Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 19 August 2019
This report is for the media and the general public.
Summary
- Compared with the previous 24 hours, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations both in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
- A man was injured due to gunfire in Zaitseve.
- Small-arms fire was assessed as directed at SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicles near Pervomaisk and Smile.
- The SMM continued to monitor the situation inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area.
- The Mission saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near government-controlled Yasnobrodivka and non-government-controlled Ternove.
- The SMM monitored adherence to the ceasefire to facilitate repairs to and the operation of essential civilian infrastructure, including repairs to a phenol sludge reservoir.
- Restrictions of the SMM’s access continued, including at a checkpoint near non-government-controlled Verkhnoshyrokivske.*
Ceasefire violations[1]
In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including more explosions (about 130), compared with the previous 24 hours (about 60 explosions). The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded in areas south-south-east and south of Pyshchevyk (government-controlled, 25km north-east of Mariupol) and at easterly directions of Avdiivka (government-controlled, 17km north of Donetsk), where the majority of explosions was recorded.
In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including one explosion, compared with the previous 24 hours (no explosions). The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded in areas north-north-west of Pervomaisk (non-government-controlled, 58km west of Luhansk) and in areas north-north-west of Smile (non-government-controlled, 31km north-west of Luhansk). On both occasions, the ceasefire violations were assessed as aimed at the SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV).
A man injured due to gunfire in Zaitseve
On 19 August, outside a hospital in Horlivka (non-government-controlled, 39km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM saw a 56-year-old man with bandaged wounds on both knees and left arm. The man told the SMM that he had been in the garden of his house at 212 Rybalka Street in a non-government-controlled part of Zaitseve (50km north-east of Donetsk), at around 18:30 on 15 August, when he heard gunfire and hid behind the water well where he was then injured by bullet ricochets in his arm and legs. A woman (in her fifties), introducing herself as his spouse, told the SMM that she had been in the house when the shooting started and had seen her husband running towards the house, after he was hit. Previously, on 16 August, medical staff at the hospital in Horlivka had confirmed admitting a man from Zaitseve. The SMM could not visit the house on Rybalka Street due to security restrictions.
Small-arms fire assessed as directed at SMM mini-UAVs near Pervomaisk and Smile
Positioned on the western edge of Pervomaisk, while conducting a mini-UAV flight, the SMM heard 22 shots of small-arms fire about 700m north-north-west, assessed as aimed at the UAV, which was flying about 750m north-north-west.
Positioned on the north-western edge of Smile (non-government-controlled, 31km north-west of Luhansk), while conducting a mini-UAV flight, the SMM heard at least 13 shots of small-arms fire about 3.6km north-north-west, assessed as aimed at the UAV, which was flying about 3.9km north-north-west. In both cases, the SMM safely landed the UAVs and left the areas.*
Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area
The SMM saw at least 14 deminers of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine entering the disengagement area through the entry-exit checkpoint near Stanytsia Luhanska (government-controlled, 16km north of Luhansk). Inside the disengagement area, the Mission saw three deminers on the western side of the asphalt road, about 50m north of the former forward positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and eight deminers cutting branches about 25m west of the said road. The SMM saw red and white poles protruding the ground, marking the location of an anti-tank mine, about 100m west of the former forward positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Inside of the disengagement area, south of the broken section of the bridge, the Mission saw up to five members of the armed formations wearing armbands with “JCCC” written on them. [2]
Other disengagement areas[3]
On 16 August, inside the disengagement area near Zolote (government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk), an SMM mini-UAV spotted four members of the Ukrainian Armed Forces present near their most forward positions on road T-1316 south of the railway tracks. The same UAV also spotted two members of the armed formations present near their most forward positions in a treeline about 240m south-south-west from the said positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and about 70m east of the aforementioned road.
Positioned close to the disengagement area near Petrivske (non-government-controlled, 41km south of Donetsk), the SMM 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
19 August
The SMM saw a surface-to-air missile system (9K35 Strela-10, 120mm) near Yasnobrodivka (25km north-west of Donetsk).
Non-government-controlled areas
17 August
An SMM mini-UAV spotted eight self-propelled howitzers (2S1, Gvozdika, 122mm) and three towed howitzers (D-30 Lyagushka, 122mm) in a training area near Ternove (57km east of Donetsk) (for previous observations in the area, see SMM Daily Report 16 August 2019).
Beyond withdrawal lines but outside of designated storage sites
Government-controlled areas
17 August
An SMM mini-UAV spotted a surface-to-air missile system (9K35 Strela-10) in a compound in the southern outskirts of Manhush (111km south of Donetsk).
Non-government-controlled areas
17 August
An SMM mini-UAV spotted 29 tanks (13 T-64 and 16 T-72) and two self-propelled mortars (2S9 Nona-S, 120mm) in a training area near Ternove (see above).
Indications of military and military-type presence in the security zone[4]
Government-controlled areas
17 August
An SMM long-range UAV spotted:
- two infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) (a BMP-2 and a BMP variant) near Marinka (23km south-west of Donetsk); and
- six IFVs (five probable BMP-1 and a probable BMP-2) in a compound in Novoselivka Druha (69km south of Donetsk).
19 August
The SMM saw:
- an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23-2, 23mm) in Makarove (19km north-east of Luhansk);
- an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23-2) and an armoured personnel carrier (APC) (BTR-70) in Stanytsia Luhanska (16km north of Luhansk); and
- an armoured recovery vehicle (BREM) loaded on a trailer in a residential area of Krasnohorivka (21km west of Donetsk).
Non-government-controlled areas
17 August
An SMM mini-UAV spotted 12 IFVs (BMP-1), an APC (BTR-70) and a combat engineering vehicle (IMR-2) near Kruhlyk (65km south-west of Luhansk).
19 August
An SMM mini-UAV spotted eight probable IFVs (BMP variant) near Pryshyb (34km north-west of Luhansk).
Unexploded ordnance (UXO) in Zolote-5/Mykhailivka
On a road leading to the power substation in Zolote-5/Mykhailivka (non-government-controlled, 58km west of Luhansk), the SMM saw a 120mm mortar tailfin embedded in the asphalt surface (not seen the last time the SMM was on that road on 12 August).
Trenches and mines on a road between Svitlodarsk and Debaltseve
The SMM saw a 7m-long trench cutting the asphalt surface of road M-03 between Svitlodarsk (government-controlled, 57km north-east of Donetsk) and Debaltseve (non-government-controlled, 58km north-east of Donetsk). About 300m further on the same road, the Mission saw another 6m-long trench also cutting the asphalt surface of the road (for previous observations, see SMM Daily Report 23 December 2018). Around 60m south-east of the second trench, the SMM again saw a line of 11 anti-tank mines positioned across the same road.
SMM facilitation of the operation of essential civilian infrastructure
The SMM monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to the phenol sludge reservoir near Zalizne (formerly Artemove, government-controlled, 42km north-east of Donetsk). The Mission continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station (15km north of Donetsk) and monitor the security situation around the pumping station near Vasylivka (non-government-controlled, 20km north of Donetsk).
The Mission 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 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, see SMM Daily Report 1 August 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 west of Verkhnoshyrokivske (formerly Oktiabr, non-government-controlled, 29km north-east of Mariupol), an armed member of the armed formations again denied the SMM passage to non-government-controlled areas.
Regular restrictions related to disengagement areas and mines/UXO:
- The sides continued to deny the SMM full access to disengagement areas near Zolote and Petrivske, 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:
- While conducting a mini-UAV flight on the western edge of Pervomaisk (non-government-controlled, 58km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard small-arms fire assessed as aimed at the mini-UAV, which landed safely (see above).
- While conducting a mini-UAV flight on the north-western edge of Smile (non-government-controlled, 31km north-west of Luhansk) the SMM heard small-arms fire assessed as aimed at the mini-UAV, which landed safely (see above).
- On the night of 17-18 August, an SMM long range-UAV lost its GPS signal due to signal interference, assessed as caused by probable jamming, while flying over Kostiantynivka (government-controlled, 60km north of Donetsk). The same UAV also experienced dual GPS signal interference, assessed as caused by jamming, while flying between Netailove (government-controlled, 22km north-west of Donetsk) and Slavne (government-controlled, 26km south-west of Donetsk) and between Chermalyk (government-controlled, 31km north-east of Mariupol) and Opytne (government-controlled, 12km north-west of Donetsk).[5]
- An SMM mini-UAV experienced signal interference while flying in Zernove (non-government-controlled, 70km south of Donetsk), assessed as caused by probable jamming.6
- An SMM mini-UAV experienced signal interference while flying over Ukrainske (non-government-controlled, 36km north-east of Mariupol), assessed as caused by probable jamming.6
[1] For a complete breakdown of ceasefire violations, please see the annexed table. During the reporting period, the SMM cameras in Berezove and Kriakivka were not operational.
[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 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’ position.