Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 10 June 2019

This report is for the media and the general public.

Summary

• Compared with the previous 24 hours, the Mission recorded fewer ceasefire violations both in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• The SMM observed damage from small-arms fire to civilian properties in Chermalyk.
• It saw a weapon in violation in non-government-controlled Boikivske.
• The Mission continued to observe long queues of 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 on both sides of the contact line.
• Restrictions of the SMM’s access continued in all three disengagement areas and elsewhere.*

Ceasefire violations[1]

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including, however, the same number of explosions (about 100), compared with the previous 24 hours. The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded at south-easterly directions of Svitlodarsk (government-controlled, 57km north-east of Donetsk), at southerly and south-easterly directions of Chermalyk (government-controlled, 31km north-east of Mariupol) and at south-easterly and south-westerly directions of Kamianka (government-controlled, 20km north of Donetsk).

In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including about 150 explosions, compared with the previous 24 hours (about 480 explosions). More than two- thirds of ceasefire violations, including almost all explosions, were recorded at easterly and southerly directions of Popasna (government-controlled, 69km west of Luhansk) (see below).

Damage to civilian properties in Chermalyk

At 62 Naberezhna Street, on the south-eastern edge of Chermalyk, the Mission saw two holes: one in a north-facing outer wall and one in the outer pane of a window on the same side of a single-storey house, as well as a bullet graze mark on a pile of bricks stacked in front of the aforementioned window (all assessed as fresh and caused by small-arms fire). A woman (aged 40-50) who introduced herself as the owner of the house told the SMM that she had been at home with her husband on the evening of 4 June when she heard small-arms fire.  

At 60 Naberezhna Street, about 60m south from the previous house, the SMM saw a hole (assessed as fresh and caused by small-arms fire) in the southern-facing outer wall of a shed about 10m from a single-storey house. A man (aged 60-70) who introduced himself as the owner of the house told the SMM that he had been at home during the night of 8 June when he had heard small-arms fire.

Disengagement areas[2]                

On the evening and night of 9 and 10 June, the SMM camera in Zolote (government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk) recorded a projectile in flight at an assessed range of 2-3km south-east (assessed as inside the disengagement area) and four projectiles in flight at an assessed range of 0.7-2km east-south-east and south-east, assessed as outside the disengagement area.

During the night of 9 June and morning of 10 June, while on the northern edge of Popasna, the SMM heard 76 explosions (42 undetermined and 34 of automatic grenade launcher) and about 240 shots and bursts of small-arms and heavy-machine-gun fire at an assessed range of 6-9km east (unable to be assessed as inside or outside the Zolote disengagement area). While at two locations near the Zolote disengagement area, the SMM also heard about 20 undetermined explosions and about 40 shots and bursts of small-arms fire, all assessed as within 5km of the disengagement area’s periphery.

During the morning of 10 June, inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area (government-controlled, 16km north-east of Luhansk) and within a 250m radius of the southern wooden ramp on the broken section of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge (15km north-east of Luhansk), the SMM saw an anti-tank grenade launcher (RPG-7V) and four heavy-machine guns. At 12:07, about 100m of the southern wooden ramp, an armed member of the armed formations fired a flare, reportedly indicating the willingness of the armed formations to disengage.

Positioned near the disengagement area near Petrivske (non-government-controlled, 41km south of Donetsk), the SMM observed a calm situation.[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

8 June

An SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted a surface-to-air missile system (9K31, Strela-1) in the northern outskirts of Boikivske (formerly Telmanove, 67km south-east of Donetsk), in a zone within which deployment of heavy armaments and military equipment is further proscribed according to Point 5 of the Memorandum of 19 September 2014.

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

Government-controlled areas

6 June

An aerial image available to the SMM revealed the presence of a probable armoured combat vehicle (ACV) near Talakivka (90km south of Donetsk).          

10 June

The SMM saw an armoured personnel carrier (APC) (Varta) in Heorhiievka (27km south-west of Donetsk).

The SMM saw a mast with an antenna assessed as used to operate a mid-range UAV next to four Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers in a field about 2.5km south-west of Chermalyk.

Non-government-controlled areas

8 June

An SMM mini-UAV spotted:

• again a TORN  electronic warfare system on a truck (KamAZ) parked near a residential house in Novohryhorivka (61km north-east of Donetsk);
• an ACV near Kalynove (60km west of Luhansk); and
• five APCs (three MT-LB and two BTR-80), two anti-aircraft guns (a DShK, 12.7mm and a probable one) and two probable anti-aircraft gun positions in Boikivske, in a zone within which deployment of heavy armaments and military equipment is proscribed according to Point 5 of the Memorandum of 19 September 2014.

Long queues of civilians at a checkpoint of the armed formations near Olenivka

On 9 June, the SMM observed at least 250 vehicles queuing at a checkpoint of the armed formations near Olenivka (non-government-controlled, 23km south-west of Donetsk) to travel to government-controlled areas, as well as around 200 vehicles queuing in the opposite direction (for previous observations in the area, see SMM Daily Report 10 June 2019).

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),  to voltage power lines in Kruta Balka (non-government-controlled, 16km north of Donetsk) and to water pipelines in Raivka (non-government-controlled, 16km north-west of Luhansk), between Zolote-3/Stakhanovets (government-controlled, 61km west of Luhansk) and Popasna,  and  near Zolote-5/Mykhailivka (non-government-controlled, 58km west of Luhansk).

The SMM 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).

The SMM also monitored adherence to the ceasefire in order to enable a transfer of funds from non-government- to government-controlled areas of Luhansk region, reportedly related to water payments.

Border areas outside government control

While at a border crossing point near Voznesenivka (formerly Chervonopartyzansk, 65km south-east of Luhansk), the SMM saw six pedestrians (two women and four men, aged 30-45) and two cars (with Ukrainian licence plates) entering Ukraine, and four cars (two with Ukrainian and two with Russian Federation licence plates) and a woman (aged about 35) exiting Ukraine. After five minutes, an armed member of the armed formations asked the SMM to leave the area.*

While at the Chervona Mohyla railway station near Voznesenivka, the SMM saw at least three stationary railway cars but could not determine their contents. After about ten minutes, a member of the armed formations told the SMM to leave the area. *

The SMM continued monitoring in Kherson, Odessa, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kharkiv, 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:

• At the Chervona Mohyla railway station near Voznesenivka (formerly Chervonopartyzansk, non-government-controlled, 65km south-east of Luhansk), a member of the armed formations told the SMM to leave the area.
• At a border crossing point in Voznesenivka, an armed 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.

Delay:

• At a checkpoint north of Zaichenko (non-government-controlled, 26km north-east of Mariupol), an armed member of the armed formations allowed the SMM to proceed west to Pikuzy (formerly Kominternove, non-government-controlled, 23km north-east of Mariupol) only after about 30 minutes of waiting.

Other impediments:

• On the evening of 9 June, an SMM long-range UAV experienced signal interference, assessed as caused by jamming, while flying over government-controlled areas near Stepanivka (54km north of Donetsk), Popasna (69km west of Luhansk) and Pylypchatyne (76km north-east of Donetsk).[5]

[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.

[5] The interference could have originated from anywhere within a radius of kilometres from the UAVs’ positions.