Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 24 January 2019

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 region and more in Luhansk region.
• The SMM recorded ceasefire violations inside the Zolote disengagement area and near the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area.
• The Mission continued to observe long queues of civilians travelling across the contact line at the entry-exit checkpoint in Stanytsia Luhanska.
• The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable maintenance works to essential civilian infrastructure.
• Restrictions of the Mission’s access continued in all three disengagement areas. The SMM was also restricted at a border crossing point near non-government-controlled Izvaryne.*
• In Kyiv, the SMM followed the sentencing hearing of the former President of Ukraine.

Ceasefire violations

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including about 40 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 60 explosions). The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded at northerly, southerly and westerly directions of the railway station in Yasynuvata (non-government-controlled, 16km north-east of Donetsk).

During the day on 24 January, positioned at the entry-exit checkpoint in Maiorsk (government-controlled, 45km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard two undetermined explosions about 500m west of its position. At the time, about 250 civilians, ten buses and 40 cars were present at the location.

In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded more ceasefire violations, including, however, a similar number of explosions (14), compared with the previous reporting period (about 15 explosions). The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded in areas south of Muratove (government-controlled, 51km north-west of Luhansk) and inside and close to the disengagement area near Zolote (government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk).

Disengagement areas

On the evening of 23 January, the SMM camera in Zolote recorded four explosions (assessed as airbursts) and six projectiles, all at an assessed range of 1.5-3km south-east and south-south-east (all assessed as inside the Zolote disengagement area) as well as two projectiles at an assessed range of 2-4km east-south-east (unable to assess whether inside or outside the disengagement area).

On the evening and night of 23-24 January, while on the eastern edge of Stanytsia Luhanska (government-controlled, 16km north-east of Luhansk), the SMM heard four undetermined explosions as well as 19 bursts and 22 shots of small-arms fire 5km south-west and west-south-west (all assessed as outside the disengagement area).

During the day on 24 January, positioned near Zolote-4/Rodina (government-controlled, 59km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard 45 shots and bursts of small-arms fire at an assessed range of 1-1.5km south-west (assessed as inside the disengagement area) and seven shots of small-arms fire at an assessed range of 1-3km east and south-east (assessed as outside the Zolote disengagement area).

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.

Beyond the withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites

Government-controlled areas:

23 January:

The SMM saw:

• • a surface-to-air missile system (9K33 Osa) near Topolivka ( 80km north-west of Luhansk).

Non-government-controlled areas

23 January

An SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle spotted:

• • 22 tanks (12 T-72 and ten T-64) and about 150 crates of ammunition (probable 125mm rounds) at a training area north-east of Kruhlyk (31km south-west of Luhansk) (for previous observations, see SMM Daily Report 8 January 2019).
  • a surface-to-air missile system (9K35 Strela-10) about 2km south-east of Myrne; and
  • 20 tanks (nine T-72 and 11 T-64) of which four were being used to conduct exercises (two were fitted with KMT mine ploughs), 12 towed howitzers (D-30 Lyagushka, 122mm), eight self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm), six anti-tank guns (MT-12 Rapira, 100mm) and three mortars (2B11 Sani, 120mm) in a training area near Myrne (28km south-west of Luhansk);

Indications of military presence in the security zone

Government-controlled areas

23 January

The SMM saw:

• an infantry fighting vehicle (BMP-1) near Voitove (33km north-west of Luhansk).

Long queues of civilians at checkpoints

At the checkpoint of the armed formations south of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge (15km north-east of Luhansk) the SMM saw about 1,000 people queuing to travel toward government-controlled areas and no people queueing in the opposite direction. About two hours later, at the entry-exit checkpoint north of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge, the SMM observed about 1,000 people queuing to enter government-controlled areas and 600 people queuing to travel in the opposite direction.

SMM facilitation of maintenance works to civilian infrastructure

The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable an inspection of water wells in Artema (government-controlled, 26km north of Luhansk). The Mission continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station (15km north of Donetsk).

Border areas not under government control

While at a border crossing point near Izvaryne (52km south-east of Luhansk), the SMM saw a bus with Ukrainian licence plates (with 40 passengers on board), two cars (with Russian Federation licence plates) and two covered cargo trucks (with Ukrainian licence plates) entering Ukraine as well as 14 pedestrians exiting Ukraine. After about five minutes, an unarmed member of the armed formations told the SMM to leave the area.*

Sentencing hearing of former President of Ukraine in Kyiv

The SMM followed a court hearing which took place in the Obolonskyi District Court of Kyiv for the trial in absentia against the former President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych. The defendant had been charged under relevant provisions of Articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine with high treason (Article 111, paragraph 1), planning, preparing and waging of aggressive war (Article 437, paragraph 2) and trespassing against the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine (Article 110). The court found the defendant guilty of the first two charges and acquitted him of the third one and sentenced him to 13 years of imprisonment (the defendant can appeal the verdict within 30 days). The SMM saw 20 law enforcement officers inside and about 50 law enforcement officers in front of the court building, some of whom were checking vehicles on Marshala Tymoshenka Street, as well as two police trucks, two buses and a fire engine parked nearby. It also saw that the majority of observers in the courtroom were media representatives.

The Mission continued monitoring in Kherson, Odessa, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kharkiv, Dnipro and Chernivtsi.

*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 Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination 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:

• • At a border crossing point near Izvaryne, a member of the armed formations again 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.

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.