Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 18 March 2019

This report is for the media and the general public.

Summary

• Compared with the previous 24 hours, the Mission recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• Small-arms fire was directed at an SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle near Peredove.
• The SMM recorded ceasefire violations inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area and observed military hardware inside the Zolote disengagement area.
• The Mission observed weapons in violation of the withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line.
• It observed electronic jamming systems in Yuzhna-Lomuvatka.
• The SMM saw for the first time mines and unexploded ordnance near government-controlled Marinka and Krymske and near non-government-controlled Kruta Balka, Ilovaisk, Hirne and Donetsk city’s Petrovskyi district.
• Restrictions of the SMM’s access continued in all three disengagement areas and elsewhere, including in non-government-controlled Verkhnoshyrokivske and Zaichenko and government-controlled Peredove, as well as near Izvaryne and Sievernyi, areas close to the border with the Russian Federation.*

Ceasefire violations[1]

In Donetsk region, the Mission recorded more ceasefire violations, including 145 explosions, compared with the previous 24 hours (about 50 explosions). The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded at south-easterly directions of Chermalyk (government-controlled, 31km north-east of Mariupol) and of Svitlodarsk (government-controlled, 57km north-east of Donetsk), in areas south-west of Yasynuvata (non-government-controlled, 16km north-east of Donetsk) and in areas west and south-west of Horlivka (non-government-controlled, 39km north-east of Donetsk).

In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded more ceasefire violations, however, fewer explosions (ten) compared with the previous 24 hours (about 35 explosions). The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded in areas near the disengagement area close to Zolote (government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk).

While conducting a mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flight in areas north-east of Peredove (government-controlled, 68km south-west of Donetsk), the SMM heard four single shots of small-arms fire about 1.5km south-west, assessed as aimed at the UAV. The SMM recovered the UAV safely.

Disengagement areas[2]

On the evening of 17 March, the SMM camera in Zolote recorded a projectile in flight at an assessed range of 1-2km east (assessed as outside the disengagement area). During the day of 18 March, positioned at various locations north and south of the disengagement area near Zolote, the SMM heard nine undetermined explosions and 67 bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire at an assessed range of 3-5km south-east (all assessed as outside the disengagement area).

On 18 March, positioned near Molodizhne (non-government-controlled, 63km north-west of Luhansk), the SMM heard 60 shots of small-arms fire at an assessed range of 2-3km south. A few minutes later, the SMM observed a grey, boomerang-shaped UAV (with a wing-span of about 40cm) flying at a height of about 60m in a northerly direction towards the Zolote disengagement area. A member of the armed formations present in the area told the SMM that the small-arms fire (see above) had been directed at the UAV.

On 17 March, an SMM mini-UAV again spotted an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (BMP-1) inside the disengagement area near Zolote, assessed as belonging to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, on road T-1316, about 900m south of the disengagement area’s northern edge. On the same day, the same UAV spotted an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23-2, 23mm), assessed as belonging to the armed formations, and at least 20 ammunition crates inside the disengagement area, about 100m north of its southern edge and about 800m west of its eastern edge.

During the day of 18 March, while on the eastern edge of Stanytsia Luhanska (government-controlled, 16km north-east of Luhansk), the SMM heard four shots of small-arms fire at an assessed range of 3-4km south-south-west (assessed as inside the disengagement area), as well as an undetermined explosion and a burst of heavy-machine-gun fire at an assessed range of 3-5km south (all assessed as outside the disengagement area).

Positioned 2km north of the disengagement area near Petrivske (non-government-controlled, 41km south of Donetsk), the SMM heard five shots of small-arms fire 1km south (assessed as outside the disengagement area).

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.

Weapons in violation

Government-controlled areas

16 March

An SMM mid-range UAV spotted two surface-to-air missile systems (9K35 Strela-10) near Verkhnotoretske (23km north-east of Donetsk).

Non-government-controlled areas

14 March

An SMM mini-UAV spotted:

• 16 self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm), 14 towed howitzers (D-30 Lyagushka, 122mm) and three anti-tank guns (MT-12 Rapira, 100mm) in a training area near Buhaivka (37km south-west of Luhansk) and

• an anti-tank gun (MT-12) near Perevalsk (38km west of Luhansk).

17 March

An SMM mini-UAV spotted six tanks (probable T-64) and a probable self-propelled howitzer (2S3 Akatsiya, 152mm) in Luhansk city.

Beyond withdrawal lines but outside of designated storage sites

Non-government-controlled areas

14 March

An SMM mini-UAV spotted:

• 11 tanks (T-64), including one with its barrel missing, in a training area near Shymshynivka (27km south-west of Luhansk) and
• 25 tanks (T-64), including one with its barrel missing, nine towed mortars (2B11 Sani, 120mm) and four surface-to-air missile systems (9K35) in a training area near Buhaivka (see above).

Weapons permanent storage site

At a permanent storage site in a non-government-controlled area of Luhansk region

11 March

The SMM noted that all weapons previously observed at the site were present.

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

Government-controlled areas

16 March

An SMM long-range UAV spotted:

• two armoured combat vehicles (ACV) near Pyshchevyk (84km south of Donetsk);
• three ACVs near Novoselivka Druha (69km south of Donetsk); and
• two IFVs (BMP-1) near Hranitne (60km south of Donetsk).

An SMM mid-range UAV spotted:

• two IFVs (a BMP variant and a BMP-1) near Verkhnotoretske and
• two IFVs (BMP-2) near Kamianka (20km north of Donetsk).

An SMM mini-UAV spotted three IFVs (BMP-1) and several dozen ammunition crates nearby near Myrne (63km south of Donetsk).

17 March

An SMM mid-range UAV spotted an IFV (BMP variant) near Muratove (51km north-west of Luhansk).

18 March

The SMM saw:

-    an armoured personnel carrier (APC) (BTR-70) near Novobakhmutivka (28km north of Donetsk);

• three armoured reconnaissance vehicles (BRDM variant) near Muratove; and
• an IFV (BMP-1) near Kriakivka (38km north-west of Luhansk)

Non-government-controlled areas

14 March

Aerial imagery available to the SMM revealed the presence of 12 ACVs in a training area north of Svobodne (73km south of Donetsk), in a zone within which deployment of heavy armament and military equipment is proscribed according to Point 5 of the Memorandum of 19 September 2014.

16 March

An SMM mini-UAV spotted an automatic jamming system (R-330Zh, Zhitel) on a KamAZ-4310 and a radio-electronic jamming complex (Tirada-2) near Yuzhna-Lomuvatka (60km west of Luhansk).

An SMM mid-range UAV spotted an 8m trench extension (not seen in imagery from 29 November 2018) and an automatic grenade launcher (AGS-17/30 Plamya, 30mm) in fighting position, as well as about five ammunition crates, near Vasylivka (20km north of Donetsk).

17 March

An SMM mini-UAV spotted an armoured recovery vehicle (BREM-1) in Luhansk city.

Presence of mines and unexploded ordnance

On 15 March, an SMM mid-range UAV spotted for the first time eight anti-tank mines laid in a single row across a road next to a trench, as well as an anti-tank mine (probable TM-62M) 100m south-east of the aforementioned mines, also on a road next to a trench, all on the northern edge of Marinka (government-controlled, 23km south-west of Donetsk). It also again spotted 33 anti-tank mines (probable TM-62M) laid in two rows across the same road. About 150m further north-east, the same UAV spotted for the first time 12 probable anti-tank mines laid in two rows in close proximity to a gas pipeline in an overgrown field.

On the same day, an SMM mid-range UAV spotted for the first time 90 anti-tank mines laid in three rows across 120m in a field, 300m west of civilian houses on the western outskirt of Trudivski area of the Petrovskyi district in Donetsk city (non-government-controlled, 15m south-west of the city centre). 

On 16 March, an SMM mid-range UAV spotted for the first time 12 anti-tank mines (TM-62) laid in three rows across a road about 200m from civilian houses on the northern outskirts of Kruta Balka (non-government-controlled, 16km north of Donetsk) (not seen in imagery from 18 November 2018).

On 17 March, an SMM mid-range UAV spotted for the first time at least 50 anti-tank mines (type undetermined) laid in two partially completed rows running north to south for approximately 200m near Ukrainian Armed Forces positions, south-west of Krymske (government-controlled, 42km north-west of Luhansk).

On 18 March, in Ilovaisk (non-government-controlled, 30km south-east of Donetsk) the SMM saw for the first time two metal objects assessed as probable projectiles from a multiple launch rocket system (MLRS, Grad-type, 122mm) protruding from the road surface near 57 and 85 Shevchenka Street, about 70m from the nearest building. At 171 Shevchenka Street, the Mission again saw a previously observed unexploded ordnance.

The SMM saw that fields south of Hirne (non-government-controlled, 56km east of Donetsk), where it had previously observed demining activity, were cultivated.

SMM facilitation of repairs to civilian infrastructure

The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to the Petrivske water pumping station near Artema (government-controlled, 26km north of Luhansk) and to the water supply network near Donetskyi (non-government-controlled, 49km west of Luhansk). The Mission continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station (15km north of Donetsk) and to monitor the security situation around the pumping station near Vasylivka.

Border areas outside government control

Positioned at a border crossing point near Izvaryne (52km south-east of Luhansk), the SMM saw a car (with Ukrainian licence plates) and two trucks (with Belarusian licence plates) entering Ukraine, and four trucks (all with “LPR” plates) and a bus (with Ukrainian licence plates) exiting Ukraine. After five minutes a member of the armed formations told the SMM to leave the area.*

Positioned at a border crossing point near Sievernyi (50km south-east of Luhansk), the SMM saw no cross-border traffic. After five minutes a member of the armed formations told the SMM to leave the area.*

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, 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.

Denial of access:[4]

• At a checkpoint about 1km north of Zaichenko (non-government-controlled, 26km north-east of Mariupol) two armed members of armed formations again denied the SMM passage southwards to Sakhanka (non-government-controlled, 24km north-east of Mariupol) and westwards to Pikuzy (formerly Kominternove, non-government-controlled, 23km north-east of Mariupol), citing “risks to the security of the SMM”.
• At a border crossing point near Izvaryne (non-government-controlled, 52km south-east of Luhansk), a member of the armed formations again told the SMM to leave the area and not to approach the border crossing point closer than 200m.
• At a border crossing point near Sievernyi (non-government-controlled, 50km south-east of Luhansk) a member of the armed formations 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.
• At a checkpoint of the armed formations about 3km south of the bridge in Shchastia (government-controlled, 20km north of Luhansk), a member of the armed formations told the Mission that mines on the road leading north had not been cleared.

Delay:

• At a checkpoint 600m west of Verkhnoshyrokivske (formerly Oktiabr, non-government-controlled, 29km north-east of Mariupol), an armed member of the armed formations requested that the SMM share their planned route before proceeding. The SMM refused and was only allowed to pass through the checkpoint after 40 minutes.

Other impediments:

• The SMM heard four shots of small-arms fire while flying a mini-UAV near Peredove (government-controlled, 68km south-west of Donetsk), assessed as aimed at the UAV (see above).
• On 17 March, an SMM long-range UAV temporarily lost its GPS signal, assessed as due to jamming, while flying along the contact line in the south of Donetsk region.[5]

 

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

[4] The sentence on a denial of access to a heavy weapons permanent storage site in a non-government-controlled area of Luhansk region in SMM Daily Report 16 March 2019 should have read: A member of the armed formations denied the SMM entry into a compound in Luhansk city, citing “security” reasons.

[5] The interference could have originated from anywhere within the radius of several kilometres of the UAV’s position.