Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 14 March 2019
This report is for the media and the general public.
Summary
- Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region.
- The Mission saw damage to a house in Zaitseve.
- The SMM recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote disengagement area.
- The Mission observed weapons in violation of the withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line.
- The Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to essential civilian infrastructure in Luhansk and Donetsk regions, including to the pumping station near Vasylivka.
- Restrictions of the SMM’s access continued in all three disengagement areas. Its access was also restricted in non-government-controlled Shymshynivka and at a heavy weapons holding area in a government-controlled area of Donetsk region.*
Ceasefire violations[1]
In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including 72 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 90 explosions). The majority of ceasefire violations, including all explosions, were recorded in areas south of the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS) (15km north of Donetsk) and at south-easterly directions of Chermalyk (government-controlled, 31km north-east of Mariupol).
In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded more ceasefire violations, including more explosions (about 180), compared with the previous reporting period (about 110 explosions). The majority of ceasefire violations, including the majority of explosions, were recorded at westerly and south-easterly directions of Shymshynivka (non-government-controlled, 27km south-west of Luhansk) and at southerly and north-westerly directions of Myrne (non-government-controlled, 28km south-west of Luhansk) (all ceasefire violations in these areas were assessed as live-fire exercises outside the security zone).
Damaged house in Zaitseve
On 13 March, an SMM mid-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted damage to the roof of a house in the southern part of Zaitseve (50km north-east of Donetsk) assessed as caused by the impact of a mortar round. The Mission could not determine whether the damage was fresh.
Disengagement areas[2]
On the evening and night of 13-14 March, the SMM camera in Zolote (government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk) recorded an undetermined explosion and two projectiles in flight, all at an assessed range of 1-4km north-east and east (all assessed as outside the disengagement area).
Positioned inside the disengagement area near Stanytsia Luhanska (government-controlled, 16km north-east of Luhansk) and near the disengagement area close to Petrivske (non-government-controlled, 41km south of Donetsk), the SMM observed a calm situation.[3]
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
12 March
An SMM mini-UAV spotted a mortar (type undetermined) in Pisky (11km north-west of Donetsk).
Non-government-controlled-areas
13 March
An SMM mid-range UAV spotted two self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) east of Vedenske (35km north-east of Mariupol).
An SMM mini-UAV spotted five tanks (T-64) in a training area near Novoselivka (37km north-east of Donetsk).
Beyond withdrawal lines but outside of designated storage sites
Government-controlled-areas
14 March
An SMM mini-UAV spotted six towed mortars (2B9 Vasilek, 82mm) at the railway station in Kostiantynivka (60km north of Donetsk).
The SMM saw:
- ten tanks (T-72) at a railway station in Khlibodarivka (65km south-west of Donetsk) and
- a surface-to-air missile system (9K33 Osa) near Paraskoviivka (75km north of Donetsk).
Non-government-controlled areas
12 March
An SMM mini-UAV spotted 26 tanks (19 T-72 and seven T-64) and a recently built compound (not visible in imagery from 7 November 2018), in which one of the afore-mentioned tanks, other military-type hardware and about 20 deep unoccupied vehicle revetments were observed,[4] in a training area near Ternove (57km east of Donetsk) (for previous observations, see SMM Daily Report 8 March 2019).
14 March
The SMM saw five tanks (T-72) in firing positions in a training area near Myrne (see ceasefire violations section above).
Weapons that the SMM could not verify as withdrawn[5]
At a heavy weapons holding area in government-controlled areas of Donetsk region
14 March
The SMM noted that:
- seven multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) (BM-21 Grad, 122mm) were present and
- 35 MLRS (BM-21) and a self-propelled howitzer (2S1) were again missing.
Weapons permanent storage sites
At a heavy weapons permanent storage site in a non-government-controlled area of Luhansk region
14 March
The SMM noted the presence of all weapons observed previously.
Indications of military and military-type presence in the security zone[6]
Government-controlled areas
12 March
An SMM mini-UAV spotted an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (BMP-1), an armoured combat vehicle (ACV) (type undetermined) and an armoured reconnaissance vehicle (BRDM-2) near Pisky.
13 March
The SMM saw two military tents and six Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers near a functional school in Novoluhanske (government-controlled, 53km north-east of Donetsk).
14 March
The SMM saw:
- an IFV (BMP-2) in Orikhove-Donetske (44km north-west of Luhansk);
- an IFV (BMP-2) near Trokhizbenka (32km north-west of Luhansk); and
- two armoured personnel carriers (BTR-80) in Svitlodarsk (57km north-east of Donetsk).
Non-government-controlled areas
13 March
An SMM mid-range UAV spotted a 400m-long trench (not visible in imagery from 27 October 2018) about 3km east of Sakhanka (24km north-east of Mariupol).
An SMM mini-UAV spotted:
- three IFVs (BMP-1) and two ACVs in the afore-mentioned training area near Novoselivka (see above) and
- seven IFVs (five BMP-1 and two BMP-2) and an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23, 23mm) near Vesela Hora (16km north of Luhansk).
Presence of mines
On 13 March, an SMM mid-range UAV again spotted about 350 anti-tank mines (probable TM-62) in a field near Novhorodske (35km north of Donetsk).
On 14 March, about 600m west of Verkhnoshyrokivske (formerly Oktiabr, non-government-controlled, 29km north-east of Mariupol), the SMM again saw two pieces of unexploded ordnance (UXO), assessed as 152mm artillery rounds, lying 4m north of a local road.
SMM facilitation of repairs to civilian infrastructure
The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to power lines in Novoluhanske and near Zolote-5/Mykhailivka (non-government-controlled, 58km west of Luhansk) (both reportedly damaged in shelling); power transformers in Uzhivka (formerly Leninske, non-government-controlled, 24km north-east of Mariupol); a deteriorated pipeline at the pumping station near Vasylivka (non-government-controlled, 20km north of Donetsk); a deteriorated water supply network near Donetskyi (non-government-controlled, 49km west of Luhansk); and the phenol sludge reservoir near Zalizne (government-controlled, 42km north-east of Donetsk).
The Mission also continued to facilitate the operation of the DFS.
Border areas outside government control
While at a border crossing point near Dovzhanske (84km south-east of Luhansk) for about 30 minutes, the SMM saw six cars (four with Ukrainian, one with Russian Federation and one with Georgian licence plates) and three women entering Ukraine, as well as 12 cars (two with Ukrainian, two with Russian Federation and one with Georgian licence plates, and one with “LPR” plates; the SMM could not observe the licence plates of six cars), two covered cargo trucks with Ukrainian licence plates and four men exiting Ukraine.
While at a pedestrian crossing point near Novoborovytsi (79km south of Luhansk) for about 20 minutes, the Mission saw a woman and a man exiting Ukraine.
While at a border crossing point near Uspenka (73km south-east of Donetsk) for about an hour, the SMM saw 15 cars (four with Ukrainian and four with Russian Federation licence plates, and seven with “DPR” plates) and two buses (one with Ukrainian licence plates and one with “DPR” plates) entering Ukraine. While present the Mission also saw 15 cars (three with Ukrainian and seven with Russian Federation licence plates, and five with “DPR” plates) and two covered cargo trucks with “DPR” plates exiting Ukraine. The SMM again noted an unusually long line of cars, trucks and buses waiting to exit 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 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, SMM Daily Report 12 March 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:
- A Ukrainian Armed Forces soldier denied the SMM entry into a heavy weapons holding area in a government-controlled area of Donetsk region.
- In Shymshynivka (non-government-controlled, 27km south-west of Luhansk), two members of the armed formations denied the Mission access to the south-western part of the settlement. During its presence, the SMM heard ceasefire violations in the area (see above and the ceasefire violation table).
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 camera in Krasnohorivka was 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 on a road between Bohdanivka and Petrivske, the SMM cannot access its camera in Petrivske, and thus the SMM has not been able to access observations from the camera since 22 June 2018.
[4] The other military-type hardware and revetments mentioned in this sentence are not proscribed by the provisions of the Minsk agreements on the withdrawal of weapons.
[5] The SMM observed 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.
[6] The hardware mentioned in this section is not proscribed by the provisions of the Minsk agreements on the withdrawal of weapons.