Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 30 October 2018

This report is for the media and the general public.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region, compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM observed weapons in violation of agreed withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. It recorded ceasefire violations and saw Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel inside the Zolote disengagement area. The SMM’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas; it was also restricted near Novoazovsk, an area close to the border with the Russian Federation, and again near Yuzhna-Lomuvatka and Bezimenne.* The SMM monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable demining activities near Nyzhnoteple and Zolote-2/Karbonit. It facilitated repairs to civilian infrastructure near Artema and in Krasnohorivka, as well as to residential houses in Marinka and Krasnohorivka.

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations[1], including about 610 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 230 explosions).

On the evening and night of 29-30 October, the SMM camera at the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS) (15km north of Donetsk) recorded 11 undetermined explosions, an illumination flare and about 15 projectiles in flight (mostly from northerly to southerly directions), all 2-6km at directions ranging from south-east and south-west.

On the evening of 29 October, while in Svitlodarsk (government-controlled, 57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard about 70 undetermined explosions and about 185 bursts and shots of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all 3-8km at southerly directions. During the day on 30 October, while in the same location, the SMM heard about 215 undetermined explosions and about 420 bursts and shots of heavy-machine-gun fire, all 3-5km south-east and south-south-east.

On the evening of 29 October, while in Debaltseve (non-government-controlled, 58km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard about 40 undetermined explosions 3-6km north-north-east.

During the day on 30 October, positioned about 1km north-west of the railway station in Yasynuvata (non-government-controlled, 16km north-east of Donetsk) for about four hours, the SMM heard and saw two explosions assessed as impacts of rounds from undetermined weapons 3-4km south-west and two explosions assessed as outgoing mortar rounds 300m west-north-west and north-west. It heard about 160 explosions 1-6km at directions ranging from south to north (of which six assessed as outgoing mortar rounds 1-2km south-west, seven as impacts of rounds from undetermined weapons 2-4km at directions ranging from south-west to north, as well as one assessed as an impact of a mortar round 3-4km south-west). It also heard about 70 bursts and shots of heavy-machine-gun, small-arms and automatic grenade launcher fire, all 1-6km at directions ranging from south to north.

In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including, however, more explosions (about 30), compared with the previous reporting period (25 explosions).

On the evening of 29 October, the SMM camera in Popasna (government-controlled, 69km west of Luhansk) recorded three undetermined explosions and two projectiles in flight (one from north to south and one from south to north), all 4-9km east and east-south-east.

During the day on 30 October, positioned 3km north-west of Trokhizbenka (government-controlled, 32km north-west of Luhansk), the SMM heard 18 undetermined explosions 10-15km south-south-west.

Positioned north of Orikhove (government-controlled, 57km north-west of Luhansk), the SMM heard nine undetermined explosions 6-7km east-south-east.

The SMM continued to monitor and to pursue full access to the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska (government-controlled, 16km north-east of Luhansk), Zolote (government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk) and Petrivske[2] (non-government-controlled, 41km south of Donetsk), as foreseen in the Framework Decision of the Trilateral Contact Group relating to disengagement of forces and hardware of 21 September 2016. The SMM’s access remained restricted, but the Mission was able to partially monitor them.*

During the day on 30 October, positioned on the eastern edge of Zolote-3/Stakhanovets (government-controlled, 61km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard about 30 bursts and shots of small-arms and heavy-machine-gun fire, all 2.5-4km south-south-east (assessed as inside the Zolote disengagement area).

On the same day, inside the Zolote disengagement area, the SMM saw two Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel (one of whom was armed) walking in a field from Katerynivka (government-controlled, 64km west of Luhansk) towards the railway bridge, as well as a Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel member next to a military position just south of the railway bridge. About an hour and a half later, the SMM saw two Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel entering the disengagement area from its northern edge.

Positioned on the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge (15km north-east of Luhansk), the SMM saw a blue laser light firmly pointing north from a known military-type position of the armed formations on a hilltop south of the bridge and west of the Prince Ihor Monument. (The SMM observed similar lights at the same location on 4 October 2018 (see SMM Daily Report of 5 October 2018).)

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 in government-controlled areas, on 27 October, an SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted two anti-tank guided missile systems (one 9P148 Konkurs, 135mm and one 9P149 Shturm-S, 130mm) near Bila Hora (54km north of Donetsk). On 29 October, an SMM long-range UAV spotted a surface-to-air missile system (9K35 Strela-10) near residential houses in Pobeda (27km west of Donetsk). On 30 October, the SMM saw a self-propelled howitzer (2S3 Akatsiya, 152mm) heading south on road H20 near Oleksandro-Kalynove (47km north of Donetsk) and a self-propelled howitzer (2S3) heading west on road T0511 near Novokalynove (29km north-west of Donetsk).

In violation of withdrawal lines in a non-government-controlled area, on 29 October, an SMM mini-UAV spotted a probable mortar (type undetermined, 82mm) near Donetskyi (49km west of Luhansk).

Beyond the respective withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites in government-controlled areas, on 29 October, an SMM long-range UAV spotted a surface-to-air missile system (9K33 Osa) near Valerianivka (51km south-west of Donetsk). On 29 October, the SMM saw a towed howitzer (D-20, 152mm), two anti-tank guns (MT-12 Rapira, 100mm) and six surface-to-air missile systems (9K33) at a railway station in Rubizhne (84km north-west of Luhansk) and a surface-to-air missile system (9K33) in Verkhnokamianka (84km north-west of Luhansk).

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles (ACV), anti-aircraft guns[3] and other indications of military presence in the security zone. In government-controlled areas, on 27 October, an SMM mini-UAV spotted four infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) (one BMP-1, one BMP-2 and two BMP variants), an armoured personnel carrier (APC) (MT-LB), four armoured reconnaissance vehicles (BRDM-2) and two anti-aircraft guns (ZU-23, 23mm) mounted on trucks near Bila Hora. On 29 October, an SMM long-range UAV spotted an ACV (type undetermined) and a recently dug 400m-long extension of trenches in a southern direction, assessed as belonging to the Ukrainian Armed Forces about 3km south-east of Krasnohorivka (21km west of Donetsk), as well as an IFV (BMP-1) near Trudivske (47km south of Donetsk). On 30 October, the SMM saw an IFV (BMP variant) in Zolote-3/Stakhanovets, an IFV (BTR-4) near Novobakhmutivka (28km north of Donetsk) and an IFV (BTR-80) near Zolote-2/Karbonit (62km west of Luhansk).

The SMM is continuing to follow up on its long-range UAV lost while flying over an area south-east of Nyzhnokrynske (non-government-controlled, 66km east of Donetsk) (see SMM Spot Report 30 October 2018).  

The SMM observed the presence of a new mine hazard sign – a white and red square with “Dangerous. Stop Mines” written in Russian – next to road T0504, about 1.3km north-west of Kalynove-Borshchuvate (non-government-controlled, 61km west of Luhansk).  

The SMM monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repair works to the Petrivske water pumping station near Artema (government-controlled, 26km north of Luhansk), to damaged houses in Marinka (government-controlled, 23km south-west of Donetsk) and Krasnohorivka (government-controlled, 21km west of Donetsk) and to the Krasnohorivka gas distribution station. It also monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable demining activities near Nyzhnoteple (government-controlled, 26km north of Luhansk) and Zolote-2/Karbonit. The SMM continued to facilitate the operation of the DFS.

The SMM visited a border area not under government control. While at a border crossing point near Novoazovsk (non-government-controlled, 40km east of Mariupol) for about 15 minutes, the SMM observed two cars (one with Russian Federation licence plates and one with “DPR” plates) entering Ukraine. The SMM saw two cars (one with Russian Federation licence plates and one with “DPR” plates) exiting Ukraine.

The SMM continued monitoring in Kherson, Odessa, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Chernivtsi and Kyiv.

*Restrictions of 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 for Control and Co-ordination (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 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.

Denials of access:

• At a checkpoint about 2km east of Novoazovsk, near the border with the Russian Federation, two armed members of the armed formations denied the SMM passage south towards Siedove (non-government-controlled, 106km south of Donetsk), citing “ongoing military training” in the area. At the same time, the SMM observed civilian vehicles passing through the checkpoint.
• At a checkpoint near Novoazovsk, two members of the armed formations (one of which was armed) again prevented the SMM from passing through to the city, citing an “ongoing operation”. At the same time, the SMM observed civilian vehicles passing through the checkpoint.
• At a checkpoint in Yuzhna-Lomuvatka (non-government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk), a member of the armed formations again denied the SMM passage, citing “demining activities” in the area.
• At a checkpoint near Bezimenne (non-government-controlled, 30km east of Mariupol), two armed members of the armed formations again denied the SMM passage west along road M14, citing “ongoing shelling and demining activities”. At the same time, the SMM observed civilian vehicles passing through the checkpoint.

Regular restrictions related to disengagement areas and mines/UXO:

• The SMM was prevented from accessing parts of the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area, with the exception of the main road, due to the possible presence of mines and UXO. A Ukrainian Armed Forces officer of the JCCC informed the SMM that no demining had taken place during the previous 24 hours. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed and informed the JCCC.[4]
• The SMM was prevented from accessing secondary roads in the Zolote disengagement area due to the possible presence of mines and UXO. A Ukrainian Armed Forces officer of the JCCC informed the SMM that no demining had taken place during the previous 24 hours. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed and informed the JCCC. [4]
• The SMM was prevented from accessing secondary roads south of the Zolote disengagement area due to the possible presence of mines and UXO. A member of the armed formations informed the SMM that no demining had taken place during the previous 24 hours. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed.

Other impediments:

• An SMM mid-range UAV temporarily lost its GPS signal due to signal interference while flying near Mykolaivka (government-controlled, 40km south of Donetsk). On two occasions, an SMM mini-UAV lost its GPS signal due to signal interference near Hranitne (government-controlled, 60km south of Donetsk).[5]

[1] Please see the annexed table for a complete breakdown of the ceasefire violations as well as a map of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions marked with locations featured in this report.

[2] Due to the presence of mines, including on 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.

[3] This hardware is not proscribed by the provisions of the Minsk agreements on the withdrawal of weapons.

[4] The SMM informed Ukrainian Armed Forces officers of the JCCC. Russian Federation Armed Forces officers of the JCCC withdrew from the JCCC as of 18 December 2017.

[5] The interference could have originated from anywhere within a radius of several kilometres of the UAV’s position.