Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 26 December 2018

This report is for the media and the general public.

Summary

• Compared with the previous 24 hours, between the evenings of 23 and 24 December, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region.
• Between the evenings of 24 and 25 December, the Mission recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and fewer in Luhansk region, compared with the previous 24 hours.
• Between the evenings of 25 and 26 December, it recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, compared with the previous 24 hours.
• An armed man in camouflage clothing damaged an SMM vehicle and verbally insulted its patrol members in Khoroshe, Luhansk region.
• The SMM saw weapons in violation of the withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line.
• The Mission recorded ceasefire violations inside the Zolote disengagement area.
• It observed for the first time unexploded ordnance inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area and in non-government-controlled areas of Donetsk region.
• Restrictions of the Mission’s access continued in all three disengagement areas. The SMM was also restricted at checkpoints of the armed formations near Yuzhna-Lomuvatka and Starolaspa, at a heavy weapons holding area in a non-government-controlled area of Donetsk region and near Izvaryne, a non-government-controlled area of Luhansk region close to the border with the Russian Federation.*

Ceasefire violations[1]

In Donetsk region, between the evenings of 23 and 24 December, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including about 60 explosions, compared with the previous 24 hours (about 110 explosions). The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded at northerly and westerly directions of the central railway station in Donetsk city (6km north-west of the city centre) and at southerly directions of Svitlodarsk (government-controlled, 57km north-east of Donetsk). On the evening of 23 December, the SMM camera at the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS) (15km north of Donetsk) recorded an explosion assessed as an impact at an assessed range of 500-700m south.

Between the evenings of 24 and 25 December, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including about 270 explosions, compared with the previous 24 hours. The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded at south-easterly and south-westerly directions of Svitlodarsk. On the evening of 24 December, the SMM camera at the entry-exit checkpoint in Maiorsk (government-controlled, 45km north-east of Donetsk) recorded an undetermined explosion at an assessed range of 10-50m north-east.

Between the evenings of 25 and 26 December, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including 50 explosions, compared with the previous 24 hours. The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded at south-easterly and southerly directions of Svitlodarsk, at south-westerly directions of the DFS and south-easterly directions of Chermalyk (government-controlled, 31km north-east of Mariupol).

In Luhansk region, between the evenings of 23 and 24 December, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including, however, a similar number of explosions (about 60), compared with the previous 24 hours. The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded at southerly directions of Zolote (government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk) (see the disengagement area section below).

Between the evenings of 24 and 25 December, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including, however, more explosions (about 70), compared with the previous 24 hours. The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded at northerly and westerly directions of Kadiivka (formerly Stakhanov, non-government-controlled, 50km of Luhansk) and at south-easterly directions of Stanytsia Luhanska (government-controlled, 16km north-east of Luhansk) (see the disengagement area section below).

Between the evenings of 25 and 26 December, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including four explosions, compared with the previous 24 hours. More than half of the ceasefire violations were recorded at southerly directions of Zolote.

SMM vehicle damaged by an armed man in camouflage clothing

On 24 December, while monitoring the security situation in Khoroshe (non-government-controlled, 36km west of Luhansk), the SMM saw that a car stopped nearby and that five armed men in camouflage clothing emerge from the car. Shortly thereafter, one of the men, who was visibly intoxicated, approached an SMM vehicle and pulled the rear windshield wiper and the OSCE flag off the vehicle. He then walked away while verbally insulting nearby SMM patrol members. The SMM left the area. (For previous similar incidents, see SMM Daily Report 4 January 2018.)

Disengagement areas[2]

On the evening of 23 December, the SMM camera in Zolote recorded three projectiles in flight at an assessed range of 1.5-4km at south-easterly directions (assessed as inside the disengagement area) and two projectiles at an assessed range of 2-4km east (assessed as outside the disengagement area). The following day, the same camera recorded two explosions assessed as impacts at an assessed range of 2-3km south (assessed as inside the disengagement area) as well as an explosion assessed as an impact and five projectiles, all at an assessed range of 0.8-1.5km at easterly directions (assessed as outside the disengagement area).

During the day on 24 December, positioned on the southern edge of the Zolote disengagement area, the SMM heard 25 undetermined explosions and about 150 bursts of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all at an assessed range of 1-2km west (all assessed as inside the disengagement area) as well as 12 undetermined explosions and eight bursts, all at an assessed range of 2-3km north-west (all assessed as outside the disengagement area). Positioned on the eastern edge of Katerynivka (government-controlled, 64km west of Luhansk), the SMM observed a car with military plates carrying two persons in camouflage clothing drive out of the Zolote disengagement area.

On the evening and night of 24-25 December, the SMM camera in Zolote recorded 20 projectiles at an assessed range of 2-3km south-east (assessed as inside the disengagement area). The same camera recorded a projectile at an assessed range of 1-3km east-north-east (assessed as outside the disengagement area) and two projectiles at an assessed range of 1-5km south-east (unable to determine whether inside or outside the disengagement area). In the late afternoon of 25 December, the camera recorded six projectiles at an assessed range of 1-2km east and east-south-east (unable to determine whether inside or outside the disengagement area).

On the evening and night of 25-26 December, the same camera recorded 14 projectiles at an assessed range of 2-3km east-south-east and south-east (assessed as inside the disengagement area) as well as an undetermined explosion, seven projectiles and two bursts, all at an assessed range of 1-5km at easterly directions (assessed as outside the disengagement area). The camera also recorded nine projectiles at an assessed range of 1-2km south-east and south-west as well as an undetermined explosion and two projectiles at an assessed range of 2-5km east-south-east and south-south-east (unable to determine whether inside or outside the disengagement area).

On the evening of 24 December, while on the eastern edge of Stanytsia Luhanska, the SMM heard about 20 shots of small-arms fire at an assessed range of 1-2km at south-westerly directions (assessed as outside the disengagement area) and about 30 shots of small-arms fire at an assessed range of 4-6km south-south-west (unable to determine whether inside or outside the disengagement area).

On 25 December, inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area, the SMM saw a metal object assessed as a mortar (possibly 82mm) tailfin, embedded in the ground 1-1.5m west of the road and about 270m north of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge.[3]

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

24 December

• Ten self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) at the railway station in Kostiantynivka (60km north of Donetsk)
• A self-propelled howitzer (2S1) and five anti-tank guns (MT-12 Rapira, 100mm) at the railway station in Bakhmut (formerly Artemivsk, 67km north-east of Donetsk)

26 December

• 12 self-propelled howitzers (2S1) at the railway station in Bakhmut

Non-government-controlled areas

24 December

An SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted two tanks (T-72) near Novohryhorivka (33km west of Luhansk).

26 December

• Two self-propelled howitzers (2S1) and four towed howitzers (D-30 Lyagushka, 122mm) near Bile (22km west of Luhansk)

Beyond the withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites

Government-controlled areas

24 December

• Eight self-propelled howitzers (2S7 Pion, 203mm) moving south in Pokrovsk (former Krasnoarmiisk, 55km north-west of Donetsk)
• Nine self-propelled howitzers (2S7) moving south near Novotroitske (57km north-west of Donetsk)
• A surface-to-air missile system (9K35 Strela-10) and three tanks (T-72) at the railway station in Bakhmut
• Two surface-to-air missile systems (9K37) near Shyroka Balka (11km south-west of Mariupol)
• Four self-propelled howitzers (2A36 Giatsint-B, 152mm) near Azovske (22km south-west of Mariupol)

25 December

• Nine tanks (T-64BV) in Pokrovsk
• Two self-propelled howitzers (2S3 Akatsiya, 152mm) near Druzhkivka (72km north of Donetsk)

26 December

• Four tanks (T-64 variants) at the railway station in Bakhmut
• A surface-to-air missile system (9K33 Osa) near Kalchyk (24km north of Mariupol)

A SMM mid-range UAV spotted five tanks (T-72) near Druzhne (63km south of Donetsk).

Non-government-controlled areas

24 December

• Four tanks (type undetermined) at a training area near Ternove (57km east of Donetsk)

25 December

• Eight tanks (type undetermined) in a training area near Myrne (28km south-west of Luhansk)

Weapons storage sites beyond the withdrawal lines*

Permanent storage sites in non-government-controlled areas of Donetsk region

25 December

• 23 tanks (14 T-72 and nine T-64), 15 anti-tank guns (MT-12) and nine mortars (2B14 Podnos, 82mm) remained missing.

Permanent storage sites in non-government-controlled areas of Luhansk region

26 December

• Six tanks (five T-64 and a T-72) and two self-propelled howitzers (2S1) remained missing.

Indications of military and military-type presence in the security zone[4]

Government-controlled areas

25 December

• Three infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) (one BMP-1 and two BMP variants) and three armoured reconnaissance vehicles (BRDM-2), including one parked about 30-40m from a residential house, near Popasna (69km west of Luhansk)

26 December

• Three armoured reconnaissance vehicles (BRDM-2) near Popasna
• An armoured reconnaissance vehicle near Muratove (51km north-west of Luhansk)
• A helicopter (MI-8) flying from east to west about 1km south-east of Kleban Byk (48km north of Donetsk)

Non-government-controlled areas

22 December

An SMM mini-UAV spotted 13 armoured personnel carriers (MT-LB), an armoured recovery vehicle (VT-55) and a combat engineering vehicle (IMR-2) in Kadiivka.

Presence of unexploded ordnance (UXO)

On 24 December, on Stratonavtiv Street in Donetsk city’s Kyivskyi district (non-government-controlled, 6km north-west of the city centre), the SMM observed for the first time metal objects, assessed as remnants of a detonated multiple launch rocket system (Grad-type, 122mm) rocket, laying on the ground about 50cm south of the road. The Mission saw that the objects were rusted and partially covered in snow. The following day, the SMM saw for the first time a metal object, assessed as a 120mm mortar round, about 25-50cm south of a road in the Oktiabr mine compound (non-government-controlled, 9km north-west of Donetsk city centre), about 100m south of the SMM camera site. On 26 December, the Mission saw for the first time a metal object, assessed as a remnant of an undetermined weapon round, in a field about 10m from the nearest house in Staromykhailivka (non-government-controlled, 15km west of Donetsk). The SMM was not able to determine whether the abovementioned UXO were recent.

SMM facilitation of repair works to civilian infrastructure

The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repair works to water pipelines near Popasna on 24 December; water pipelines near Zalizne (government-controlled, 42km north-east of Donetsk) on 25 December; and the Petrivske water pumping station near Artema (government-controlled, 26km north of Luhansk), power lines near Zolote-4/Rodina (government-controlled, 59km west of Luhansk), damaged houses in Marinka (government-controlled, 23km south-west of Donetsk) and Krasnohorivka (government-controlled, 21km west of Donetsk) on 26 December. On 24, 25 and 26 December, the Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable demining and repair works to restore electricity to a monastery in Donetsk city’s Kyivskyi district. On 24 and 25 December, the SMM continued to facilitate the operation of the DFS. On 26 December, following the reported loss of power supply to the station the night before, the Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repair works to power lines. Workers from the Voda Donbassa water company told the SMM that the interruption in power supply might have been caused by adverse weather conditions.

Border areas not under government control

24 December

While at a border crossing point near Marynivka (78km east of Donetsk) for about 30 minutes, the SMM saw 14 cars (six with Ukrainian and five with Russian Federation licence plates, and three with “DPR” plates) and a covered cargo truck (with Ukrainian licence plates) exiting Ukraine. The SMM also saw a car (with Ukrainian licence plates) and a van (with “DPR” plates) entering Ukraine.

While at a border crossing point near Leonove (formerly Chervonyi Zhovten, 82km south of Luhansk) for about 20 minutes, the SMM saw a car with Russian Federation licence plates exiting Ukraine.

While at a pedestrian border crossing point near Novoborovytsi (79km south of Luhansk) for about 20 minutes, the SMM observed no people entering or exiting Ukraine.

25 December

At a border crossing point near Izvaryne (52km south-east of Luhansk) for five minutes, the SMM saw five cars (two with Ukrainian and three with Russian Federation licence plates), a bus (with Ukrainian licence plates) and three pedestrians entering Ukraine as well as 19 pedestrians exiting Ukraine. An unarmed member of the armed formations told the SMM to leave the area.*

While at a border crossing point near Verkhnoharasymivka (57km south-east of Luhansk) for about 30 minutes, the SMM saw two pedestrians entering Ukraine.

While at a border crossing point near Sievernyi (50km south-east of Luhansk) for about 30 minutes, the SMM saw six pedestrians exiting and four pedestrians entering 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 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:

• On 25 December, at a checkpoint near Yuzhna-Lomuvatka (non-government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk), a member of the armed formations prevented the SMM from passing through.
• On 25 December, the SMM could not access a heavy weapons holding area in a non-government-controlled area of Donetsk region, as no guards were present to open the locked gate.
• On 25 December, at a border crossing point near Izvaryne, a member of the armed formations again told the SMM to leave the area.
• On 26 December, two members of the armed formations at a checkpoint near Starolaspa (non-government-controlled, 51km south of Donetsk) again prevented the SMM from entering the village, citing possible risks to “the security of the SMM”.

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. Between the evenings of 23 and 24 December, the SMM cameras in Berezove, Hranitne, Krasnohorivka, Oktiabr mine, Svitlodarsk and at the entry-exit checkpoint near Pyshchevyk were not operational. Between the evenings of 24 and 26 December, the SMM cameras in Krasnohorivka and at the entry-exit checkpoint near Pyshchevyk were not operational.

* Please see the section at the end of this report entitled “Restrictions of the SMM’s freedom of movement or other impediments to fulfilment of its mandate”.

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