truck about 2km east of Spirne (96km north of Donetsk), heading south
• Three tanks (T-64) about 2km south-south-west of Bila Hora (67km north-west of Luhansk)

Beyond the withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites

Government-controlled areas

21 December

• Four surface-to-air missile systems (9K35 Strela-10) at the railway station in Kostiantynivka

Indications of military presence in the security zone[4]

Government-controlled areas

21 December

• Two armoured personnel carriers (APC) (MT-LB) near Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk)
• Three APCs (BTR-70), an IFV (BMP-2)  and an APC (MT-LB) towing an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23, 23mm) near Kamianka (20km north of Donetsk)

• Five IFVs (BMP-1) and a mine layer (GMZ-3) near Novozvanivka (70km west of Luhansk)
• A IFV (BMP-1) in Zolote-1/Soniachnyi (60km west of Luhansk)
• An APC (BTR-60) and three IFV (BMP-2) near Vesele (21km north of Donetsk)
• Two IFVs (BMP-2) and two APCs (BTR-70) near Sukha Balka (36km north of Donetsk)
• An APC (BTR-70) near Romanivka (41km north of Donetsk)

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

At 10:15 on 21 December, at the checkpoint of the armed formations south of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge (15km north-east of Luhansk), the SMM again saw about 1,500 people queuing to travel toward government-controlled areas and about 400 people queueing in the opposite direction. The Mission saw another 500 people queuing at a nearby bus stop. At about 12:15, at the entry-exit checkpoint north of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge, the SMM observed about 800 people queuing to enter government-controlled areas and 300 people queuing in the opposite direction. Two elderly women told the SMM that it had taken them five hours to cross from non-government- to government-controlled areas.

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 (government-controlled, 69km west of Luhansk) and near Zalizne, as well as to damaged houses in government-controlled Marinka (23km south-west of Donetsk) and Krasnohorivka (21km west of Donetsk).The SMM continued to facilitate the operation of the DFS.

Other developments

In Odessa, the SMM saw about 70 people (men and women, aged 20-30) in front of the Regional Prosecutor’s Office. About 40 participants were holding flags and wearing clothing with insignia of the National Corps. The SMM saw also ten individuals known to it as members of Automaidan. Participants also carried banners displaying photos of alleged illegal constructions in Odessa and messages in Russian criticizing politicians and constructions. An individual gave a speech and several participants poured red ink and tore the flag of a political party and then placed several pieces of the torn flag on the main door of the prosecutor’s office and on the pavement in front of the door. The SMM observed 15 police officers.

In Lviv, the Mission saw about 500 people (mainly men aged 20-55) in front the Regional Prosecutor’s Office. It observed four individuals known to the SMM as members of Right Sector and others participants holding banners critical of corruption, authorities and their alleged inability to investigate crimes against pro-Maidan activists. The Mission saw that the participants marched to the Regional State Administration. During the march, they were chanting slogans, and at both locations the Mission saw several individuals holding lit smoke flares. Four police cars and about 20 law enforcement officers were moving with the participants and another 30 law enforcement officers were in front of each of the above mentioned buildings. The Mission observed a calm situation.

The Mission continued monitoring in Kherson, 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 21 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.

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.

 

[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 checkpoint near Pyshchevyk 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.