Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 23 December 2018

This report is for the media and the general public.

Summary

• Compared with the previous reporting period, between the evenings of 21 and 22 December, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region.
• Between the evenings of 22 and 23 December, the Mission recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region, compared with the previous 24 hours.
• It observed damage caused by gunfire to civilian properties in Donetsk city’s Petrovskyi district.
• The SMM recorded ceasefire violations inside the Zolote and Petrivske disengagement areas.
• The Mission saw weapons in violation of the withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line.
• It continued to observe long queues of civilians travelling across the contact line near Marinka.
• The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repair works to essential civilian infrastructure. It continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station.
• Restrictions of the Mission’s access continued in all three disengagement areas. The SMM was also restricted near Novolaspa and Izvaryne, an area of Luhansk region close to the border with the Russian Federation.*

Ceasefire violations[1]

In Donetsk region, between the evenings of 21 and 22 December, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including, however, fewer explosions (85), compared with the previous reporting period (about 150 explosions). The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded in areas south-east and south of Svitlodarsk (government-controlled, 57km north-east of Donetsk) and at south-westerly and north-westerly directions of Horlivka (non-government-controlled, 39km north-east of Donetsk).

Between the evenings of 22 and 23 December, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including, however, more explosions (about 110 explosions), compared with the previous 24 hours. The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded at south-easterly and southerly directions of Svitlodarsk, including about 70 explosions.

In Luhansk region, between the evenings of 21 and 22 December, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including, however, a similar number of explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (45 explosions). The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded in areas west of Kruta Hora (non-government-controlled, 16km north-west of Luhansk).

Between the evenings of 22 and 23 December, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including about 60 explosions, compared with the previous 24 hours. The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded in areas north-west of Slovianoserbsk (non-government controlled, 28km north-west of Luhansk), including about 40 explosions assessed as impacts of mortar rounds at an assessed range of 5-15km north-west, and west-north-west of Berezivske (non-government-controlled, 53km north-west of Luhansk), including about 20 bursts of anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23, 23mm) fire.

Damage caused by gunfire in Donetsk city’s Petrovskyi district

On 23 December, the SMM saw fresh damage to four civilian properties in the Trudivski area of Donetsk city’s Petrovskyi district (non-government-controlled, 15km south-west of Donetsk city centre), all assessed as caused by 23mm or 30mm rounds. At 24 and 26 Bilorichynska Street, the SMM saw holes and shattered windows on the west-facing sides of two two-storey apartment buildings. At 6 Kosareva Street, the Mission saw a shattered west-facing window of a two-storey apartment building. At 70 Udachna Street, the SMM saw two shattered west-facing windows of a two-storey apartment building. Four civilians (men and women, aged 50-70) each residing in these apartment buildings told the Mission that their buildings had been damaged on the evening of 20 December.

Disengagement areas[2]

On 15 December, on the south-eastern edge of Zolote-4 (government-controlled, 59km west of Luhansk), about 40m north of the disengagement area near Zolote (government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk), an SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted recent damage to the roof of a four-storey building, assessed as caused by small-arms fire and possible 82mm mortar rounds. The UAV also spotted recent damage to the east-facing side of the building, assessed as caused by undetermined weapons, as well as nearby trenches and Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel. The SMM was not able to determine the direction of fire.

On the night of 22-23 December, the SMM camera in Zolote recorded two projectiles in flight (one from north-north-east to south-south-east and the other from north-east to south-west) at an assessed range of 1.5-3km south-south-east (assessed as inside the disengagement area).

During the day on 22 December, positioned about 2km north of Petrivske (non-government-controlled, 41km south of Donetsk), the SMM heard seven bursts of small-arms fire at an assessed range of 2-3km south-west (assessed as inside the disengagement area) and about 30 bursts and shots of small-arms fire at an assessed range of 1-3km south-south-east (assessed as outside the disengagement area).[3] The following day, positioned at the same location, the SMM heard two shots of small-arms fire at an assessed range of 1-1.5km south-south-east (assessed as outside the disengagement area).

During the day on 23 December, while on the eastern edge of Stanytsia Luhanska (government-controlled, 16km north-east of Luhansk), the SMM heard six undetermined explosions at an assessed range of 4-5km south-west (assessed as outside the disengagement area). The same day, positioned at the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge, the SMM heard 18 bursts and shots of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire at an assessed range of 2-4km north-west (assessed as outside the disengagement area).

Withdrawal of weapons

The Mission 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

Government-controlled areas

22 December

• 14 self-propelled howitzers (eight 2S3 Akatsiya, 152mm and six 2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) at the railway station in Kostiantynivka (60km north of Donetsk)

An SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted:

• two self-propelled howitzers (2S1) near Novobakhmutivka (28km north of Donetsk).

23 December

• Ten self-propelled howitzers (six 2S3 and four 2S1) at the railway station in Kostiantynivka

Non-government-controlled areas

22 December

• 22 multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) (BM-21 Grad, 122mm) near Khrustalnyi (formerly Krasnyi Luch, 56km south-west of Luhansk) 

Beyond the withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites

Government-controlled areas

21 December

• A surface-to-air missile system (9K35 Strela-10) at the railway station in Bakhmut (formerly Artemivsk, 67km north-east of Donetsk)

22 December

• Four surface-to-air missile systems (9K35) at the railway station in Kostiantynivka

Beyond the withdrawal lines

A heavy weapons permanent storage site in a non-government-controlled area of Luhansk region

22 December

• 14 self-propelled howitzers (2S1), ten towed howitzers (nine D-30 Lyagushka, 122mm and one 2A65 Msta-B, 152mm) and four MLRS remained missing.

Weapons that the SMM was unable to verify as withdrawn:[4]

A heavy weapons holding area beyond the respective withdrawal lines in a government-controlled area of Donetsk region

23 December

• Three mortars (2B11 Sani, 120mm) were present and
• 23 self-propelled howitzers (2S1), six towed howitzers (D-30) and 28 mortars (15 2B11, 12 M-120 Molot, 120mm and one BM-37, 82mm) remained missing.

Indications of military presence in the security zone[5]

Government-controlled areas

20 December

An SMM mini-UAV spotted:

• A probable armoured personnel carrier (APC) (BTR-60) near Vesele (21km north of Donetsk) and
• Six infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) (BMP-1) near Krasnohorivka (21km west of Donetsk).

22 December

• An IFV (BMP variant) near Marinka (23km south-west of Donetsk)
• An armoured reconnaissance vehicle (BRDM-2) near Pravdivka (38km north of Donetsk)
• Four APCs (MT-LB) near Keramik (28km north-west of Donetsk)
• Two IFVs (BMP-1 and BMP-2) near Kamianka (20km north of Donetsk)

23 December

• An APC (MT-LB) near Oleksandropillia (71km west of Luhansk)
• An IFV (BMP-1) near Zolote

Non-government-controlled areas

On 22 December, the SMM saw five members of the armed formations digging two trenches on either side of road M03 about 1km north-north-west of Debaltseve (58km north-east of Donetsk). The Mission also observed freshly dug 300m-long trenches connected to road T0519 near Zaichenko (26km north-east of Mariupol).

Presence of unexploded ordnance (UXO)

On 22 December, the SMM saw for the first time two metal objects assessed as mortar tailfins on the northern side of road H15, about 500m south of the Krasnohorivka gas distribution station between Marinka and Oleksandrivka (non-government-controlled, 20km south-west of Donetsk).

Long queues of civilians travelling across the contact line near Marinka

On 22 December, on road H15 about 50m east of the forward position of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near Marinka, the SMM saw about 200-300 people queuing at a bus stop. Six of them (men and women in their fifties and sixties) expressed concern to the Mission that people have to wait up to eight hours for a bus, which according to them arrives once an hour or less frequently, to cross the area between the abovementioned Ukrainian Armed Forces position and the forward position of the armed formations near Oleksandrivka.

SMM facilitation of repair works to civilian infrastructure

On 22 December, the SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repair works to water pipelines near Popasna (government-controlled, 69km west of Luhansk) and near Zalizne (government-controlled, 42km north-east of Donetsk) and to the Krasnohorivka gas distribution station. Ukrainian Armed Forces representatives of the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) told the SMM that workers from Voda Donbassa water company had not been able to complete assessments of water pipelines near Zalizne due to gunfire nearby (the SMM heard 20 bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire in the area and facilitated the departure of the workers from there). On 22 and 23 December, the SMM continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station.

Border areas not under government control

While at a border crossing point near Izvaryne (52km south-east of Luhansk) for 15 minutes, the SMM saw 28 cars (11 with Ukrainian, nine with Russian Federation and one Lithuanian licence plates, and five with “LPR” and two with “DPR” plates) and 34 covered cargo trucks (19 with Ukrainian, three with Russian Federation, three Georgian and four with Belarusian licence plates, and four with “LPR” and one with “DPR” plates) queuing to exit Ukraine. The SMM also saw a car (with Ukrainian licence plates) and 14 pedestrians entering Ukraine and four pedestrians exiting Ukraine. A member of the armed formations told the SMM to leave the area.*

While at a border crossing point near Sievernyi (50km south-east of Luhansk) for about 30 minutes, the SMM saw 22 cars (17 with Ukrainian and five with Russian Federation licence plates) and five pedestrians exiting Ukraine and four pedestrians entering Ukraine. The SMM did not observe anyone operating the border crossing point in Ukraine.

While at a border crossing point near Verkhnoharasymivka (57km south-east of Luhansk) for 25 minutes, the SMM saw two pedestrians exiting Ukraine and four pedestrians entering Ukraine. The SMM did not observe anyone operating the border crossing point in Ukraine.

The Mission 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, 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 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:

• On 22 December, at a checkpoint on the eastern edge of Novolaspa (non-government-controlled, 50km south of Donetsk), two armed members of the armed formations again denied the SMM passage.
• The same day, at a border crossing point near Izvaryne, a member of the armed formations again told the SMM to leave 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. During the reporting period, the SMM cameras in Krasnohorivka and at the entry-exit checkpoint near Pyshchevyk were not operational.

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