Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 21 April 2019

This report is for the media and the general public.

Summary

• Compared with the previous reporting period, between the evenings of 19 and 20 April, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• Compared with the previous 24 hours, between the evenings of 20 and 21 April, the Mission recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region.
• An 11-year-old girl was injured by shelling in Zolote-5/Mykhailivka on 14 April.
• Small-arms fire was directed at an SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle near Kamianka.
• The SMM observed a weapon in a government-controlled area in violation of withdrawal lines.
• The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to essential civilian infrastructure in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• Restrictions of the Mission’s access continued in all three disengagement areas. The SMM’s access was also restricted near Zaichenko.*
• The SMM observed a calm security situation in several regions of Ukraine during the second round of the Presidential Elections.

Ceasefire violations[1]

In Donetsk region, between the evenings of 19 and 20 April, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including fever explosions (about 25), compared with the previous reporting period (about 150 explosions). The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded at southerly directions of Chermalyk (government-controlled, 31km north-east of Mariupol) and   in areas east and east-north-east of Hnutove (government-controlled, 20km north-east of Mariupol).

Between the evenings of 20 and 21 April, the Mission recorded more ceasefire violations, including, however, fewer explosions (about 20), compared with the previous 24 hours. The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded at southerly directions of Chermalyk, in areas south of the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS) (15km north of Donetsk) and at southerly and northerly directions of Hnutove.

In Luhansk region, between the evenings of 19 and 20 April, the Mission recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including fewer explosions (about 70), compared with the previous reporting period (about 150 explosions). The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded in areas south and south-east of Popasna (government-controlled, 69km west of Luhansk) and south and east of the disengagement area near Zolote (government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk) (see below).

Between the evenings of 20 and 21 April, the Mission recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including fewer explosions (about 50) compared with the previous 24 hours. The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded at easterly directions of Popasna.

Girl injured in shelling in Zolote-5/Mykhailivka

On 20 April, a woman (in her thirties) told the SMM that on 14 April at about 19:30 she had heard a loud explosion near her house at 9 Lizy Chaikinoi Street in Zolote-5/Mykhailivka (non-government-controlled, 58km north-west of Luhansk) and that, after rushing to the living room and taking her 11-year-old daughter to safety, she had seen blood coming from the girl’s ear. She said that she had called an ambulance, which transported the girl to a hospital in Pervomaisk (non-government-controlled, 58km west of Luhansk). According to the woman, on 15 April, her daughter was taken to a hospital in Luhansk city which had the necessary equipment to examine the girl (for previous observations see SMM Daily Report 17 April 2019). On 15 April, the head doctor at the hospital in Pervomaisk had confirmed to the SMM that an 11-year-old girl from Zolote-5/Mykhailivka had been admitted to the hospital on 14 April with an injury to her ear. On 16 April, a man (in his fifties) living on the first floor of the house at 9 Lizy Chaikinoi Street told the SMM that a girl living on the ground floor had suffered an injury to her ear as a result of shelling on 14 April. The SMM observed positions of the armed formations at a distance of 300m from the house.

Small-arms fire aimed at SMM unmanned aerial vehicle near Kamianka

During the day on 20 April, while conducting a mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flight near Kamianka (government-controlled, 20km north of Donetsk), the SMM heard four shots of small-arms fire at an assessed range of 1.5-2km east-south-east of the patrol’s position, assessed as aimed at the UAV which was flying about 2km north-east of the patrol. The SMM landed the UAV safely and immediately left the area.*

Disengagement areas[2]

During the day on 20 April, positioned near the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge (15km north-east of Luhansk), the SMM heard an undetermined explosion at an assessed range of 3-5km east-north-east (assessed as outside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area). Positioned at two different locations near the disengagement area near Zolote, the SMM heard about 40 bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire (about 20 assessed as outside the Zolote disengagement area and about 20 unable to assess whether inside or outside the Zolote disengagement area). In the evening of 20 April, positioned in Popasna, the SMM heard about 45 undetermined explosions and four bursts of small-arms fire (unable to assesses whether inside or outside the Zolote disengagement area).

On the same day, positioned near the disengagement area near Petrivske (non-government-controlled, 41km south of Donetsk), the SMM observed a calm situation.[3]

On 21 April, positioned inside the Stanytsia Luhanska and near the Zolote disengagement areas, 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

On 19 April an SMM mini-UAV spotted a surface-to-air missile system (9K33 Osa) near Ozarianivka (formerly Pershe Travnia, 52km north of Donetsk).

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

Government-controlled areas

19April

An SMM mini-UAV spotted two armoured personnel carriers (APC) near Ozarianivka.

20 April

The SMM saw:

• two armoured reconnaissance vehicles (BRDM-2), an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (BMP-type), an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23, 23mm) as well as an APC (Saxon) in Pisky (11km north-west of Donetsk);
• an APC (BTR-70) near Novobakhmutivka (28km north of Donetsk);
• an APC (BTR-80) near Berezove (31km south-west of Donetsk);
• an APC (BTR-80) in Myrne (40km north-east of Mariupol); and
• an APC (BTR-70) in Stanytsia Luhanska.

On 21 April the SMM saw three IFVs (BTR-60) in Novotroitske (36km south-west of Donetsk).

Non-government-controlled areas

20 April

The SMM saw:

• an IFV (BMP-2) near a former school in Dovhe (22km north-west of Luhansk); and
• a military-type vehicle with a long barrel near Novyi (54km west of Luhansk).

Unexploded ordnance

On 20 April, the SMM saw for the first time a round of a recoilless gun (SPG-9, 73mm) stuck in soft ground 3m south-west of the road at the western edge of Pisky.

On 20 April, while monitoring adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to power lines near Spartak (non-government-controlled, 9km north of Donetsk), the Mission observed three men (in their thirties), two wearing helmets and protective body armour and one wearing clothes marked with “MChS”, examining the soft ground of a pedestrian walkway with metal detectors at a distance of about 15m from workers conducting the repair works (see below).

On the same day, the SMM observed for the first time two pieces of unexploded ordnance (UXO) in Spartak: one in Chapaieva Street, about 4m north of a residential house, and one in Zhovtneva Street, at a distance of 400m south-east of the aforementioned one, both assessed as probable projectiles from a multiple launch rocket system (MLRS, Grad-type, 122mm).

SMM facilitation of repairs to civilian infrastructure

On 20 April, 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. On 20 and 21 April, the SMM monitored the security situation in the area of the pumping station near Vasylivka (non-government-controlled, 20km north of Donetsk) and facilitated the operation of the DFS.

Border areas outside government control

On 20 April, while at a border crossing point near Marynivka (78km east of Donetsk) for about an hour, the SMM saw seven cars (two with Ukrainian, one with Russian Federation licence plates and four with “DPR” plates), a van (with “DPR” plates) and a pedestrian entering Ukraine. During the same time, it saw 12 cars (one with Ukrainian, three with Russian Federation licence plates and eight with “DPR” plates), four covered cargo trucks (three with Ukrainian licence plates and one with “DPR” plates), two buses (one with Ukrainian licence plates and one with “DPR” plates) and two pedestrians exiting Ukraine.

On the same day, while at a border crossing point near Uspenka (73km south-east of Donetsk) for about an hour, the SMM saw eight cars (five with Russian Federation licence plates and three with “DPR” plates), one open truck carrying wood (with Ukrainian licence plates) and three buses (one with Ukrainian licence plates and two with “DPR” plates) entering Ukraine. During the same time, the SMM saw eight cars (two with Ukrainian, four  with Russian Federation licence plates and two with “DPR” plates), six covered cargo trucks (two with Ukrainian, one with Belarusian licence plates and three with “DPR” plates) and one bus (with “DPR” plates) exiting Ukraine.

Also on the same day, while at a border crossing point near Ulianivske (61km south-east of Donetsk) for about 30 minutes, the SMM saw one pedestrian entering Ukraine and three pedestrians exiting Ukraine.

The SMM observed a calm security situation in several regions of Ukraine during second round of the Presidential Elections

On 21 April, on the occasion of the second round of the Presidential Elections in Ukraine, the SMM observed a calm security situation in Kyiv, Kherson, Mykolaiv, Odessa, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kharkiv, Sumy, Poltava, Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, Kamianske, Vinnytsia and Chernivtsi, as well as government-controlled areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

The Mission also observed calm situations at entry-exit checkpoints in government-controlled areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

*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, 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 20 April 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:

• On 20 April, at a checkpoint north of Zaichenko (non-government-controlled, 26km north-east of Mariupol), one 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 orders from 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.

Other impediments:

• On 20 April, while conducting a mini-UAV flight near Kamianka (government-controlled, 20km north of Donetsk), the SMM heard four shots of small-arms fire, assessed as aimed at the UAV. The SMM safely landed the UAV and immediately left the area (see above).

[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. Between the evenings of 19 and 20 April, the SMM cameras in Stanytsia Luhanska and at the Prince Ihor Monument south-east of Stanytsia Luhanska bridge 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 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.