Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 14 May 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 fewer in Luhansk region.
• Small-arms fire was directed at an SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle near non-government-controlled Pervomaiske.
• The Mission saw fresh damage to civilian properties from small-arms fire and shelling in non-government-controlled Zolote-5/Mykhailivka and Dokuchaievsk.
• The Mission observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines in government-controlled areas of Donetsk region.
• Anti-tank mines were spotted by the Mission for the first time near Prychepylivka and Vodiane.
• The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to and the operation of critical civilian infrastructure.
• Restrictions of the SMM’s access continued in all three disengagement areas and elsewhere. The Mission’s freedom of movement was also restricted at a non-government-controlled checkpoint near Verkhnoshyrokivske in Donetsk region, as well as at a heavy weapon holding area in non-government-controlled areas of Luhansk region.*

Ceasefire violations[1]

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including about 310 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (76 explosions). The majority of ceasefire violations, as well as the majority of explosions, were recorded at north-westerly directions of Horlivka (non-government-controlled, 39km north-east of Donetsk), south-easterly directions of Chermalyk (government-controlled, 31km north-east of Mariupol) and westerly directions of Yasynuvata (non-government-controlled, 16km north-east of Donetsk). During the night of 14 May, the SMM camera at the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS) (15km north of Donetsk) recorded 19 projectiles in flight at an assessed range of 0.5km to 1.5km south and south-south-east.

In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including ten explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 25 explosions). All of the ceasefire violations we recorded at north-easterly directions of Popasna (government-controlled, 69km west of Luhansk), northerly and north-westerly directions of Zolote-5/Mykhailivka (non-government-controlled, 58km west of Luhansk) and at westerly directions of Kalynove (non-government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk).

Small-arms fire directed at SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle near Pervomaiske

On 14 May, while conducting a mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flight near Pervomaiske (non-government-controlled, 68km south of Donetsk), the SMM heard six bursts and about 45 shots of small-arms fire about 1.7km south-east, assessed as aimed at the UAV, which was flying about 1.8km south-east of its position. The SMM safely landed the UAV and left the area.*

Fresh damage to civilian properties caused by small-arms fire in Zolote-5/Mykhailivka and shelling in Dokuchaievsk

On 13 May, the SMM saw damage from small-arms fire to four civilian properties in the south-western part of Zolote-5/Mykhailivka. At 1 Voikova Street, the SMM saw two holes in a second floor north-facing window of a two-storey house, a hole in a second floor north-facing balcony and two holes in a north-facing first floor window frame. A resident of the house (male, 75 years old) told the SMM that he had heard small-arms fire in the evening of 13 May.

At 8 Voikova Street, inside an apartment on the third-floor of a four-storey house, the SMM saw a bullet hole in a north-facing windowsill, a dent in a refrigerator door adjacent to the windowsill, and a hole in the wall opposite the window, all assessed as recent and caused by a single bullet. It also saw two shattered north-facing windows and another north-facing window with a bullet hole, all assessed as recent and caused by small-arms fire. The SMM saw a 7.62mm bullet on the balcony floor. A resident (male, 35 years old) told the SMM that he had heard shooting on 11 May.

About 300m north of 8 Voikova Street, at 9 Dundycha Street, the SMM saw three fresh bullet holes in a north-facing window and two west-facing windows on the ground floor of a two-storey house. Two residents of the house (women, aged 60-70) told the SMM that they heard shooting in the afternoon of 11 May.

At 10 Dundycha Street, the SMM saw a partially shattered north-facing first-floor window of a two-storey house as well as two bullet holes in the wall above the window, but could not assess if the damage was recent. Three residents (female, 50-60 years old) told the SMM that they had heard shooting on the afternoon of 11 May.

On 14 May, on the southern outskirts of Dokuchaievsk (non-government-controlled, 30km south-west of Donetsk), the SMM saw a fresh crater in a garden about 10m north-east of an uninhabited house, assessed as caused by a round of an undetermined weapon fired from a south-westerly direction. About 10m north-east of the crater, at 26 Haharina Street, the Mission saw a shattered east-facing window of a shed located near an inhabited house. A resident of the house (a woman, aged 60) told the SMM that she had been outside of the house with her husband on the afternoon of 12 May when she had heard a loud explosion.

Disengagement areas[2]

On 5 May, an SMM mid-range UAV again spotted 40 anti-tank mines inside the disengagement area near Zolote (government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk), about 500m north of the checkpoint of the armed formations on the southern edge of the disengagement area and about 100m east of road T-1316.

On the evening of 13 May, the SMM camera in Zolote recorded a projectile in flight at an assessed range of 2-3km east-south-east (assessed as inside the disengagement area) and three projectiles at an assessed range of 2-3km east-north-east (assessed as outside the disengagement area and within 5km of its periphery).

Positioned inside the disengagement area near Stanytsia Luhanska (government-controlled, 16km north-east of Luhansk), the Mission 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.

In violation of withdrawal lines

Government-controlled areas

14 May

The SMM saw 18 multiple launch rocket systems (BM-27 Uragan, 220mm) near the train station in Dobropillia (75km north-west of Donetsk).

Beyond the withdrawal lines but outside of designated storage sites

Government-controlled areas

13 May

An SMM long-range UAV spotted a surface-to-air missile system (9K33 Osa) near Stupochky (60km north of Donetsk).

An SMM mini-UAV spotted eight surface-to-air missile systems (9K33) at the train station in Rubizhne (84km north-west of Luhansk).

14 May

The SMM saw:

• at least 13 towed howitzers (2A65 Msta-B, 152mm) and four anti-tank guns (type undetermined) at the train station in Rubizhne* and
• two towed howitzers (2A65) about 800m south-east of the train station in Rubizhne.

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

Government-controlled areas

13 May

An SMM mid-range UAV spotted:

• two infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) (BMP-2), an armoured combat vehicle (ACV) and an armoured reconnaissance vehicle (BRDM-2) in a residential area near Heorhiievka (27km south-west of Donetsk); and
• an ACV near Lomakyne (15km north-east of Mariupol).

An SMM mini-UAV spotted:

• two probable IFVs (BMP variant) near Trokhizbenka (32km north-west of Luhansk) and
• two armoured reconnaissance vehicles (BRDM-2) and an armoured personnel carrier (APC) (MT-LB) near Shchastia (20km north of Luhansk).

An SMM long-range UAV spotted three ACVs near Novhorodske (35km north of Donetsk).

14 May

The SMM saw:

• an IFV (BTR-4) near Novobakhmutivka (28km north of Donetsk);
• an IFV (BMP-2) near Kamianka (20km north of Donetsk); and
• an IFV (BMP-2) in Verkhnotoretske (23km north-east of Donetsk).

Non-government-controlled areas

13 May

An SMM long-range UAV spotted an APC (MT-LB) and an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23, 23mm) mounted on an APC (MT-LB-M) in Sofiivka (formerly Karlo-Marksove, 40km north-east of Donetsk).

An SMM mini-UAV spotted two ACVs near Vesela Hora (16km north of Luhansk).

Presence of mines, unexploded ordnance and a mine hazard sign

On 12 May, an SMM mid-range UAV spotted about 700 anti-tank mines (about 150 of which had previously been seen), laid out in three 800m-long rows running from east to west in a field about 2.5km south-east of Prychepylivka (government-controlled, 50km north-west of Luhansk).

On 13 May, an SMM mid-range UAV spotted for the first time about 20 anti-tank mines laid out in a single row about 2km north of Vodiane (government-controlled, 15km north-west of Donetsk) and again spotted 22 anti-tank mines laid out in two rows in a field about 3km north of Shyrokyne (government-controlled, 20km east of Mariupol). On the same day, an SMM mini-UAV again spotted at least 36 anti-tank mines (TM-62) laid out in three rows of 12 across road H-21 near Shchastia.

On 14 May, the SMM again saw a piece of unexploded ordnance (UXO), assessed as the tailfin of an 120mm mortar, in the middle of T-0513 road, which is regularly used by civilians and the SMM, and about 80m south of the entry-exit checkpoint near Maiorsk (45km north-east of Donetsk).

On 14 May, on the north-western outskirts of Mykolaivka (government-controlled, 40km south of Donetsk), the SMM saw for the first time a wooden board with “Careful, Mines” written in Ukrainian in a field about 1.5m north of a road leading from Mykolaivka to Novotroitske (government-controlled, 36km south-west 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), as well as to a water pipeline between Zolote-2/Karbonit (government-controlled, 62km west of Luhansk), Zolote-3/Stakhanovets (government-controlled, 61km west of Luhansk) and Popasna. The Mission continued to facilitate the operation of the DFS and monitored the security situation in the area of the pumping station near Vasylivka (non-government-controlled, 20km north of Donetsk).

The SMM 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 on 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 14 May 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.

Denials of access:

• Five members of the armed formations denied the SMM access to a heavy weapons holding area in a non-government-controlled area of Luhansk region.
• At a checkpoint about 600m west of Verkhnoshyrokivske (formerly Oktiabr, non-government-controlled, 29km north-east of Mariupol), three armed members of the armed formations again denied the SMM passage on two occasions, citing a lack of permission granted from their superiors.

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 no demining activities had taken place. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed.

Delay:

• Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel denied the SMM access to the railway station in Rubizhne (government-controlled, 84km north-west of Luhansk). After the SMM informed the JCCC and waited 30 minutes, access was granted.

Other impediments:

• On the evening and night of 13-14 May, an SMM long-range UAV experienced signal interference, assessed as due to jamming, while flying over government-controlled areas of northern Donetsk region, including areas close to the contact line.[4]
• On 14 May, while conducting a mini-UAV flight near Pervomaiske (non-government-controlled, 68km south of Donetsk), the SMM heard six bursts and about 45 shots of small-arms fire about 1.7km south-south-east, assessed as aimed at the UAV, which it landed safely.
• In non-government-controlled Luhansk city and Izvaryne (52km south-east of Luhansk), two interlocutors refused to answer the SMM’s questions about facilities used to house IDPs and directed the SMM to obtain additional permissions from those in control.

 

[1] For a complete breakdown of ceasefire violations, please see the annexed table. During the reporting period, the SMM camera in Stanytsia Luhanska (government-controlled, 16km north-east of Luhansk) 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.

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