Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 3 June 2019
This report is for the media and the general public.
Summary
- Compared with the previous 24 hours, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
- The Mission saw fresh damage from gunfire to an apartment in non-government-controlled Dokuchaievsk.
- The SMM saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near government-controlled Heivka and Ozarianivka.
- On the nights of 30 May and 2 June, an SMM long-range unmanned aerial vehicle spotted trucks traveling from an area near the border with the Russian Federation to non-government-controlled areas of Luhansk region.
- The Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to and the operation of critical civilian infrastructure.
- In Kharkiv, the SMM saw that a monument to General Zhukov was toppled.
- Restrictions of the SMM’s access continued in all three disengagement areas and elsewhere. The Mission’s freedom of movement was also restricted at a non-government-controlled border crossing point near Dovzhanske.*
Ceasefire violations[1]
In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations and a similar number of explosions (about 170), compared with the previous 24 hours (about 180 explosions). The majority of ceasefire violations, including the majority of explosions, were recorded in areas south-south-east and south of Pyshchevyk (government-controlled, 25km north-east of Mariupol) and in areas between Avdiivka (government-controlled, 17km north of Donetsk) and Yasynuvata (non-government-controlled, 16km north-east of Donetsk), near the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS) (15km north of Donetsk).
On 3 June, positioned about 1km north-west of the railway station in Yasynuvata to facilitate the operation of the DFS, the Mission heard and saw an explosion followed by another explosion about 25 minutes later, both assessed as outgoing mortar rounds, at an assessed range of 400-500m north-west, at the same time when a bus with DFS workers was travelling towards Yasynuvata.
Positioned about 500m north-east of Kamianka (government-controlled, 20km north of Donetsk), the Mission heard two undetermined explosions about 500m north-east.
In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded more ceasefire violations, including about 180 explosions, almost all of which were recorded in areas south of Popasna (government-controlled, 69km west of Luhansk). During the previous 24 hours, the SMM did not record any ceasefire violations in the region.
Damage from gunfire to apartment in Dokuchaievsk
On 3 June, at an apartment located on the third floor of a five-storey residential building at 9 Polova Street in the north-western part of Dokuchaievsk (non-government-controlled, 30km south-west of Donetsk), the SMM saw an 8cm hole in the outer pane of a south-facing balcony window. It assessed the damage as fresh and caused by small-arms fire. A woman (in her forties) who introduced herself as the resident of the apartment told the Mission that on the evening of 2 June she had been home with family when they had heard gunfire in the area.
Disengagement areas[2]
On 30 May, inside the disengagement area near Zolote (government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk), an SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted an armoured combat vehicle (ACV), assessed as belonging to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
On the night between 2 and 3 June, the SMM camera in Zolote recorded a muzzle flash at an assessed range of 2-3km south-east (assessed as inside the disengagement area). On the same night, the same camera also recorded ten projectiles in flight at an assessed range of 3-4km east-south-east, within 5km of the periphery of the disengagement area.
Positioned inside the disengagement area near Stanytsia Luhanska (government-controlled, 16km north-east of Luhansk) the Mission 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
31 May
An SMM mini-UAV spotted a self-propelled mortar (2S9 Nona-S, 120mm) near Heivka (27km north-west of Luhansk).
2 June
An SMM long-range UAV spotted a tank near Ozarianivka (formerly Pershe Travnia, 52km north of Donetsk).
Beyond withdrawal lines but outside of designated storage sites
Government-controlled areas
1 June
An SMM mini-UAV spotted ten tanks (T-72), six anti-tank guns (MT-12 Rapira, 100mm), a surface-to-air missile system (9K35 Strela-10) and four anti-tank guided missile systems (9P148 Konkurs, 135mm) at a railway station in Rubizhne (84km north-west of Luhansk).
3 June
The Mission saw two surface-to-air missile systems (9K37) in Lozuvatka (74km north-west of Luhansk).
Non-government-controlled areas
29 May
Aerial imagery available to the SMM revealed the presence of a tank near Novoazovsk (40km east of Mariupol).
Indications of military and military-type presence in the security zone[3]
Government-controlled areas
31 May
An SMM mini-UAV spotted an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (BMD-1) and two armoured personnel carriers (APC) (a BTR-D and a Saxon armoured ambulance variant) near Heivka.
An SMM mid-range UAV spotted two IFVs (one BMP-1 and one BMP variant) in Zolote-4/Rodina (59km west of Luhansk).
1 June
An SMM mini-UAV spotted a probable ACV near Lopaskyne (23km north-west of Luhansk)
3 June
The SMM saw:
- an APC (BTR-80) near Lebedynske (16km north-east of Mariupol) and
- two IFVs (BMP-2) near Orikhove-Donetske (44km north-west of Luhansk).
Non-government-controlled areas
1 June
An SMM mini-UAV spotted an IFV (BMP variant) near Zhovte (17km north-west of Luhansk).
2 June
An SMM long-range UAV spotted seven IFVs (BMP-1), an armoured reconnaissance vehicle (BRDM-2) and four ACVs near Kruhlyk (65km south-west of Luhansk).
Trucks spotted traveling from near the border with the Russian Federation to non-government-controlled areas of Luhansk region
Near the border with the Russian Federation in non-government-controlled areas south-east of Luhansk, where there are no border crossing facilities, an SMM long-range UAV spotted trucks travelling west on two occasions.
On the first occasion, on the night of 30-31 May, an SMM long-range UAV spotted three stationary military-type trucks facing west on an unpaved road near Cheremshyne (non-government-controlled, 59km south-east of Luhansk), about 2km west of the border. The UAV then spotted another military-type truck and a car proceeding from the north-east on a dirt track that is parallel to this unpaved road. The truck and the car then joined the other trucks in a convoy, which then proceeded to a compound of the armed formations on the south-eastern outskirts of Luhansk city (non-government-controlled) where four persons were seen unloading materials from the trucks. At least 35 military-type trucks and an APC (BTR-80) were also seen at the compound.
On the night of 2-3 June, on the same dirt track, an SMM long-range UAV spotted a stationary car (SUV-type) about 150m west of the border and a stationary military-type truck about 900m further west. Both vehicles were facing west. About two hours later, the UAV spotted another military-type truck driving west on this dirt track away from the border. This truck and the car then continued towards a bus station in Dovzhansk (formerly Sverdlovsk, non-government-controlled, 60km south-east of Luhansk), where a third vehicle (assessed as a probable military-type truck) joined the convoy, which proceeded further until an area 2km east of Verkhnoshevyrivka (non-government-controlled, 44km south-east of Luhansk).
On 19 May, aerial imagery available to the SMM revealed that two roadblocks (assessed as made of soil) on the above-mentioned dirt track close to the border, previously seen in imagery from 18 April 2019, were no longer present.
Tracks leading towards the border with the Russian Federation near Dovzhanske
On 29 May, in a field about 3km south-west of a border crossing point near Dovzhanske (non-government-controlled, 84km south-east of Luhansk), aerial imagery available to the SMM revealed the presence of new car tracks leading towards the border (not seen in imagery from 28 April 2019).
Craters near Novoivanivka
On 2 June, an SMM mini-UAV spotted five recent craters assessed as impacts of 152mm artillery rounds fired from a south-easterly direction in a field about 200m south-east of the closest residential houses in Novoivanivka (government-controlled, 67km west of Luhansk).
Presence of mines near Prychepylivka
On 30 May, an SMM mid-range UAV spotted for the first time about 300 anti-tank mines in fields about 3km south-east of Prychepylivka (government-controlled, 50km north-west of Luhansk), next to 150 anti-tank mines observed previously.
SMM facilitation of repairs to civilian infrastructure
The Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to power lines in Spartak (non-government-controlled, 9km north of Donetsk), to a water tower near Holmivskyi (non-government controlled, 49km north-east of Donetsk), to the water distribution network near Holubivske (non-government-controlled, 51km west of Luhansk) and Donetskyi (non-government-controlled, 49km west of Luhansk), and to a water pipeline between Zolote-3/Stakhanovets (government-controlled, 61km west of Luhansk) and Popasna.
The SMM also continued to facilitate the operation of the DFS (see above).
Convoy with humanitarian aid travelled to non-government-controlled areas
At the entry-exit checkpoint near Novotroitske (government-controlled, 36km south-west of Donetsk), the SMM again saw a convoy of humanitarian aid, consisting of 23 trucks and three cars, travelling from government- to non-government-controlled areas, reportedly carrying material for water purification.
Border areas outside government control
While at a border crossing point near Dovzhanske, the SMM saw 12 cars (five with Ukrainian, six with Russian Federation licence plates, and one with “DPR” plates), four covered-cargo trucks (two with Ukrainian and two with Russian Federation licence plates) and 11 pedestrians (mixed ages) entering Ukraine. During the same time, the Mission saw 21 cars (seven with Ukrainian, 11 with Russian Federation and one with Latvian licence plates, as well as one with “LPR” and one with “DPR” plates), a bus with Russian Federation licence plates, and 11 pedestrians (mixed ages) exiting Ukraine. After about 40 minutes, a member of the armed formations told the SMM to leave the area.*
While at a pedestrian border crossing point near Novoborovytsi (79km south of Luhansk) for about 20 minutes, the Mission saw no cross-border traffic.
Monument to General Zhukov toppled in Kharkiv
On 2 June, in Kharkiv city, the SMM saw that a monument to General Heorhyi Zhukov had been toppled and that police had cordoned off the surrounding area. The Mission also saw that a Ukrainian flag had been placed where the monument used to stand. A police representative told the SMM that the monument had been toppled earlier that day and that a criminal investigation into the incident had been launched.
The SMM continued monitoring in Kherson, Odessa, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Dnipro, Chernivtsi and Kyiv.
*Restrictions of the 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 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.
Denial of access:
- While at a border crossing point near Dovzhanske (non-government-controlled, 84km south-east of Luhansk), a member of the armed formations told the SMM to leave 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.
Other impediments:
- On the evening of 30 May, an SMM long-range UAV experienced dual GPS signal interference, assessed as due to jamming, while flying over areas near Zaitseve (50km north-east of Donetsk) and Ivanivka (non-government-controlled, 46km south-west of Luhansk).
- On 3 June, on two occasions, SMM mini-UAVs experienced GPS signal interference, assessed as probably caused by jamming, while flying over areas near Bohdanivka (government-controlled, 41km south-west of Donetsk).
- On 3 June, an SMM mid-range UAV experienced GPS signal interference, assessed as probably caused by jamming, while flying over areas near Halytsynivka (government-controlled, 29km north-west of Donetsk).[4]
[1] For a complete breakdown of ceasefire violations, please see the annexed table.
[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] The hardware mentioned in this section is not proscribed by the provisions of the Minsk agreements on the withdrawal of weapons.
[4] The interference could have originated from anywhere within a radius of kilometres from the UAVs’ positions.