Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 18 July 2019
This report is for the media and the general public.
Summary
- Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region.
- A man was injured by gunfire in Yasynuvata.
- The Mission saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines in training areas near non-government-controlled Miusynsk and Ternove.
- Inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area, the SMM continued to observe the operation of a shuttle bus service in government-controlled areas north of the bridge.
- Trains were spotted moving east and west in non-government-controlled areas near the border with the Russian Federation.
- The Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to facilitate repairs to water pipelines near Holubivka and Maiorsk, as well as to powerlines near Spartak.
- Restrictions of the SMM’s access continued, including at checkpoints in non-government-controlled areas of southern Donetsk region near Zaichenko and Shevchenko.*
Ceasefire violations[1]
In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, however a similar number of explosions (35) compared with the previous reporting period (40 explosions). The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded in areas south and south-west of Svitlodarsk (government-controlled, 57km north-east of Donetsk), east of Chernenko (government-controlled, 21km north-east of Mariupol) and south of Yasynuvata (non-government-controlled, 16km north-east of Donetsk).
In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, however fewer explosions (about 20), compared with the previous reporting period (about 30 explosions). The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded at easterly and southerly directions of Zolote (government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk) and in areas west of Berezivske (non-government-controlled, 53km north-west of Luhansk).
Man injured by gunfire in Yasynuvata
On 14 July, in Yasynuvata, the SMM saw a man (44 years old) with a wound covered with dark powder on the left side of his abdomen. On 15 July, medical staff at a hospital in Yasynuvata told the SMM that the man had been admitted on 5 July with a bruise abrasion on his left chest area caused by gunfire. The man told the SMM that he had been on the porch of his house at 17/2 Sevastopolska Street in Yasynuvata on the evening of 5 July when he saw a projectile hit the wall of his house and immediately felt something hit his abdomen. On 18 July, a neighbour (man, 70 years old) of the man told the SMM that he had heard gunfire on 5 July and later saw the abovementioned man on his porch with an injury to his abdomen. On 5 July, the SMM saw damage from gunfire to a different house on the same street (see SMM Daily Report 6 July 2019).
Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area
On 18 July, inside the disengagement area, the SMM saw eight members of the armed formations wearing armbands with “JCCC” written on them: two standing on and one standing south of the broken section of the bridge near Stanytsia Luhanska (government-controlled, 16km north-east of Luhansk), with all three using binoculars to observe areas north, and five others near the checkpoint of the armed formations south of the bridge.[2] The SMM again saw a bus transporting people, mainly elderly, from an area about 250m south of the Ukrainian Armed Forces entry-exit checkpoint to the broken section of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge and back, leaving about every 15 minutes.
Other disengagement areas[3]
On the evening and night of 17-18 July, the SMM camera in Zolote recorded 32 projectiles in flight at an assessed range of 1.5-4km south-east and south-south-west, assessed as inside the disengagement area, and 18 projectiles in flight at an assessed range of 3-6km east and south-south-east, which were unable to be assessed as inside or outside the disengagement area, as well as about 120 projectiles in flight assessed as outside the disengagement area but within its 5km periphery. During the day on 18 July, positioned on the western edge of Berezivske (non-government-controlled, 53km north-west of Luhansk), the SMM heard about 70 shots of small-arms fire at an assessed range of 1-2km west, assessed as outside the disengagement area but within its 5km periphery.
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
17 July
An SMM long-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted seven multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) (BM-21 Grad, 122mm) in a training area near Miusynsk (62km south-west of Luhansk) (for previous observations, see SMM Daily Report 17 July 2019).
An SMM mini-UAV spotted three MLRS (BM-21), three self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm), three probable towed howitzers (D-30 Lyagushka, 122mm) and two probable anti-tank guns (MT-12 Rapira, 100mm) in a training area near Ternove (57km east of Donetsk) (for previous observations, see SMM Daily Report 12 July 2019).
Beyond withdrawal lines but outside of designated storage sites
Government-controlled areas
17 July
An SMM mid-range UAV spotted three anti-tank guns (MT-12) near Yablunivka (49km north of Donetsk).
18 July
The SMM saw a tank (T-72) in the north-eastern outskirts of Pokrovsk (formerly Krasnoarmiisk, 55km north-west of Donetsk).
Non-government-controlled areas
17 July
An SMM long-range UAV spotted nine self-propelled howitzers (2S1), 12 towed howitzers (D-30), 11 tanks (probable T-64) and four surface-to-air missile systems (9K35 Strela-10) in a training area near Miusynsk (see above).
An SMM mini-UAV spotted 21 tanks (19 T-72 and two T-64) in a training area near Ternove (see above).
18 July
An SMM mini-UAV spotted 22 tanks (ten T-72 and 12 T-64), eight self-propelled howitzers (2S1), 12 towed howitzers (D-30), six anti-tank guns (MT-12) and three mortars (2B11 Sani, 120mm) in a training area near Myrne (28km south-west of Luhansk) (for previous observations, see SMM Daily Report 12 July 2019).
Weapons that SMM could not verify as withdrawn[4]
At heavy weapons holding areas in government-controlled areas of Donetsk region
17 July
The SMM noted that seven self-propelled howitzers (2S19 Msta-S, 152mm), three anti-tank guns (MT-12) and two anti-tank guided missile systems (9P149 Shturm-S, 130mm) were present and eight self-propelled howitzers (2S19), eight towed howitzers (2A36 Giatsint-B, 152mm, eight anti-tank guns (MT-12) and three anti-tank guided missile systems (9P149) remained missing.
At heavy weapons holding areas in government-controlled areas of Luhansk region
18 July
The SMM noted that nine self-propelled howitzers (2S1) and three self-propelled mortars (2S9 Nona-S, 120mm) were present and four anti-tank guns (MT-12), three self-propelled howitzers (2S1) and two self-propelled mortars (2S9) remained missing.
Weapons permanent storage site
At a permanent storage site in a government-controlled area of Luhansk region
18 July
The SMM noted that five mortars (2B9 Vasilek, 82mm) remained missing.
Indications of military presence in security zone[5]
Government-controlled areas
15 July
An SMM mid-range UAV spotted an armoured reconnaissance vehicle (BRDM-2) in a residential area of Novoselivka Druha (23km north of Donetsk).
16 July
An SMM mini-UAV spotted four APCs (BTR-80) south of Pyshchevyk (25km north-east of Mariupol).
18 July
An SMM mini-UAV spotted an APC (BTR variant) near Novozvanivka (70km west of Luhansk).
The SMM saw an infantry fighting vehicle (BTR-4) near Novobakhmutivka (28km north of Donetsk).
Anti-tank mines near Shchastia and remnant of war in Yasynuvata
On 17 July, an SMM mini-UAV again spotted at least 36 anti-tank mines (TM-62) laid in three rows across road H-21 south of the bridge in Shchastia (government-controlled, 20km north of Luhansk), assessed as belonging to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
On 18 July, in a residential area of Yasynuvata, the SMM saw a wire coil, assessed as a command wire from an anti-tank guided missile. A resident of the area (man, 60-70 years old) told the SMM that he had found it recently following shelling in the area.
Trains spotted moving east and west in non-government-controlled areas near border with Russian Federation
On the evening of 17 July, an SMM long-range UAV spotted a cargo train consisting of 20 box cars departing the train station in Khartsyzk (non-government-controlled, 26km east of Donetsk) heading south-east. In the early morning hours of 18 July, the same UAV spotted a cargo train consisting of 20 tank cars and five open bulk cars in Dovzhansk (formerly Sverdlovsk, non-government-controlled, 60km south-east of Luhansk), about 10km west of the border, arriving from the east and passing westbound through the train station. The same train was later spotted arriving at the train station in Rovenky (non-government-controlled, 54km south of Luhansk), 40km west of the border, where the train’s engines were disconnected by people at the station.
SMM facilitation of repairs to civilian infrastructure
The Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to enable well drilling in Raivka (non-government-controlled, 16km north-west of Luhansk) and repairs to water pipelines near Holubivka (formerly Kirovsk, non-government-controlled, 51km west of Luhansk) and Maiorsk (government-controlled, 45km north-east of Donetsk), as well as to power lines near Spartak (non-government-controlled, 9km north of Donetsk).
The SMM 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).
The SMM continued monitoring in Kherson, Odessa, Lviv, Kharkiv, 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, 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 JCCC 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 15 July 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 about 600m north of Zaichenko (non-government-controlled, 26km north-east of Mariupol), two armed members of the armed formations again denied the SMM passage southwards to Sakhanka (non-government-controlled, 24km north-east of Mariupol) and westwards to Pikuzy (formerly Kominternove, non-government-controlled, 23km north-east of Mariupol), citing “ongoing demining activities”.
- At a checkpoint on the eastern edge of Shevchenko (non-government-controlled, 69km south of Donetsk), two armed members of the armed formations denied the SMM passage west into the village and westwards towards Mykolaivka (non-government-controlled, 39km north-east of Mariupol), citing “SMM’s security”.
Regular restrictions related to disengagement areas and mines/UXO:
- The sides continued to deny the SMM full access to 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 west of Verkhnoshyrokivske (formerly Oktiabr, non-government-controlled, 29km north-east of Mariupol), three armed members of the armed formations allowed the SMM to proceed again after about 25 minutes of waiting.
Other impediments:
- On the evening of 17 July, an SMM long range-UAV lost its GPS signal, assessed as due to probable jamming while flying over Stepanivka (government-controlled, 54km north of Donetsk) and Sofiivka (former Karlo-Marksove, non-government-controlled, 40km north-east of Donetsk), and assessed as jamming while flying over Rovenky (non-government-controlled, 54km south of Luhansk).[6]
[1] For a complete breakdown of ceasefire violations, please see the annexed table. The SMM cameras in Avdiivka and Donetsk Filtration Station were non-operational during the reporting period.
[2] The Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) was established in September 2014 by Ukraine and the Russian Federation. Each posted a representative to jointly head the Centre and a staff of officers from the Ukrainian and Russian Federation Armed Forces to be co-located in defined sectors of Luhansk and Donetsk regions. In December 2017, Russian Federation Armed Forces officers withdrew from the JCCC and departed Ukraine.
[3]Disengagement is foreseen in the Framework Decision of the Trilateral Contact Group relating to disengagement of forces and hardware of 21 September 2016.
[4] The SMM visited an area previously holding 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 SMM noted that one such site continued 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.
[6] The interference could have originated from anywhere within a radius of kilometres from the UAVs’ positions.