Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 29 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 region and more in Luhansk region.
• The SMM followed up on reports of a woman and a boy injured due to shelling in Sentianivka.
• The Mission recorded a ceasefire violation inside the disengagement area near Zolote.
• It observed weapons in violation of the withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line.
• The SMM saw anti-tank mines for the first time near Vodiane and Pikuzy.
• The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to essential civilian infrastructure.
• Restrictions of the SMM’s access continued in all three disengagement areas. In addition, it was restricted at a checkpoint near Novolaspa and at a heavy weapons holding area in a non-government-controlled area of Donetsk region, as well as near Zaichenko, Izvaryne and Sievernyi close to the border with the Russian Federation.*

Ceasefire violations[1]

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including 70 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 330 explosions). The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded in areas south and south-east of Chermalyk (government-controlled, 31km north-east of Mariupol) and at northerly and westerly directions of Yasynuvata (non-government-controlled, 16km north-east of Donetsk).

In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including about 500 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (75 explosions). The majority of ceasefire violations and explosions were recorded at north-easterly directions of Hannivka (non-government-controlled, 58km west of Luhansk) and in areas around the disengagement area near Zolote (government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk) (see below).

Woman and boy injured due to shelling in Sentianivka

The SMM followed up on reports of injuries to a woman and a boy in Sentianivka (formerly Frunze, non-government-controlled, 44km west of Luhansk) due to shelling, at two locations where the SMM had previously observed damage and fresh craters (see SMM Daily Report 27 March 2019 and SMM Daily Report 29 March 2019). At 22 Shevchenka Street, a resident (woman, 81 years old) told the SMM that she had bruises on her left shoulder and that she had been injured while standing outside the house at around 18:30 on 25 March when shelling occurred. At 20 Shevchenka Street, a resident (man, around 38 years old), who said that he was the woman’s grandson, told the SMM that on the same day, while he was at work, his 12-year-old son had been struck by the pressure wave of an explosion during shelling as he was trying to reach a basement in the yard of the house to take shelter. Medical staff at an ambulance service in Sentianivka said that they had treated a boy suffering from a concussion and shock and an elderly woman with bruises on 25 March.

Disengagement areas[2]

On the evening of 28 March, the SMM camera in Zolote recorded a projectile in flight at an assessed range of 1.5-3km south-east, assessed as inside the disengagement area, as well as an undetermined explosion and four projectiles near the disengagement area. On the same evening, positioned on the northern edge of Popasna (government-controlled, 69km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard 15 undetermined explosions near the disengagement area. During the day on 29 March, positioned on the northern edge of Popasna, the SMM heard 44 explosions (21 assessed as outgoing rounds of undetermined weapons and 23 as outgoing artillery rounds) near the disengagement area.

Positioned inside the disengagement area near Stanytsia Luhanska (government-controlled, 16km north-east of Luhansk) and near the disengagement area near 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

29 March

The SMM again saw two self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) and four towed howitzers (D-30 Lyagushka, 122mm) near Bile (22km west of Luhansk).

Government-controlled areas

29 March

The SMM saw a surface-to-air missile system (9K33 Osa) near Popasna.

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

Non-government-controlled areas

28 March

An SMM mid-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (probable BMP variant) and an armoured combat vehicle (ACV) (type undetermined) near Pikuzy (formerly Kominternove, 23km north-east of Mariupol).

Government-controlled areas

28 March

An SMM long-range UAV spotted an armoured personnel carrier (APC) (BTR-70), at least two probable ACVs (type undetermined) and an IFV (BMP-2) near Nevelske (18km north-west of Donetsk).

An SMM mini-UAV spotted an armoured reconnaissance vehicle (BRDM-2) and for the first time a 150m-long westward extension to a trench system near Popasna (not seen in imagery from 7 March 2019).

29 March

The SMM saw:

• six IFVs (BMP-1) near Popasna and
• four Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel digging new trenches 20-25m north of road H-15 about 300m south-south-east of the most forward Ukrainian Armed Forces position at the entry-exit checkpoint near Marinka (23km south-west of Donetsk).

On 29 March, the SMM saw a fixed-wing UAV flying about 10m above the ground from south to north near Kapitanove (49km north-west of Luhansk), which landed close to four Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel who subsequently packed up the UAV and left the area.

Presence of mines

On 28 March, an SMM mid-range UAV again spotted 32 anti-tank mines laid out in two rows in a field near Vodiane (government-controlled, 94km south of Donetsk), as well as 36 anti-tank mines in two fields and across a road about 2km north of the aforementioned mines and for the first time at least 75 anti-tank mines in a field about 200m north of the same mines. On the same day, the same UAV spotted for the first time at least 150 anti-tank mines in a field near Pikuzy.

On 29 March, the SMM saw for the first time five anti-tank mines in a single row about 10m south of road T-0504 and about 400m from a Ukrainian Armed Forces checkpoint in the eastern outskirts of Popasna.

SMM facilitation of repairs to civilian infrastructure

The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to the Petrivske pumping station near Artema (government-controlled, 26km north of Luhansk). It also 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, 24km north-east of Donetsk).

Border areas outside government control

On 29 March, while at a border crossing point near Izvaryne (52km south-east of Luhansk), the SMM saw 37 cars (13 with Ukrainian, 14 with Russian Federation and three with Georgian licence plates, as well as seven with “LPR” plates) and 35 covered cargo trucks (13 with Ukrainian, three with Russian Federation, seven with Belarusian, one with Lithuanian and one with Azerbaijani licence plates, as well as ten with “LPR” plates) queueing to exit Ukraine. After about five minutes, a member of the armed formations told the SMM to leave the area.*

On 29 March, while at a border crossing point near Sievernyi (50km south-east of Luhansk), the SMM observed no cross-border traffic. After about 15 minutes, a member of the armed formations told the SMM to leave the area.*

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 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 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 checkpoint north of Zaichenko (non-government-controlled, 26km north-east of Mariupol), an armed member of the armed formations again denied the SMM passage south to Sakhanka (non-government-controlled, 24km north-east of Mariupol) and west to Pikuzy (formerly Kominternove, non-government-controlled, 23km north-east of Mariupol), citing risks to the security of the patrol as a reason for the denial.
• At a checkpoint near Novolaspa (non-government-controlled, 50km south of Donetsk), two armed members of the armed formations again denied the SMM access to the village, citing risks to the security of the patrol as a reason for the denial.
• A man in civilian clothing denied the SMM entry into a heavy weapons holding area in a non-government-controlled area of Donetsk region, citing “orders from his superiors”.
• At a border crossing point near Sievernyi (non-government-controlled, 50km south-east of Luhansk), a member of the armed formations again told the SMM to leave the area.
• At a border crossing point near Izvaryne (non-government-controlled, 52km south-east of Luhansk), 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.
• North of the bridge in Shchastia (government-controlled, 20km north of Luhansk), a Ukrainian Armed Forces officer of the JCCC told the SMM that he was not aware of any demining activities having taken place in the past 24 hours.

 

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

* 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 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.