Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 9 January 2019

This report is for the media and the general public.

Summary

• Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• The Mission continued to monitor the situation of civilians near the contact line.
• The Mission saw a weapon in violation of withdrawal lines in Klynove, Donetsk region.
• The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repair works to essential civilian infrastructure on both sides of the contact line in Donetsk Region.

• Restrictions of the Mission’s access continued, including in all three disengagement areas.*

Ceasefire violations[1]

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including, however, fewer explosions (about 70), compared with the previous reporting period (about 80 explosions). The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded in areas south of Svitlodarsk (government-controlled, 57km north-east of Donetsk), at south-westerly and north-westerly directions of the railway station in Yasynuvata (non-government-controlled, 16km north-east of Donetsk) and in areas near the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS).

In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including six explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (no explosions). The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded in areas north-north-east of Holubivske (non-government-controlled, 51km west of Luhansk).  

Disengagement areas[2]

On 9 January, the SMM camera in Zolote (government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk) recorded three projectiles in flight at an assessed range of 4-6km east-south-east (assessed as outside the disengagement area).

Positioned inside the disengagement area near Stanytsia Luhanska (government-controlled, 16km north-east of Luhansk), the SMM observed a calm situation.[3]

Civilian fatality observed in Horlivka

In front of its premises in Horlivka (non-government-controlled, 39km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM saw the body of a deceased woman (69 years old) surrounded by three medical personnel and four members of the armed formations as well as an ambulance and two cars of the armed formations parked nearby. The husband of the deceased woman told the SMM that in the late afternoon hours of 9 January they were walking past the SMM premises when the woman had suddenly collapsed. The husband also told the SMM that they had been queuing all day at an armed formations’ checkpoint near Horlivka to travel to government-controlled areas for pension-related issues, but were unable to cross because of long lines.

Situation of civilians at entry-exit checkpoints along the contact line

At a checkpoint of the armed formations south of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge (15km north-east of Luhansk), at 10:00, the SMM saw about 170  people queuing to travel towards government-controlled areas and about 15 queuing in the opposite direction. The Mission saw another 40 people queuing at a nearby bus stop. About three hours later, at the entry-exit checkpoint north of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge, the SMM saw about 800 people queuing to exit government-controlled areas and about 100 people queuing in the opposite direction.

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

9 January:

• A surface-to-air missile system (9K33 Osa) in the yard of a house assessed as used by military personnel on the northern edge of Klynove (68km north-east of Donetsk)

Beyond the withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites

Government-controlled areas

9 January:

• A tank (T-72) loaded on a transporter parked next to a road near Kostiantynivka (60km north of Donetsk)

Indications of military presence in the security zone[4]

Government-controlled areas

9 January

• An armoured reconnaissance vehicle (BRDM-2), and four infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) (a BMP-1 and three BMP variants)  near Popasna (69km west of Luhansk)
• An armoured recovery vehicle (BREM-1) near Bobrove (56km north-west of Luhansk)
• A combat engineering vehicle (BAT-2) near Voitove (33km north-west of Luhansk)
• An IFV (BMP-1) near Mykolaivka (77km west of Luhansk)

SMM facilitation of repair works to civilian infrastructure

The Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repair works to water pipelines in Horlivka. It continued to facilitate the operation of the DFS.          

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, 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 9 January 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:

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. In the reporting period winter weather conditions limited the observation capabilities of some of the SMM cameras.

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