Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 8 February 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 followed up on reports of a man who died while at a checkpoint in Kreminets.
• The SMM followed up on reports of damage to a truck transporting coal on behalf of an international organization.
• It recorded ceasefire violations inside and near the Zolote disengagement area and a ceasefire violation inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area.
• The Mission saw weapons in violation of the withdrawal lines in government-controlled areas in Donetsk region.
• It facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repair works and demining activities to essential civilian infrastructure in Luhansk and Donetsk regions.
• Restrictions of the SMM’s access continued in all three disengagement areas and in non-government-controlled Verkhnoshyrokivske, Staromykhailivka and Horlivka.*
• The Mission monitored a public gathering in front of the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Kharkiv. It followed up on reports of graffiti on a church in Zaporizhzhia.

Ceasefire violations[1]

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including about 30 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 260 explosions). The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded at south and south-easterly directions of Chermalyk (government-controlled, 31km north-east of Mariupol) and at easterly directions of Hnutove (government-controlled, 20km north-east of Mariupol).

In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including about 480 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (one explosion). The majority of ceasefire violations, including 385 explosions, were recorded at northerly and southerly directions of Popasna (government-controlled, 69km west of Luhansk) and in areas close to the disengagement area near Zolote (government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk) (see the disengagement section below).

Man died while at a checkpoint in Kreminets

On 8 February, a doctor told the SMM that in the early afternoon hours of 7 February he had attempted to resuscitate a man (in his seventies) at a checkpoint on highway H-15 near the Kargil plant in Kreminets (non-government-controlled, 16km south-west of Donetsk). Staff at the morgue in Donetsk city told the SMM that the body of a man in his seventies had been brought in from the abovementioned checkpoint on 7 February and stated that the man had died of natural causes.

Reports of a truck transporting coal damaged by gunfire in Holubivske

On 7 February, the SMM saw metal fragments assessed as pieces of an anti-tank guided missile (type undetermined) on a local road on the south-eastern outskirts of Holubivske (non-government-controlled, formerly Kirovsk, 51km west of Luhansk). The Mission also saw two unarmed members of the armed formations conducting a search in the grass area adjacent to the road and a burned Ukrainian licence plate lying on the snow next to the same road. It also saw fresh scorch marks on the edge of each side of the road assessed as caused by an anti-tank missile fired from a northerly direction. On the same day, a representative of an international organization told the SMM that a truck delivering coal on behalf of the organization had been involved in an incident on the south-eastern outskirts of Holubivske.

Disengagement areas[2]

Between the evenings of 7-8 February, the SMM camera in Zolote  recorded an undetermined explosion and 24 projectiles in flight, all at an assessed range of 1-4km east-south-east, south-east and south-south-east (assessed as inside the disengagement area) and nine projectiles in flight at an assessed range of 2-4km east (assessed as outside the disengagement area). In the morning of 8 February, positioned in Pervomaisk (non-government-controlled, 58km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard four undetermined explosions and two shots of heavy-machine-gun fire, all 3km north (assessed as inside the disengagement area). Positioned in Zolote 1/Soniachnyi (government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard ten explosions assessed as impacts of mortar rounds at an assessed range of 0.7-1.5km north-north-west (assessed as outside the disengagement area) as well as four undetermined explosions and five bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire, all at an assessed range of 1.2-5km west-north-west and north-west (all assessed as outside the disengagement area). Positioned in Zolote 2/Karbonit (government-controlled, 62km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard 18 explosions assessed as outgoing mortar or artillery rounds at an assessed range of 2.5-5km north-north-west (all assessed as outside the disengagement area).

On the same day, the SMM camera at Prince Ihor Monument south-east of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge (15km north-east of Luhansk) recorded a muzzle flash at an assessed range of 2-3km north (assessed as inside the disengagement area).[3]

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 withdrawal lines

Government-controlled areas

7 February:

An SMM mini-unnamed aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted:

• 26 tanks (T-64) in a wooden area near Loskutivka (72km west of Luhansk) (for previous observations, see SMM Daily Report 1 February 2019).

8 February

The SMM saw:

• a surface-to-air missile system (9K35, Strela-10) heading south on a road in a residential area of Krasnohorivka  (24km north of Donetsk).

Beyond withdrawal lines but outside of designated storage sites

Government-controlled areas

8 February:

The SMM saw:

• five tanks on the western outskirts of Andriivka (61km south of Donetsk).

Indications of military and military-type presence in the security zone[4]

Government-controlled areas

7 February

An SMM mini-UAV spotted:

• an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (type undetermined) near Shchastia (20km north of Luhansk).

8 February

The SMM saw:

• four IFVs (BMP-2) near Zhelanne Pershe (29km north-west of Donetsk);
• an armoured personnel carrier (APC) ( BTR-60) near Novobakhmutivka (28km north of Donetsk);
• two APCs (Saxon and BTR-60) and an armoured reconnaissance vehicle (BRDM-2) near Krasnohorivka;
• an APC (BTR-70) near Chermalyk;

• a trench digger (type undetermined) near Shchastia; and

• an IFV (BMP-1) near Trokhizbenka (32km north-west of Luhansk).

Non-government-controlled areas

7 February

An SMM mini-UAV spotted:

• five IFVs (four BMP-2 and one BMP-1), an APC (BTR-80) and two anti-aircraft guns (ZU-23-2) near Vesela Hora (16km north of Luhansk).

Presence of mines

On 7 February, an SMM mini-UAV spotted again 11 anti-tank mines (nine TM-62 and two probable TM-62) laid across road H21 about 70m east of the bridge in Shchastia and six anti-tank mines (four TM-62 and two probable TM-62) laid across the same road 50m west of the bridge (for previous observations, see SMM Daily Report 10 August 2018).

SMM facilitation of repair works to civilian infrastructure and demining activities

The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repair works to a water conduit near Novotoshkivske (government-controlled, 53km west of Luhansk), a water pipeline near Obozne (non-government-controlled, 18km north of Luhansk) and to water wells at the Petrivske water pumping station near Artema (government-controlled, 26km north of Luhansk). The SMM continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station.

The Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable demining near a comprehensive primary and secondary school and a kindergarten in Mykolaivka (government-controlled, 40km south of Donetsk). A representative of the State Emergency Service told the SMM that no explosive devices had been found in the area.

The SMM monitored adherence to the ceasefire in order to enable a transfer of funds reportedly related to water payments across the bridge in Shchastia.

Public gathering in front of the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Kharkiv

The SMM monitored a public gathering in front of the Consulate General of the Russian Federation at 22 Maksymilianivska Street in Kharkiv, where it saw about 90 people (mixed gender and ages), including about 40 people in grey camouflage uniforms and ten people wearing heavy duty overcoats with hoods and masks. Some of the protestors were holding Ukrainian and Right Sector flags as well as a poster in English reading “Occupiers Go Home”. The SMM saw some of them throw several artificial eggs containing green dye at the Consulate building. It observed about 80 law enforcement officers present (60 in front of the Consulate and 20 standing in a street nearby).

Graffiti on a church wall in Zaporizhzhia

The SMM saw graffiti (two letters “S” in the shape of a lighting strike) spray-painted in black paint on a wall of St. Oleksii Karpatoruskyi church (affiliated with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church) at 29 Peredatochna Street in Zaporizhzhia (105km east of Dnipro) and traces of liquid on the wall that partially covered the graffiti. A priest told the Mission that he had seen the graffiti for the first time in early morning on 7 February. 

The Mission continued monitoring in Kherson, Odessa, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, 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 8 February 2019). 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 checkpoint west of Verkhnoshyrokivske (formerly Oktiabr, non-government controlled, 29km north-east of Mariupol), a member of the armed formations denied the SMM passage on two occasions citing the need for prior permission from his superiors.

• At a checkpoint north-east of Horlivka (non-government-controlled, 39km north-east of Donetsk), a member of the armed formations denied the SMM passage citing the need for prior permission from his superiors.

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.  

Conditional access:

• At a checkpoint near Staromykhailivka (non-government-controlled, 15km west of Donetsk), an unarmed member of the armed formations allowed the SMM to pass only upon the escort of a car of the armed formations during the SMM’s patrol in the settlement.

[1]           For a complete breakdown of ceasefire violations, please see the annexed table. The SMM camera in Svitlodarsk was not operational during the reporting period.

* Please see the section at the end of this report entitled “Restrictions of the SMM’s freedom of movement or other impediments to fulfilment of its mandate”.

[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 on 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]           The hardware mentioned in this section is not proscribed by the provisions of the Minsk agreements on the withdrawal of weapons.