Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 28 February 2019

This report is for the media and the general public.

Summary

• Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and no ceasefire violations in Luhansk region.
• The SMM recorded ceasefire violations near the Petrivske disengagement area and noted that a piece of unexploded ordnance previously observed near the road inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area had been removed.
• The SMM saw weapons in violation of the withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line.
• The Mission monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repair works to essential civilian infrastructure in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• Restrictions of the Mission’s access continued in all three disengagement areas. It was also restricted at checkpoints near Popasna, Verkhnoshyrokivske and in Staromykhailivka.*

Ceasefire violations[1]

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including about 470 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 180 explosions). The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded at southerly directions of Chermalyk (government-controlled, 31km north-east of Mariupol) and at southerly directions of Yasynuvata (non-government-controlled, 16km north-east of Donetsk).

In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded no ceasefire violations. During the previous reporting period , the SMM had recorded 72 ceasefire violations (about 20 explosions).

Disengagement areas[2]

During the day on 28 February, positioned about 2km north of Petrivske (non-government-controlled, 41km south of Donetsk), the SMM heard three shots of small-arms fire at an assessed range of 1-2km south-south-west, assessed as outside the disengagement area. [3]

Inside the disengagement area near Stanytsia Luhanska (government-controlled, 16km north-east of Luhansk), the SMM noted that a metal object assessed as a mortar (possibly 82mm) tailfin, previously observed 1-1.5m west of the road and about 270m north of the bridge (first reported on 25 December 2018, see SMM Daily Report 27 December 2018), had been removed.

During the day on 28 February, positioned inside the disengagement area 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 withdrawal lines

Government-controlled areas

28 February

The SMM saw:

• a mortar (type unknown) on a truck parked inside the yard of a residential house in Kyrylivka (26km north-east of Mariupol).

Non-government-controlled areas

28 February

The SMM saw:

• 22 multiple launch rocket systems (BM-21 Grad, 122mm) near Katerynivka (formerly Yuvileine, 8km west of Luhansk).

Weapons storage sites

At a heavy weapons permanent storage site in a non-government-controlled area of Luhansk region

28 February

The SMM noted the presence of weapons observed previously.

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

Government-controlled areas

28 February

The SMM saw:

• an armoured personnel carrier (APC) (BTR variant) near Kyrylivka.

Non-government-controlled areas

27 February

An SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle spotted:

• an APC (BTR variant) in the yard of an apparently abandoned building on the northern edge of Dovhe (22km north-west of Luhansk), as well as a previously observed extensive trench system and an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23, 23mm) mounted on an APC (MT-LB M) near the village.

On 28 February, the SMM saw two automated jamming stations (R-330T) near Bakhmut (formerly Artemivsk, government-controlled, 67km north of Donetsk).

Presence of new mine hazard sign

The SMM saw for the first time a red metal plate with “Stop Mine” written in Russian language attached to a post in the western outskirts of Zhovte (non-government-controlled, 17km north-west of Luhansk).

SMM facilitation of repair works to civilian infrastructure

The SMM monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repair works to water pipelines at the Petrivske water pumping station near Artema (government-controlled, 26km north of Luhansk) and to the phenol sludge reservoir near Zalizne (government-controlled, 42km north-east of Donetsk). The Mission continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station (15km north of Donetsk) and to monitor the security situation around the pumping station near Vasylivka (non-government-controlled, 20km north of Donetsk).

Border area outside of government control

While at a pedestrian border crossing point near Novoborovytsi (79km south of Luhansk) for about 20 minutes, the SMM saw a man exiting Ukraine, and no pedestrians entering Ukraine.

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 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 of 25 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.

Denials of access:

• At a checkpoint in the eastern outskirts of Popasna (government-controlled, 69km west of Luhansk), a Ukrainian Armed Forces soldier again did not allow the SMM to proceed south-west on road T-0504, citing orders from his commander.
• On two occasions at a checkpoint in Staromykhailivka (non-government-controlled, 15km west of Donetsk), three armed members of the armed formations again denied the SMM passage, citing a “lack of security guarantees”.
• At a checkpoint 600m west of Verkhnoshyrokivske (formerly Oktiabr, non-government-controlled, 29km north-east of Mariupol), five armed members of the armed formations again denied the SMM passage, citing “subversive activities in the area”. While present at the checkpoint, the SMM saw civilian vehicles crossing the checkpoint in both directions.

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] 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 Krasnohorivka and at Oktiabr mine 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 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.