Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 12 June 2019
This report is for the media and the general public.
Summary
- Compared with the previous reporting period, the Mission recorded a similar number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region.
- Two men were injured and a tractor destroyed by a mine explosion in a field south of Popasna.
- The Mission recorded ceasefire violations inside the Zolote disengagement area.
- The SMM saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line.
- The Mission 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.
- It saw two international organization convoys transporting humanitarian aid in Pikuzy and Sakhanka and near Olenivka.
- Restrictions of the SMM’s access continued in all three disengagement areas and elsewhere, including at checkpoints near non-government-controlled Ternove and Novoazovsk.*
Ceasefire violations[1]
In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded a similar number of ceasefire violations, including, however, fewer explosions (about 110), compared with the previous reporting period (about 150 explosions). The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded at easterly and southerly directions of Svitlodarsk (government-controlled, 57km north-east of Donetsk), at easterly directions of Hnutove (government-controlled, 20km north-east of Mariupol) and at easterly directions of Hranitne (government-controlled, 60km south of Donetsk).
In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded more ceasefire violations, including, however, fewer explosions (about 130), compared with the previous reporting period (about 150 explosions). Over half of the ceasefire violations, including almost all of the explosions, were recorded at northerly, easterly and southerly directions of Popasna (government-controlled, 69km west of Luhansk), as well as in areas north of Pervomaisk (non-government controlled, 58km west of Luhansk) (assessed as inside the Zolote disengagement area).
Two men injured and a tractor destroyed by explosion in a field south of Popasna
The SMM followed up on media reports of civilians whose tractor had struck a mine. On 8 June, medical staff at a hospital in Popasna told the Mission that two men had been admitted the day before: one (in his fifties) had suffered shrapnel injuries to his lower limbs, while the second man (in his twenties) had suffered barotrauma and minor injuries to his face and elbow. A police representative in Popasna told the SMM that on 7 June a tractor had hit an object in a field south of Popasna and the subsequent explosion had injured two men.
On 11 June in an agricultural field about 4km south of Popasna, an SMM mid-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted a fresh crater, assessed as caused by an explosion of an anti-tank mine (probable TM-62), as well as two burned tyres, pieces of burned rubber and blue and white debris, all assessed as fragments of a tractor, all about 4m from the crater.
Disengagement areas[2]
On the night of 11 June, the SMM camera in Zolote (government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk) recorded four undetermined explosions at an assessed range of 3-5km south-east (assessed as inside the disengagement area). During the evening and night of 11-12 June, positioned on the northern edge of Popasna, the SMM heard about 110 explosions, including 60 assessed as artillery rounds and their subsequent impacts, and about 160 bursts and shots of heavy-machine-gun, automatic-grenade-launcher and small-arms fire, all assessed as within 5km of the Zolote disengagement area’s periphery. During the day on 12 June, positioned on the western edge of Pervomaisk, the SMM heard 13 undetermined explosions and 150 shots and bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire, all at an assessed range of 3.5-5km north (all assessed as inside the Zolote disengagement area).
During the day on 12 June, 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 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
Government-controlled areas
12 June
The SMM saw three anti-tank guns (MT-12 Rapira, 100mm) and three towed howitzers (2A36 Giatsint-B, 152mm) near Lysychansk (75km north-west of Luhansk).
Non-government-controlled areas
9 June
An SMM mini-UAV spotted two probable mortars (2B11 Sani, 120mm) on the southern outskirts of Donetskyi (49km west of Luhansk).
Beyond withdrawal lines but outside of designated storage sites:
Non-government-controlled areas
11 June
An SMM mini-UAV spotted 22 tanks (17 T-72 and five T-64), 12 towed howitzers (D-30 Lyagushka, 122mm), six self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm), six anti-tank guns (MT-12) and six towed mortars (2B11) at a training area near Myrne (28km south-west of Luhansk).
Weapons that the SMM could not verify as withdrawn[4]
At heavy weapons holding areas in government-controlled areas of Luhansk region
12 June
The SMM noted that 13 self-propelled howitzers (2S1) were present and 15 self-propelled howitzers (2S1) remained missing.
At heavy weapons holding areas in non-government-controlled areas of Donetsk region
12 June
The SMM noted that six multiple launch rocket systems (BM-21 Grad, 122mm), six self-propelled howitzers (2S1) and 12 mortars (11 PM-38, 120mm and one 2B11) remained missing.
Weapons permanent storage sites
At a permanent storage site in a government-controlled area of Luhansk region
The SMM noted that 26 tanks (T-64) and six mortars (M120-15 Molot, 120mm) remained missing.
Indications of military and military-type presence in the security zone[5]
Government-controlled areas
11 June
An SMM mini-UAV spotted an armoured combat vehicle (ACV) (BTR-60, R-145BM) near Lomakyne (15km north-east of Mariupol).
An SMM mid-range UAV spotted an infantry fighting vehicle (BMP-1 or BMP-2) near Popasna.
12 June
The SMM saw:
- an ACV next to a house occupied by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Voitove (33km north-west of Luhansk) and
- an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23, 23mm) and an armoured reconnaissance vehicle (BRDM-2) in and near Krasnohorivka (24km north of Donetsk), respectively.
Non-government-controlled areas
9 June
Aerial imagery available to the SMM revealed the presence of an ACV at a training area near Svobodne (73km south of Donetsk), in a zone within which deployment of heavy armament and military equipment is proscribed according to Point 5 of the Memorandum of 19 September 2014.
UAVs seen near Obozne and Trokhizbenka
Positioned in Obozne (non-government-controlled, 18km north of Luhansk), the SMM saw a white UAV (quadcopter-type) flying about 1-2km west of its location at an assessed altitude of 100-200m in a southerly direction before turning north and then west.
Near Trokhizbenka (government-controlled, 32km north-west of Luhansk), the Mission saw two Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers carrying a large white fixed-wing UAV which they said they were about to launch.
Previously observed piece of unexploded ordnance (UXO) in Pikuzy removed
On 11 June, the SMM saw that a previously observed piece of UXO assessed as an unexploded RPG-7 grenade embedded in the asphalt courtyard in front of the House of Culture in the centre of Pikuzy (formerly Kominternove, non-government-controlled, 23km north-east of Mariupol) had been removed.
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 water pipelines near Horlivka (non-government-controlled, 39km north-east of Donetsk) and between Zolote-3/Stakhanovets (government-controlled, 61km west of Luhansk) and Popasna, and to high voltage power lines in Kruta Balka (non-government-controlled, 16km north of Donetsk).
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).
International organization convoys transporting humanitarian aid
On 11 June in Pikuzy and in Sakhanka (non-government-controlled, 24km north-east of Mariupol), the SMM saw a convoy of humanitarian aid, consisting of a truck and two cars, reportedly carrying grains. In the centre of Pikuzy, the Mission saw a queue of about 50-70 people waiting for the aid delivery.
On 12 June, at a checkpoint of the armed formations near Olenivka (non-government-controlled, 23km south-west of Donetsk), the SMM saw a convoy of humanitarian aid, consisting of 16 trucks and three cars, travelling from government- to non-government-controlled areas.
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, 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, SMM Daily Report 12 June 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 near Ternove (non-government-controlled, 57km east of Donetsk), two armed members of the armed formations denied the SMM passage, citing “ongoing live-fire training exercises”. While present, the SMM saw civilian vehicles crossing the checkpoint in both directions.
- 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 towards Novoazovsk, citing “an ongoing antiterrorist 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.
[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] Due to the presence of mines, including a road between Bohdanivka and Petrivske, the SMM’s access to its camera in Petrivske remains limited, and thus the SMM has not been able to access observations from the camera since 22 June 2018.
[4] The SMM observed weapons that could not be verified as withdrawn, as their storage did not comply with the criteria set out in the 16 October 2015 notification from the SMM to the signatories of the Package of Measures on effective monitoring and verification of the withdrawal of heavy weapons. The Mission noted that one such site continues to be abandoned.
[5] The hardware mentioned in this section is not proscribed by the provisions of the Minsk agreements on the withdrawal of weapons.