Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 20 May 2019
This report is for the media and the general public.
Summary
- Compared with the previous 24 hours, the Mission recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region.
- A man was injured by small-arms fire in Donetsk city.
- Small-arms fire was directed at an SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle near Chermalyk.
- The Mission saw a tank in violation of withdrawal lines in Luhansk city.
- The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to and the operation of critical civilian infrastructure.
- Restrictions of the SMM’s access continued in all three disengagement areas and elsewhere. The Mission’s freedom of movement was also restricted in non-government-controlled areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions at a checkpoint near Novoazovsk and a compound of the armed formations in Stare.*
- The Mission saw a gathering in Kyiv on the occasion of the presidential inauguration.
Ceasefire violations[1]
In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including fewer explosions (about 50), compared with the previous 24 hours (about 170 explosions). Over half of ceasefire violations were recorded at north-easterly directions of Kamianka (government-controlled, 20km north of Donetsk) and southerly directions of Chermalyk (government-controlled, 31km north-east of Mariupol).
In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded more ceasefire violations, including more explosions (about 280), compared with the previous 24 hours (40 explosions). The majority of ceasefire violations, including almost all of the explosions, were recorded at southerly, easterly and northerly directions of Popasna (government-controlled, 69km west of Luhansk).
Man injured by small-arms fire in Trudivski area of Donetsk city
At Hospital No.14 in Donetsk city’s Petrovskyi district (non-government-controlled, 15km south-west of Donetsk city centre), the SMM saw a man (55 years old) with bandages on his left leg and bruises on his left arm. The man told the SMM that he had been outside of his house in the south-western part of the Trudivski area of the Petrovskyi district on the afternoon of 8 May when he was shot with one bullet that struck both his left arm and left leg, breaking the lower half of his leg. The man added that ambulances could not reach his house due to security concerns so his wife and neighbour had provided first aid before a neighbour had carried him to the centre of the settlement from where he was transported in a military-type vehicle to an ambulance. A doctor at the hospital told the SMM that the man had arrived at the hospital with bullet wounds.
Small-arms fire directed at SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle near Chermalyk
While conducting a mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flight near Chermalyk, the SMM heard two bursts of small-arms fire about 1km north, assessed as aimed at the UAV, which was flying about 1km north of its position. The SMM safely landed the UAV and left the area.*
Disengagement areas[2]
On the evening and night of 19-20 May, the SMM camera in Zolote (government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk) recorded seven projectiles in flight at an assessed range of 2-4km south-south-east (assessed as inside the disengagement area), an explosion at an assessed range of 3-5km south (unable to be assessed as inside or outside the disengagement area), as well as six bursts and 21 projectiles in flight (assessed as outside the disengagement area but within 5km of its periphery).
Positioned inside the disengagement area near Stanytsia Luhanska (government-controlled, 16km north-east of Luhansk) and close to the disengagement area near Petrivske (non-government-controlled, 41km south of Donetsk), the Mission 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.
In violation of withdrawal lines
Non-government-controlled areas
19 May
An SMM long-range UAV spotted a tank (type undetermined) in a compound in Luhansk city.
Beyond withdrawal lines but outside of designated storage sites:
Government-controlled areas
18 May
An SMM-mini UAV spotted three towed howitzers (D-30 Lyagushka, 122mm) about 20m from residential houses in Dubovo-Vasylivka (73km north of Donetsk).
Non-government-controlled areas
18 May
An SMM long-range UAV spotted:
- 20 tanks (13 T-64 and seven T-72) in a training area near Kruhlyk (31km south-west of Luhansk) and
- 18 towed howitzers (probable 2A36 Giatsint-B, 152mm and 2A65 Msta-B, 152mm) in a compound near Khrustalnyi (54km south-west of Luhansk) (for previous observations see SMM Daily Report 16 May 2019).
20 May
The SMM saw:
- eight tanks (four T-64 and four types undetermined) in a training area near Kruhlyk and
- a self-propelled howitzer (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) and four towed howitzers (D-30) in a training area near Myrne (28km south-west of Luhansk).
Weapons permanent storage site
At a permanent storage site in a non-government-controlled area of Luhansk region
20 May
The SMM noted that all weapons were present.
Indications of military and military-type presence in the security zone[4]
Non-government-controlled areas
18 May
An SMM long-range UAV spotted two armoured personnel carriers (APC) (MT-LB) and a probable anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23, 23mm) mounted on an APC (MT-LB) in Sofiivka (formerly Karlo-Marksove, 40km north-east of Donetsk).
- May
An SMM mini-UAV spotted two APCs (MT-LB) and an armoured recovery vehicle (VT-55) in Kadiivka (formerly Stakhanov, 50km west of Luhansk).
An SMM long-range UAV spotted:
- an anti-aircraft-gun (ZU-23) near Holubivske (51km west of Luhansk);
- an armoured combat vehicle near Zemliane (11km north-west of Luhansk);
- an APC (MT-LB) in Katerynivka (formerly Yuvileine, 8km west of Luhansk);
- two infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) (BMP variant) near Nadarivka (64km west of Luhansk);
- an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23) near Mykolaivka (15km east of Luhansk); and
- two armoured recovery vehicles (a BREM and a BTS-4A) in Luhansk city.
The SMM saw an APC (MT-LB) in the yard of a non-functioning school in Kalmiuske (formerly Komsomolske, 42km south-east of Donetsk).
20 May
The SMM saw an APC (BTR-80) in Luhansk city.
Government-controlled areas
20 May
The SMM saw:
- an APC (Varta) in Popasna;
- an IFV (BMP variant) in Orikhove-Donetske (44km north-west of Luhansk); and
- an IFV (BTR-4) near Novobakhmutivka (28km north of Donetsk).
While on the northern edge of Popasna on the evening of 19 May, the SMM saw an unidentified UAV (assessed as a fixed-wing type) overhead flying from west to east and then continuing east-north-east at an altitude of about 300m.
Presence of mines and trench extension near Popasna and unexploded ordnance near Tavrycheske
On 17 May, an SMM mini-UAV spotted for the first time about 80 anti-tank mines (TM-62) laid out in three rows in a field about 2km east of Popasna, assessed as not recent. Immediately west of the mines, the same UAV spotted a trench extension running from north to south-east for about 80m (not visible in imagery from 25 March 2019) with Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers digging.
On 20 May, the SMM again saw a piece of unexploded ordnance (UXO), assessed as a 120mm mortar round, embedded in the asphalt in the middle of the carriageway of road T0519 close to Tavrycheske (non-government-controlled, 35km north-east of Mariupol), about 200m north of the nearest houses.
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), as well as to water pipelines near Zolote and between Zolote-2/Karbonit (government-controlled, 62km west of Luhansk), Zolote-3/Stakhanovets (government-controlled, 61km west of Luhansk) and Popasna.
The Mission also facilitated the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station (15km north of Donetsk) and continued to monitor the security situation in the area of the pumping station near Vasylivka (non-government-controlled, 20km north of Donetsk).
People applying for passports of the Russian Federation in Luhansk region
In non-government-controlled Luhansk city, the SMM observed a queue of about 80 people (mixed genders, 25-50 years old) outside a building in the city. Some of them told the SMM that they had been queuing to submit and finalize applications for passports of the Russian Federation.
People gather in Kyiv on the occasion of the presidential inauguration
On the morning of 20 May, the SMM monitored a gathering of about 5,000 people (all ages and genders) in front of the Parliament building on the occasion of the presidential inauguration. The SMM observed the presence of about 1,000 law enforcement officers securing the areas around the Parliament building as well as adjacent streets. It observed a calm situation during the course of the event.
The SMM continued monitoring in Kherson, Odessa, Lviv, Kharkiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Dnipro, and Chernivtsi.
*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 20 May 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:
- At a checkpoint north of Novoazovsk (non-government-controlled, 40km east of Mariupol), two armed members of the armed formations again denied the SMM passage south to Novoazovsk or east to the border with the Russian Federation, citing an “ongoing operation” in the area.
- Outside of a compound of the armed formations in Stare (formerly Chervonyi Prapor, non-government-controlled, 58km west of Luhansk), four members of the armed formations told the SMM to leave the area, 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 the evening and night of 18-19 May, an SMM long-range UAV experienced signal interference, assessed as due to jamming, while flying over government- and non-government-controlled areas of northern and eastern Donetsk region and non-government-controlled areas of southern Luhansk region, including areas close to the contact line.[5]
- On 20 May, while conducting a mini-UAV flight near Chermalyk (government-controlled, 31km north-east of Mariupol), the SMM heard two bursts of small-arms fire about 1km north, assessed as aimed at the UAV, which it landed safely.
[1] For a complete breakdown of ceasefire violations, please see the annexed table. During the reporting period, the SMM camera in Stanytsia Luhanska (government-controlled, 16km north-east of Luhansk) 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.
[5] The interference could have originated from anywhere within a radius of kilometres from the UAV’s position.