Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 28 March 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 Donetsk region and Luhansk region.
• The SMM saw fresh damage to a residential building in Chermalyk, as well as fresh craters close to residential buildings in Sentianivka.
• The Mission saw military presence inside the Petrivske disengagement area.
• Small-arms were fired in the direction of an SMM unmanned aerial vehicle near Lozove.
• It observed weapons in violation of the withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line.
• The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to essential civilian infrastructure.
• Restrictions of the SMM’s access continued in all three disengagement areas. In addition, it was restricted at a checkpoint near Verkhnoshyrokivske and near Dovzhanske close to the border with the Russian Federation.*

Ceasefire violations[1]

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including about 330 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 115 explosions). The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded in areas south-east of Svitlodarsk (government-controlled, 57km north-east of Donetsk), north-north-west of the railway station in Yasynuvata (non-government-controlled, 16km north-east of Donetsk), as well as south-east of Chermalyk (government-controlled, 31km north-east of Mariupol).

During the day on 28 March, while conducting a mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flight near Lozove (non-government-controlled, 52km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard five shots of small-arms fire at an assessed range of 1-2km north-east, assessed as aimed at the UAV which at the time was flying over an area 250-300m east of the SMM’s position. The SMM landed the UAV safely.*

On the evening and night of 27-28 March, the SMM camera at the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS) (15km north of Donetsk) recorded approximately 60 ceasefire violations, including an impact of a mortar (type undetermined) round at an assessed range of 400-800m south-south-west.

In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, however, fewer explosions (75), compared with the previous reporting period (about 230 explosions). The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded in areas north-north-west of Molodizhne (non-government-controlled, 63km north-west of Luhansk), north-east of Popasna (government-controlled, 69km west of Luhansk) and at westerly directions of Kadiivka (formerly Stakhanov, non-government-controlled, 50km west of Luhansk).

Fresh damage to a residential building in Chermalyk

In Chermalyk, the SMM followed up on reports of shelling in the evening of 27 March. At an inhabited one-storey residential house at 68 Chervonoarmiiska Street, the SMM observed two freshly shattered windows (one east-facing and one north-facing), fresh damage to a west-facing wooden fence, as well as a fresh crater with a tail fin assessed as from a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG-7) inside it about 6m east from the house. The SMM assessed the damage as caused by an RPG round fired from an easterly direction.

Fresh craters close to residential buildings in Sentianivka

On 27 March, an SMM mini-UAV spotted 17 fresh craters in a field near Sentianivka (formerly Frunze, non-government-controlled, 44km west of Luhansk), three of which were located about 30m from residential buildings. The SMM was unable to assess the weapon type or direction of fire.

Disengagement areas[2]

On 27 March, positioned in Kadiivka, the SMM heard 33 explosions at an assessed range of 10-15km north-west, assessed as outside the disengagement area near Zolote (government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk). On the same day, positioned about 1.5km south-west of Molodizhne, the SMM heard 250 shots of heavy-machine-gun and small arms fire at an assessed range of 1-2km north-north-west, assessed as outside the disengagement area near Zolote.

The SMM again saw two infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) (BMP variants) and a red-and-black flag near a previously observed position of the Ukrainian Armed Forces inside the disengagement area near Petrivske (non-government-controlled, 41km south of Donetsk), about 600m south of the northern edge and about 2.5km east of its western edge.[3]

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

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

27 March

An SMM mini-UAV spotted:

• two surface-to-air missile systems (9K35, Strela10), one near and one in Novoselivka (31km north of Donetsk) and
• a probable mortar (type undetermined, 120mm) near Novotroitske (36km south-west of Donetsk).

The SMM saw a surface-to-air missile system (9K35) near Krasnohorivka (24km north of Donetsk).

Non-government-controlled areas

27 March

An SMM-mini UAV spotted a multiple launch rocket system (BM-21, Grad, 122mm) near Bohdanivka (44km west of Luhansk).

28 March

The SMM saw two surface-to-air missile systems (9K33 Osa) near an airstrip in the south-eastern outskirts of Luhansk city.

Beyond the withdrawal lines but outside of designated storage sites

Non-government-controlled areas

28 March

The SMM saw three towed howitzers (D-30 Lyagushka, 122mm), three self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) and four tanks (T-72) in a training area near Myrne (28km south-west of Luhansk).

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

Government-controlled areas

27 March

An SMM mini-UAV spotted:

• four IFVs (BMP-2) near Nyzhnoteple (26km north of Luhansk) and
• an IFV (BMP variant) and two anti-aircraft guns (ZU-23, 23mm) near Novoselivka.

The SMM saw an IFV (BMP-1) and an armoured reconnaissance vehicle (BRM-1K) near Nevelske (18km north-west of Donetsk).

28 March

The SMM saw an armoured personnel carrier (APC) (BTR-70) near Novobakhmutivka (28km north of Donetsk).

Non-government-controlled areas

27 March

An SMM mini-UAV spotted:

•  an APC (MT-LB) east of Sentianivka and
•  an APC (MT-LB) near Bohdanivka.

On 27 March, the SMM saw:

• an automatic jamming system (R-330Zh Zhitel) and an additional electronic countermeasure/electronic warfare system (ECM/EW) (type undetermined) near Brianka (46km south-west of Luhansk) and
• an APC (BTR-80) with a mounted heavy machine gun in Luhansk city.

Presence of mines

On 27 March, an SMM mini-UAV again spotted about 23 anti-tank mines (TM-62) laid out in two rows running north to south in a field about 220m west of road H-20 and about 2km north-east of Berezove (government-controlled, 31km south-west of Donetsk).

Mine hazard signs seen for the first time

The SMM saw two improvised mine hazard signs (rectangular shaped on wooden stakes with “MINES” written in black in Russian) about 15m north-west of road M04 and about 2km south of Vasylivka (non-government-controlled, 20km north of Donetsk).

SMM facilitation of repairs to civilian infrastructure

The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to the Petrivske pumping station near Artema (government-controlled, 26km north of Luhansk), to gas pipelines near Novoluhanske (government-controlled, 53km north-east of Donetsk) and to the Phenol Sludge Reservoir near Zalizne (government-controlled, 42km north-east of Donetsk). It continued to facilitate the operation of the DFS (15km north of Donetsk) and to monitor the security situation around the pumping station near Vasylivka.

Border areas outside government control

On 28 March, while at a border crossing point near Dovzhanske (84km south-east of Luhansk), the SMM saw five covered cargo trucks (licence plates not visible) entering Ukraine. The SMM also saw 25 cars (ten with Ukrainian, eight with Russian Federation and three with Georgian licence plates, as well as three with “LPR” and one with “DPR” plates), 20 covered cargo trucks (13 with Ukrainian and two with Russian Federation licence plates, and five with “LPR” plates), and two pedestrians exiting Ukraine. After ten minutes, a member of the armed formations told the SMM to leave the area.*

On 27 March, while at a border crossing point near Uspenka (73km south-east of Donetsk) for about two hours, the SMM saw seven cars (one with Ukrainian and three with Russian Federation licence plates, as well as three with “DPR” plates) and a bus with Russian Federation licence plates with 40 passengers (mixed ages and genders) entering Ukraine. The  SMM also saw 15 cars (four with Ukrainian and eight with Russian Federation licence plates, as well as three with “DPR” plates) exiting 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, 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 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.

Denial of access:

• While at a border crossing point near Dovzhanske (non-government-controlled, 84km south-east of Luhansk), a member of the armed formations told the SMM to leave the area.
• At a checkpoint west of Verkhnoshyrokivske (formerly Oktiabr, non-government controlled, 29km north-east of Mariupol), a member of the armed formations again denied the SMM passage east, citing security concerns. During the approximately 20 minutes that it was present, the SMM observed 10-15 civilian vehicles travel through the checkpoint headed east.

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.

Other impediments:

• While conducting a mini-UAV flight near Lozove (non-government-controlled, 52km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard five shots of small-arms fire, assessed as aimed at the UAV (see above).*

 

[1] For a complete breakdown of ceasefire violations, please see the annexed table.

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