Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 23 May 2019
This report is for the media and the general public.
Summary
- Compared with the previous reporting period, the Mission recorded more ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
- The Mission observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines in Mariupol, Volnovakha and near Khrustalnyi.
- The Mission observed ceasefire violations inside the Zolote disengagement area.
- The Mission continued to observe hardship faced by civilians at checkpoints along the contact line.
- 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.*
- In Chernivtsi, the Mission saw a gathering in relation to the change of religious affiliations of local churches.
Ceasefire violations[1]
In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including more explosions (about 240), compared with the previous reporting period (about 130 explosions). The majority of the ceasefire violations, as well as the majority of explosions, were recorded in areas north-east of Kamianka (government-controlled, 20km north of Donetsk), south-east of Chermalyk (government-controlled, 31km north-east of Mariupol) and at easterly directions of Hnutove (government-controlled, 20km north-east of Mariupol).
In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded more ceasefire violations, including about 70 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 15 explosions). Over two thirds of the ceasefire violations were recorded in areas south-east of Popasna (government-controlled, 69km west of Luhansk) and at easterly and southerly directions of Zolote (government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk).
Disengagement areas[2]
On the evening and night of 22-23 May, the SMM camera in Zolote recorded an illumination flare and eight projectiles in flight, all at an assessed range of 2-3km south-east and south (all assessed as inside the disengagement area), two projectiles at an assessed range of 1-2km south-east (unable to be assessed as inside or outside the disengagement area) and about 50 projectiles at an assessed range of 1-2km at directions ranging from east to south-south-east (assessed as within 5km of the disengagement area’s periphery). During the day on 23 May, positioned in three locations near the disengagement area, the SMM heard about 25 bursts and shots of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire and seven explosions (one assessed as an outgoing round of a mortar and the remainder undetermined), all assessed as within 5km of the disengagement area’s periphery.
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]
Hardship for civilians at the entry-exit checkpoint near Maiorsk
A representative of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine at the entry-exit checkpoint (EECP) near Maiorsk (government-controlled, 45km north-east of Donetsk) told the SMM that on a nightly basis up to nine people stayed in their tent at the EECP. Inside the tent, the SMM saw a woman and her ten-year-old son, who, according to the representative, had been unable to cross for the previous three days due to lack of proper documentation. The representative added that a man had stayed the previous two weeks in the tent, unable to return to his home in Horlivka (non-government-controlled, 39km north-east of Donetsk), as he did not possess a passport. The SMM saw that newly installed lavatories near the tent remained locked. A member of the State Border Guard Service at the EECP told the SMM that nine new lavatories at the EECP had not yet been connected to water pipes.
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
23 May
The SMM saw:
- an anti-tank gun (MT-12 Rapira, 100mm) and three towed howitzers (one D-20, 152mm, one 2A36 Giatsint-B, 152mm and one D-30 Lyagushka, 122mm) in Mariupol (102km south of Donetsk), and
- an anti-tank gun (MT-12) in Volnovakha (53km south of Donetsk).
Non-government-controlled areas
23 May
The SMM saw 22 multiple launch rocket systems (BM-21 Grad, 122mm) near Khrustalnyi (formerly Krasnyi Luch, 56km south-west of Luhansk).
Beyond withdrawal lines but outside of designated storage sites:
Government-controlled areas
23 May
The SMM saw a surface-to-air missile system (9K33 Osa) near Zaliznianske (79km north of Donetsk).
Heavy weapons permanent storage site
At a heavy weapons permanent storage site in a non-government-controlled area of Luhansk region
23 May
The SMM saw that one towed howitzer (2A65 Msta-B,152mm) remained missing.
Indications of military presence in the security zone[4]
Government-controlled areas
22 May
An SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted an armoured reconnaissance vehicle (BRM-1K) in Chermalyk.
An SMM mid-range UAV spotted a probable armoured personnel carrier (MT-LB Blade) near Novhorodske (35km north of Donetsk).
23 May
The SMM saw:
- an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (BTR-4) near Novobakhmutivka (28km north of Donetsk), and
- an IFV (BMP-1) north of the disengagement area near Zolote.
Demining activities near Myrna Dolyna
The SMM saw 16 people with metal detectors wearing protective gear bearing the logo of an international organization conducting de-mining activities along the western side of road P-66, about 2.5km south-east of Myrna Dolyna (government-controlled, 67km north-west of Luhansk).
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), a water pumping station near Nyzhnoteple (government-controlled, 26km north of Luhansk), a water pipeline between Zolote-3/Stakhanovets (government-controlled, 61km west of Luhansk) and Popasna, as well as to the phenol sludge reservoir near Zalizne (formerly Artemove, government-controlled, 42km north-east of Donetsk).
The Mission also continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station (15km north of Donetsk) and monitor the security situation in the area of the pumping station near Vasylivka (non-government-controlled, 20km north of Donetsk).
Border areas outside government control
While at a border crossing point near Uspenka (73km south-east of Donetsk) for about an hour and a half, the SMM saw 21 cars (four with Ukrainian, seven with Russian Federation and one with Georgian licence plates, and nine with “DPR” plates), three buses (one with Ukrainian licence plates and two with “DPR” plates, each carrying about 35 passengers) and about 35 pedestrians entering Ukraine. During the same time, the SMM saw 18 cars (two with Ukrainian, ten with Russian Federation and one with Georgian licence plates, and five with “DPR” plates), five covered cargo trucks (with Ukrainian licence plates) and about 25 pedestrians exiting Ukraine.
While at a border crossing point near Ulianivske (61km south-east of Donetsk) for about an hour, the SMM saw no pedestrians entering or exiting Ukraine.
SMM observed a calm situation south of Kherson region
On 21 May, the SMM observed calm situations at the crossing points between Kalanchak (67km south-east of Kherson) and Chaplynka (77km south-east of Kherson) and Crimea.
Gathering of members of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Chernivtsi
On Kobylianskoi Street in Chernivtsi, the SMM monitored a gathering of about 650 people (mixed ages and genders), including about 100 priests belonging to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), in protest against decisions to recognize changes in affiliation of churches in Chernivtsi region from the UOC to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. From there, they walked north and west to the building of the Regional State Administration, where one of the organizers addressed the participants. About 30 police officers, including ten in riot gear, secured the gathering, which dispersed peacefully (for similar observations see SMM Daily Report 22 May 2019).
The SMM continued monitoring in Odessa, Lviv, Kharkiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Dnipro 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 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 23 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.
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 600m west of Verkhnoshyrokivske (formerly Oktiabr, non-government-controlled, 29km north-east of Mariupol), three armed members of the armed formations stopped the SMM, allowing it to proceed only after about 30 minutes, citing the need for “confirmation from their superiors”.
[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.