Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 29 November 2018

This report is for the media and the general public.

Summary

• Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region.
• The Mission followed up on reports of a civilian injured due to shelling in Holmivskyi.
• The SMM observed anti-aircraft guns and infantry fighting vehicles inside the Zolote disengagement area.
• The SMM observed tanks in violation of the withdrawal lines near Novoselivka.
• In Lviv, the Mission followed up on reports of arson attacks at two Alfa-Bank branches.
• In Kyiv, the SMM monitored a protest.
• The SMM’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas as well as in Valuiky and near Starolaspa.

Ceasefire violations[1]

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, and a similar number of explosions (about 160), compared with the previous reporting period. The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded in areas east of Svitlodarsk (government-controlled, 57km north-east of Donetsk), west of Horlivka (non-government-controlled, 39km north-east of Donetsk) and around the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS) (15km north of Donetsk).

In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including about 55 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 160 explosions). The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded in areas north of Kadiivka (formerly Stakhanov, non-government-controlled, 50km west of Luhansk).

A civilian injured due to shelling in Holmivskyi

In Holmivskyi (non-government-controlled, 49km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM followed up on reports of injuries sustained by a 19-year-old woman. On 28 November, the woman’s mother told the SMM that around 19:00 on 15 November, while inside the family’s apartment at 4 Zhydkova Street, she had heard a loud explosion and subsequently found her daughter in shock and lying on the floor in the apartment’s corridor with visible injuries to her left ankle. She said her daughter had been outside walking on the street at the time of the explosion. About 60m west of the building, on the opposite side of the street, the SMM saw a crater, assessed as caused by a mortar round fired from a north-north-easterly direction. On 16 November, a staff member of the ambulance department of a hospital in Horlivka had told the SMM that on the evening of 15 November an ambulance had been dispatched to Holmivskyi to provide medical care to a woman with an ankle injury who was subsequently transferred to a hospital in Horlivka. On the same day at that hospital, medical staff had refused to provide information to the SMM regarding the woman’s injuries (see SMM Daily Report 17 November 2018).

Disengagement areas[2]

On 28 November, inside the disengagement area near Zolote (government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk), about 30m north of its southern edge along road T1316, an SMM long-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23, 23mm) mounted on a military-type truck as well as two military-type jeeps, all assessed as belonging to the armed formations. The same UAV spotted another anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23) mounted on a military-type truck inside the disengagement area, about 130m north of its southern edge along road T1316, assessed as belonging to the armed formations.

The same UAV again spotted three infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) (two BMP-1 and a BMP-2) and another IFV (BMP-1) at locations south of the railway tracks, inside the disengagement area, all assessed as belonging to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. 

On the evening and night of 28-29 November, the SMM camera in Zolote recorded 12 projectiles and a burst of an undetermined weapon, all in flight from north-north-west to south-south-east at an assessed range of 1-3km east-north-east (assessed as outside the disengagement area). During the day on 29 November, the same camera recorded a projectile in vertical flight at an assessed range of 0.5-1km east (assessed as outside the disengagement area). On the same day, positioned on the northern edge of Zolote-4/Rodina (government-controlled, 59km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard two shots of small-arms fire at an assessed range of 0.7-1km south-east (assessed as outside the disengagement area).

During the day on 29 November, the SMM observed calm situations in the Stanytsia Luhanska and Petrivske disengagement areas.

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 the withdrawal lines

Non-government-controlled areas:

28 November:

• An SMM mini-UAV spotted five tanks (probable T-72) near Novoselivka (16km west of Luhansk) (an SMM mini-UAV also spotted five probable T-72 tanks at the same location also on 29 November).

Beyond the withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites

Government-controlled areas:

28 November:

• A self-propelled anti-aircraft system (2K22 Tunguska, 152mm) near Kalynove (31km north-west of Donetsk)

29 November:

• Three tanks (T-64) near Manhush (25km south-west of Mariupol)

Indications of military and military-type presence in the security zone[3]

Non-government-controlled areas:

28 November:

• Two IFVs (probable BMP-2) near Debaltseve (58km north-east of Donetsk)
• An SMM mini-UAV spotted:
  • An anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23-2, 23mm) near Slovianoserbsk (28km north-west of Luhansk) and
  • Three armoured personnel carriers (APC) (BTR-80) and an IFV (BMP-1) near Smile (31km north-west of Luhansk).
• An SMM long-range UAV spotted:
  • An APC (MT-LB) in a compound near Stare (formerly Chervonyi Prapor, 58km west of Luhansk);
  • Two IFVs (BMP-1) about 2m from residential houses in Veselohorivka (64km west of Luhansk) as well as another IFV (BMP-1) and an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23, 23mm) near Veselohorivka;
  • Two IFVs (one BMP-2 and one BMP-1) near Kalynove (60km west of Luhansk); and
  • Three APCs (MT-LB), two IFVs (BMP-1) and an armoured recovery vehicle (VT-55) near Kadiivka.

29 November:

• An SMM mini-UAV spotted an IFV (BMP-1) and an APC (BTR variant) near Novoselivka.

Government-controlled areas[4]:

28 November:

• An SMM long-range UAV spotted:
  • Two probable APCs (MT-LB) near Maiorsk (45km north-east of Donetsk); and
  • An IFV (BMP variant) near Myronivskyi (62km north-east of Donetsk).

29 November:

• An IFV (BMP-2) near Orikhove-Donetske (44km north-west of Luhansk)
• An APC (BTR 70) near Berezove (31km south-west of Donetsk)
• An APC (BTR-70) near Novobakhmutivka (28km north of Donetsk)

Civilian infrastructure

The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable assessment of a water pipeline near Popasna (government-controlled, 69km west of Luhansk) and to enable repair works to the Petrivske water pumping station near Artema (government-controlled, 26km north of Luhansk). The Mission also continued to facilitate the operation of the DFS.

Presence of mine hazard signs

Near the main road in Taramchuk (government-controlled, 29km south-west of Donetsk), the SMM saw for the first time five mine hazard signs. The Mission also saw a wooden stick with red rag tied to the top, assessed as an improvised mine hazard sign, near a cemetery in Taramchuk.

Follow up on reports of arson attacks at two Alfa-Bank branches in Lviv

On 28 November, the SMM followed up on reports of arson attacks at two branches of Alfa-Bank in Lviv. Inside one of the branches at 45 Chornovola Street, the Mission saw scorch marks around a plastic cover over a broken window as well as burnt debris on the floor. It also noted the smell of smoke. A staff member of the branch – which was open – told the SMM that the damage had been caused by a fire around 03:30 on 28 November. She added that another branch at 2 Politekhnichna Street had also been damaged by a fire on the same night. At the latter branch, the SMM saw a large plastic cover over a window as well as a sign on the front door announcing its closure until further notice. In a public statement, police announced that an investigation into both incidents had been launched under Article 194 of the Criminal Code (willful destruction or endamagement of property).

Protest in Kyiv

In Kyiv, on the evening of 29 November, the SMM saw about 50 people (three women, the remainder men, mixed ages) gathered on Maidan Nezalezhnosti. The SMM saw 100 police officers as well as 30 National Guard officers in full gear. After 45 minutes, the SMM saw participants march towards the building of the Ministry of Interior Affairs at 10 Akademika Bohomoltsia Street, some of them throwing party poppers and smoke grenades along the way. In front of the above-mentioned building, some of the participants poured fuel on the ground and lit it on fire. The SMM observed 100-200 police officers, including 100 National Guard officers in full gear, securing the building.

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

*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 SMM Daily Report 28 November 2018). 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 in Valuiky (government-controlled, 70km north-west of Luhansk), a Ukrainian Armed Forces soldier prevented the SMM from travelling through the village. Another Ukrainian Armed Forces soldier told the SMM not to fly a UAV in the area.
• At a checkpoint near Starolaspa (non-government-controlled, 51km south of Donetsk), two armed members of the armed formations prevented the SMM from travelling through the village, citing “orders from their superior”.

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. The SMM cameras in Hranitne and Krasnohorivka were not operational during the reporting period.

[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] The hardware mentioned in this section is not proscribed by the provisions of the Minsk agreements on the withdrawal of weapons.