Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 17 April 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.
• A woman was reportedly injured due to shelling in Zaitseve.
• The SMM saw fresh gunfire damage to inhabited houses in Trokhizbenka and Dokuchaievsk.
• The Mission recorded ceasefire violations inside the Zolote disengagement area.
• The SMM observed a weapon in violation of the withdrawal lines near Novoluhanske.
• It saw fresh craters near Novoluhanske, as well as anti-tank mines near Petrivske and Vesela Hora.
• The Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to essential civilian infrastructure in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions and observed the restoration of the water supply to Dokuchaievsk following the completion of repairs to the Vasylivka water pumping station.
• Restrictions of the Mission’s access continued in all three disengagement areas. It was also restricted near government-controlled Kamianka and in non-government-controlled areas, including at checkpoints near Bezimenne and Verkhnoshyrokivske and at border crossing points near Izvaryne and Sievernyi.*

Ceasefire violations[1]

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including about 30 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 310 explosions). The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded in south-easterly directions of Chermalyk (government-controlled, 77km south of Donetsk).

In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded more ceasefire violations, including about 80 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (40 explosions). The majority of ceasefire violations, including the majority of explosions, were recorded in areas east-north-east of Popasna (government-controlled, 69km west of Luhansk) as well as in and near the disengagement area near Zolote (government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk).

Woman injured due to shelling in Zaitseve

On 16 April, a woman (late thirties) in a non-government-controlled part of Zaitseve (50km north-east of Donetsk) told the SMM that she had been injured by an explosion in the yard of her house on 8 April while she and her husband were running for cover in the basement. The woman added that, before she had reached shelter, an explosion had occurred nearby that had thrown her against an outside wall of the house and shattered windows, glass from which left cuts on her legs. The woman’s husband and four neighbours told the SMM that there had been shelling in the area on the morning of 8 April. The woman told the SMM that her house was located between positions of the armed formations and of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Shrapnel and gunfire damage to inhabited houses in Trokhizbenka and Dokuchaievsk

On the south-western edge of Trokhizbenka (government-controlled, 32km north-west of Luhansk) at 245 Donetska Street, the SMM saw a broken north-facing window of a house and shrapnel damage to a north-facing iron fence. The SMM saw a crater approximately 35m north of the house, assessed as recent and caused by a 120mm mortar round fired from a southerly direction. A resident of the house (male, 80 years old) told the SMM that he had been inside of the house with his wife when shelling took place in the evening of 6 April.

At 241 Donetska Street, the SMM saw a broken west-facing window and shrapnel damage on the west-facing wall of a house and a wooden door of a shed about 25m south. In a garden 30m south of the house, the SMM saw a crater assessed as caused by an 82mm mortar round fired from a south-south-easterly direction. Approximately 200m east of the previously mentioned house, at a residential house at 225 Donetska Street, the SMM saw a crater assessed as caused by an 82mm mortar round fired from a south-south-easterly direction in a garden approximately 25m south of the house, along with three damaged beehives, shrapnel damage to a chimney and wooden fence on the eastern side of the house, and metal fragments assessed as belonging to an exploded 82mm mortar shell. At 223 Donetska Street, the SMM saw a broken south-facing window and a broken powerline near the southern gate of the house, all assessed as caused by shrapnel. Residents of all three houses told the SMM that shelling had taken place in the evening of 16 April and that Donetska Street was without power due to the damages (for previous reports of shelling on Donetska Street, see SMM Daily Report 10 April 2019).

In southern Dokuchaievsk (non-government-controlled, 30km south-west of Donetsk) at 48 Shorsha Street, about 2.5km north-east of the line of contact, the SMM saw a hole in the ceiling of a house’s bathroom and two holes each on its south- and north-facing walls, assessed as caused by an unknown projectile entering through the ceiling and ricocheting off the walls. A resident of the house (female, 50 years old) told the SMM that she had been inside the house with her family when the room had been damaged in the evening of 15 April.

Disengagement areas[2]

On the evening of 16 April, the SMM camera in Zolote recorded 27 projectiles (12 at an assessed range of 2-4km south-east and 15 at an assessed range of 2-4km south-south-east), six undetermined explosions (three at an assessed range of 2-4km south-east and three at an assessed range of 2-4km south-south-east) and a muzzle flash at an assessed range of 2-4km south-south-east, all assessed as inside the disengagement area. On 17 April, while positioned in Zolote, the SMM heard 16 undetermined explosions and 32 bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire at an assessed range of 2-3km south-east, all assessed as outside the disengagement area.

During the evening and night of 16-17 April, while in Popasna, the SMM heard approximately 240 bursts of small-arms and heavy-machine-gun fire, 130 shots of heavy-machine-gun fire and automatic grenade launchers, and 51 undetermined explosions, all at an  assessed range of 4-8km east-north-east and all assessed as outside the disengagement area near Zolote.

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

Government-controlled areas

16 April

An SMM mid-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted a probable mortar (2B14, Podnos 82mm) near Novoluhanske (53km north-east of Donetsk). (The UAV also spotted fresh craters in the area, see below.)

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

Government-controlled areas

16 April

An SMM mid-range UAV spotted an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23, 23mm) and an armoured combat vehicle (ACV) next to residential houses in Pobeda (27km west of Donetsk).

An SMM mid-range UAV spotted an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (BTR-3E) about 300m west of the Bakhmut Agrarian Union's pig farm near Novoluhanske.

17 April

The SMM saw two armoured personnel carriers (BTR-80) near Shyrokyne (100km south of Donetsk).

Non-government-controlled areas

16 April

An SMM mini-UAV spotted a probable ACV (type unknown), a probable IFV (BMP variant) and an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23) mounted on a truck near Vesela Hora (16km north of Luhansk).

17 April

The SMM saw an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23) mounted on a truck near Kypuche (formerly Artemivsk, 46km west of Luhansk).

Fresh craters near Novoluhanske

On 16 April, an SMM mid-range UAV spotted at least 15 fresh craters approximately 80m west of the Bakhmut Agrarian Union's pig farm near Novoluhanske, assessed as caused by mortar rounds (calibre undetermined).

Mines near Petrivske and Vesela Hora and a mine hazard sign near Novoluhanske

On 12 April, an SMM mid-range UAV spotted for the first time at least 150 probable anti-tank mines buried in two curved lines in a field about 450m north-west of Petrivske and about 300m north of the northern edge of the disengagement area near Petrivske.

On 16 April, east of Vesela Hora, an SMM mini-UAV again spotted four anti-tank mines laid across the western lane of road H21, as well as again at least 36 anti-tank mines in a field about 50m south-west of the same road.

The SMM saw a mine hazard sign with “Be careful, mines” written in Russian near a former checkpoint of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the eastern side of a road leading from Novoluhanske. Near the checkpoint, the SMM saw two vehicles bearing the logo of an international demining organization and four individuals in uniforms of the same organization.

SMM facilitation of repairs to civilian infrastructure

The Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to the Petrivske pumping station near Artema (government-controlled, 26km north of Luhansk) and to power lines near Spartak (non-government-controlled, 9km north of Donetsk) and Maiorsk (government-controlled, 45km north-east of Donetsk). It continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station (15km north of Donetsk).

The SMM monitored the security situation in the area of the water pumping station near Vasylivka (non-government-controlled, 20km north of Donetsk) and was told by personnel at the pumping station that it had become fully operational on 17 April following the completion of repair works (see SMM Daily Report 16 April 2019). As a result, the SMM observed that potable water had been restored to Dokuchaievsk (non-government-controlled, 30km south-west of Donetsk). (For previous reports of the lack of potable water in the area, see SMM Daily Report 15 April 2019.)

Border areas outside government control

While at a border crossing point near Izvaryne (52km south-east of Luhansk), the SMM saw three cars (two with Ukrainian and one with Lithuanian licence plates), a covered cargo truck with Ukrainian licence plates, and eight pedestrians entering Ukraine. After about 15 minutes, a member of the armed formations told the SMM to leave the area.*

While at a pedestrian border crossing point near Verkhnoharasymivka (57km south-east of Luhansk) for about 45 minutes, the SMM saw six pedestrians entering Ukraine and a pedestrian exiting Ukraine.

While at a pedestrian border crossing point near Sievernyi (50km south-east of Luhansk), the SMM saw four pedestrians entering Ukraine and five pedestrians exiting Ukraine. After about five 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 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.

Denials of access:

• At a border crossing point near Izvaryne (non-government-controlled, 52km south-east of Luhansk), a member of the armed formations told the SMM to leave the area.
• At a pedestrian border crossing point near Sievernyi (non-government-controlled, 50km south-east of Donetsk), a member of the armed formations told the SMM to leave the area.
• At a checkpoint near Bezimenne (non-government-controlled, 100km south of Donetsk), three members of the armed formations denied the SMM access to proceed further west of the checkpoint, citing “ongoing special operations.” While present, the SMM saw other civilian vehicles crossing the checkpoint in both directions.
• While driving toward Verkhnotoretske (government-controlled, 23km north-east of Donetsk), about 2km north-east of Kamianka (government-controlled, 20km north of Donetsk) five members of the Ukrainian Armed Forces stopped the SMM and told the Mission that they could not proceed.

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.

Delay:

• At a checkpoint of the armed formations near Verkhnoshyrokivske (formerly Oktiabr, non-government-controlled, 85km south of Donetsk) three armed members of the armed formations stopped the SMM for 18 minutes before allowing it to proceed east through the checkpoint.

 

[1] For a complete breakdown of ceasefire violations, please see the annexed table.

* 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