Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 30 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.
• The SMM saw for the first time anti-tank mines near Prychepylivka, unexploded ordnance near Debaltseve and a mine hazard sign near Novoselivka.
• The Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to essential civilian infrastructure and facilitated the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station.
• Restrictions of the Mission’s access continued in all three disengagement areas. The SMM was also denied access at checkpoints near Novolaspa, Oleksandrivske and Novoazovsk in southern Donetsk region.*

Ceasefire violations[1]

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including fewer explosions (50), compared with the previous reporting period (about 120 explosions). The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded in areas south, south-east and south-south-east of Chermalyk (government-controlled, 31km north-east of Mariupol), at southerly directions of Pyshchevyk (government-controlled, 25km north-east of Mariupol) and at southerly directions of the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS) (15km north of Donetsk).

In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded more ceasefire violations, including more explosions (about 20), compared with the previous reporting period (one explosion). The majority of the ceasefire violations were recorded in areas close to the disengagement area near Zolote (government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk).

Disengagement areas[2]

On 30 April, positioned near the disengagement area near Petrivske (non-government-controlled, 41km south of Donetsk), the SMM heard four undetermined explosions, as well as nine bursts and eight shots of small-arms fire, all at an assessed range of 2-3km south-south-east (all assessed as outside the disengagement area, within 5km of its periphery). [3]

On the same day, positioned on the north-western edge of Holubivka (formerly Kirovsk, non-government-controlled, 51km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard 13 shots of small-arms fire at an assessed range of 2-5km west-north-west (all assessed as outside the Zolote disengagement area within 5km of its periphery).

Also on the same day, positioned inside the disengagement area near Stanytsia Luhanska (government-controlled, 16km north-east 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.

Weapons beyond withdrawal lines but outside storage sites

Government-controlled areas

On 30 April, the SMM saw eight multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) (BM-21 Grad, 122mm) near Peredove (68km south-west of Donetsk).

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

Government-controlled areas

On 29 April an SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted an armoured personnel carrier (APC) (BTR-60) and an armoured combat vehicle near Mykolaivka (40km south of Donetsk).

30 April

The SMM saw:

• a self-propelled anti-aircraft system (ZSU-23-4 Shilka, 23mm) near Muratove (51km north-west of Luhansk); and
• an APC (BTR-70) near Novobakhmutivka (28km north of Donetsk).

On 27 April, aerial imagery available to the SMM revealed the presence of a trench digger and two trench extensions in areas not controlled by the government near the Petrivske disengagement area: a 60m trench about 800m east and a 50m trench about 1.7km east of the eastern edge of the disengagement area (for previous observations in the area see SMM Daily Report 28 March 2019).

Presence of mines, unexploded ordnance and mine hazard signs

On 28 April, an SMM mid-range UAV spotted for the first time about 150 anti-tank mines laid out in three rows running from east to west in a field about 2.5km south-east of Prychepylivka (government-controlled, 50km north-west of Luhansk).

On 30 April, the SMM observed for the first time two pieces of unexploded ordnance (UXO) (one assessed as a part of an MLRS (BM-21 Grad) rocket, and the other as a probable part of the same type of rocket), both assessed as not recent, on the earth mound surrounding an abandoned bunker west of road M-03 on the western edge of Debaltseve (non-government-controlled, 58km north-east of Donetsk), about 100m south of an improvised mine hazard sign (for previous observation in the area see SMM Daily Report 29 April 2019).

On the same day, the Mission saw an obstacle with the inscription “mines” in Ukrainian sprayed onto it on the northern side of a road about 1km north-west of Novoselivka (government-controlled, 31km north-east of Donetsk).

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); it also continued to facilitate the operation of the DFS.

SMM monitored the security situation in south-east Kherson region

On 28 and 29 April, the SMM observed a calm situation at the crossing point between Chonhar (163km south-east of Kherson) and Crimea.

The SMM continued monitoring in 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, 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 on 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 29 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:

• At a checkpoint on the eastern edge of Novolaspa (non-government-controlled, 50km south of Donetsk) two armed members of the armed formations again denied the SMM passage, citing “the SMM’s safety”.
• At a checkpoint on the eastern edge of Oleksandrivske (formerly Rozy Liuksemburh, non-government-controlled, 90km south-east of Donetsk) two armed members of the armed formations denied the SMM passage, citing “live-fire exercises in a nearby training area”. While at the checkpoint, the SMM heard three bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire from the direction of the training area.
• At a checkpoint north of Novoazovsk (non-government-controlled, 40km east of Mariupol), four armed members of the armed formations again denied the SMM passage south to Siedove (non-government-controlled, 106km south of Donetsk) and west to Bezimenne (non-government-controlled, 30km east of Mariupol), citing an “ongoing operation in 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.

Delay/Conditional access:

• At a military compound near Peredove (government-controlled, 68km south-west of Donetsk), a Ukrainian Armed Forces representative prevented the SMM from entering, saying that the SMM needed to wait for the commander. After about 30 minutes, the commander allowed the SMM to enter, but demanded that the SMM’s vehicles remain outside (see above).

[1] For a complete breakdown of ceasefire violations, please see the annexed table. During the reporting period, the SMM camera at Oktiabr mine (non-government-controlled, 9km north-west of Donetsk city centre) 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.