Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 12 March 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 and Luhansk regions.
• Gunfire was directed at two SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicles near Pervomaiske and Manuilivka, Donetsk region.
• The Mission recorded ceasefire violations inside the Zolote disengagement area.
• The SMM observed weapons in violation of the withdrawal lines in non-government-controlled areas in Donetsk region.
• The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repair works to essential civilian infrastructure in Donetsk region.
• Restrictions of the SMM’s access continued in all three disengagement areas. Its access was also restricted in Oleksandrivske and at a checkpoint near Novoazovsk, both in non-government-controlled areas of Donetsk region.*

Ceasefire violations[1]

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including 120 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (145 explosions). The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded at directions ranging from north-west to south-west of Yasynuvata (non-government-controlled, 16km north-east of Donetsk), including ones as close as 100-500m from the camera at the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS) (15km north of Donetsk), and at south-easterly and southerly directions of Chermalyk (government-controlled, 31km north-east of Mariupol).

On the morning of 12 March, positioned on the south-eastern edge of Pervomaiske (government-controlled, 17km north-west of Donetsk) while conducting a mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flight in the area, the SMM heard two shots of small-arms and two bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire, all at an assessed range of 300-500m east of its position. The Mission assessed the fire as aimed at the UAV, which at the time was in the process of landing (about 150m above the SMM’s position). The SMM safely landed the mini-UAV.*

On the same morning, positioned about 4km north-west of Manuilivka (non-government-controlled, 65km east of Donetsk) while conducting a mini-UAV flight, the SMM heard 15 bursts of small-arms fire at an assessed range of 1km north-west of its position. The Mission assessed the fire as aimed at the UAV, which at the time was flying about 1.7km north-west of the SMM’s position. The SMM recalled and safely landed the mini-UAV. *

In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including about 90 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (110 explosions). More than half of the ceasefire violations (including 57 explosions) were recorded in areas north-north-west of Holubivske (non-government-controlled, 51km west of Luhansk).

Disengagement areas[2]

Between the evenings of 11 and 12 March, the SMM camera in Zolote (government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk) recorded 19 projectiles at an assessed range of 2-4km at easterly and south-easterly directions (assessed as inside the disengagement area). The same camera recorded an undetermined explosion at an assessed range of 5-6km south and six projectiles at an assessed range of 1-4km east and east-south-east (all assessed as outside the disengagement area), as well as four projectiles at an assessed range of 1-2km south-east and south-south-east (unable to assess whether inside or outside the disengagement area).

On 12 March, positioned in Pervomaisk (non-government-controlled, 58km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard an undetermined explosion at an assessed range of 2-3km north (assessed as inside the Zolote disengagement area).

Positioned inside the disengagement area near Stanytsia Luhanska (government-controlled, 16km north-east of Luhansk) and near the disengagement area close to Petrivske (non-government-controlled, 41km south of Donetsk), the SMM observed calm situations.[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.

Weapons in violation

Non-government-controlled areas

9 March

An SMM mini-UAV spotted a tank (T-64) near Novohryhorivka (61km north-east of Donetsk).

12 March

The SMM saw four tanks (type undetermined) in a training area near Sofiivka (formerly Karlo-Marksove, 40km north-east of Donetsk).

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

Government-controlled areas

8 March          

An SMM mini-UAV spotted an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23, 23mm) mounted on a truck about 400m south-east of the disengagement area near Zolote.

12 March

The SMM saw:

-      an armoured personnel carrier (APC) (BTR-70) near Berezove (31km south-west of Donetsk);

-      an APC (BTR-70) near Novobakhmutivka (28km north of Donetsk); and

-      eight APCs (BTR-80) and an armoured reconnaissance vehicle (BRDM-2) near Novokalynove (29km north-west of Donetsk).

Non-government-controlled areas

8 March

An SMM mini-UAV spotted eight probable APCs (MT-LB) near Kalynove (60km west of Luhansk).

11 March

An SMM mini-UAV spotted:

• an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23) mounted on a  truck and an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (BMP-2) near Vesela Hora (16km north of Luhansk);
• two IFVs (BMP-1) and an APC (BTR-80) in a residential area  in Novohryhorivka; and
• an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23) mounted on a truck near Pervomaisk (58km west of Luhansk).

On 11 March, an SMM mini-UAV spotted 25 recent impact craters, assessed as caused by  122mm artillery rounds, about 3km west of Kalynove-Borshchuvate (non-government-controlled, 61km west of Luhansk).

Presence of mines

An SMM mini-UAV spotted previously observed anti-tank mines (TM-62): at least 36 laid out in three rows of 12 across road H-21 near Shchastia (government-controlled, 20km north of Luhansk) (for previous observations, SMM Daily Report 14 March 2018), four laid out across the western lane of the same road near Vesela Hora, about 2km south-west of the aforementioned mines (for previous observations, SMM Daily Report  19 March 2018), and at least 36 laid out in a field adjacent to the previous four (for previous observations, SMM Daily Report of 11 March 2019).    

SMM facilitation of operation of civilian infrastructure

The SMM monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to power lines near Betmanove (formerly Krasnyi Partyzan, non-government-controlled, 23km north-east of Donetsk). The Mission also continued to facilitate the operation of the DFS and to monitor the security situation around the pumping station near Vasylivka (non-government-controlled, 20km north of Donetsk).

Border areas outside government control

While at a border crossing point near Marynivka (78km east of Donetsk), the SMM saw two cars (one with Russian Federation licence plates and one with “DPR” plates) and two buses (one with “DPR” plates and one with “LPR” plates) entering Ukraine, as well as 16 cars (six with Ukrainian, five with Russian Federation licence plates and five with “DPR” plates), three covered cargo trucks (two with Ukrainian licence plates and one with “DPR” plates) and four buses (one with Armenian licence plates and three with “DPR” plates) exiting 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, SMM Daily Report 12 March 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:

• On the eastern edge of Oleksandrivske (formerly Rozy Liuksemburh, non-government-controlled, 90km south-east of Donetsk), a member of the armed formations denied the SMM passage towards Markyne (non-government-controlled, 94km south of Donetsk), citing “ongoing firing exercises” at a nearby training area.
• At a checkpoint near Novoazovsk (non-government-controlled, 40km east of Mariupol), an armed member of the armed formations denied the SMM passage to the border crossing point near Novoazovsk, citing an “ongoing operation” in the area. The SMM was allowed to proceed to Bezimenne (non-government-controlled, 30km east of Mariupol).

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.

Other impediments:

• While conducting a mini-UAV flight in areas east of Pervomaiske (government-controlled, 17km north-west of Donetsk), the SMM heard heard two shots of small-arms and two bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire, all at an assessed range of 300-500m east of its position and assessed as aimed at the UAV, which landed safely.
• While conducting a mini-UAV flight in areas north-west of Manuilivka (non-government-controlled, 65km east of Donetsk), the SMM heard 15 bursts of small-arms fire 1km north-west of its position, assessed as aimed at the UAV, which landed safely.

[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 camera in Krasnohorivka was 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 cannot access its camera in Petrivske, 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, unless otherwise specified.