Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 31 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.
• A man sustained shrapnel injuries in Donetskyi.
• The Mission saw fresh damage caused by gunfire to civilian properties in Vesele.
• The SMM observed for the first time anti-tank mines near Krasnohorivka and Staromykhailivka.
• The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to critical civilian infrastructure in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, as well as to enable the recovery and transfer of the body of deceased Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel from non-government- to government-controlled areas in Luhansk region.
• 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 checkpoint near non-government-controlled Zaichenko.*

Ceasefire violations[1]

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including about 280 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 120 explosions). The majority of ceasefire violations, including the majority of explosions, were recorded at easterly and southerly directions of Svitlodarsk (government-controlled, 57km north-east of Donetsk), at easterly directions of Maiorsk (government-controlled, 45km north-east of Donetsk), as well as at south-westerly and westerly directions of Yasynuvata (non-government-controlled, 16km north-east of Donetsk) near the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS) (15km north of Donetsk).

In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including six explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 120 explosions). The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded in areas around the disengagement area near Zolote (government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk).

A man sustained shrapnel injuries in Donetskyi

On 31 May, at a hospital in Holubivka (formerly Kirovsk, non-government-controlled, 51km west of Luhansk), the SMM saw a man (aged 40-45) with a wound to his left leg. The man told the SMM that on 29 May he had been inside his house at 41 Parkhomenka Street in Donetskyi (non-government-controlled, 49km west of Luhansk) when he had heard an explosion in his yard. Medical staff told the SMM that the man had been admitted to the hospital on the morning of 30 May with shrapnel wounds to his left leg and back.

Civilian properties sustained damage caused by gunfire in Vesele

On 31 May, at 49 Vilnyi Lane in Vesele (non-government-controlled, 9km north-west of Donetsk), in the yard of a one-storey house, the SMM saw that the northern- and eastern-facing side of the asbestos roof of a garage had been destroyed. It also saw a scratch (15cm in width and 1cm in depth) and scorch marks to the north-facing façade of the garage and a crater (approximately 15cm in diameter) in a concrete patio next to the garage, as well as remnants of ammunition, including a copper command wire. The SMM assessed the aforementioned damage as fresh and caused by a round from an anti-tank guided missile system (9M113 Konkurs) fired from a westerly direction. The SMM saw a man (aged 63), who introduced himself as a resident of the aforementioned house, with bandages to his left leg, left arm and back. The man told the SMM that he had sustained injuries following an explosion in his yard on the evening of 30 May.

Disengagement areas[2]

On the evening and night of 30-31 May, the SMM camera in Zolote recorded a projectile in flight at an assessed range of 1.5-3km south-east (assessed as inside the disengagement area), a projectile at an assessed range of 1-2km south-east (unable to be assessed inside or outside the area), as well as about 30 projectiles at an assessed range of 1-4km east and east-south-east (assessed as outside the area but within its 5km periphery).

During the day on 31 May, positioned inside the disengagement area near Stanytsia Luhanska (government-controlled, 16km north-east of Luhansk) and close to the disengagement area near Petrivske (non-government-controlled, 41km south of Donetsk), the Mission 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.

Beyond withdrawal lines but outside of designated storage sites

Government-controlled areas

31 May

The SMM saw an anti-aircraft system (2K22 Tunguska) near the railway station in Rubizhne (84km north-west of Luhansk).

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

Government-controlled areas

30 May

An SMM mid-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted:

• an armoured combat vehicle (ACV) and two infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) near Prychepylivka (50km north-west of Luhansk), and
• an armoured personnel carrier (APC) (BTR variant), three ACVs, five IFVs (four BMP variant and one BMP-2), as well as an armoured reconnaissance vehicle (BRDM-2) near Verkhnotoretske (23km north-east of Donetsk).

An SMM mini-UAV spotted a trench digger (PZM-2) near Bobrove (56km north-west of Luhansk).

31 May

The SMM saw:

• an IFV (BMP-2) and an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23, 23mm) in Muratove (51km north-west of Luhansk);
• an IFV (BMP-1) north of the Zolote disengagement area; and
• an IFV (type undetermined) 2km east of Zolote-2/Karbonit (62km west of Luhansk).

Non-government-controlled areas

30 May

An SMM mini-UAV spotted:

• an IFV (BMP variant) near Kalynove (60km west of Luhansk) and
• an armoured reconnaissance vehicle (BRDM-2) and an APC (MT-LB) near Pervomaisk (58km west of Luhansk).

Fresh craters near Kalynove and explosions near Vodiane and Lebedynske

On 30 May, an SMM mini-UAV spotted about 100 craters, all assessed as fresh and caused by (82mm and 120mm) mortar and (122mm) artillery rounds, of which 60 were assessed as fired from a north-westerly direction, on the western and south-western edge of Kalynove, about 150m from the closest residential houses.

The same day, an SMM mini-UAV recorded an explosion, assessed as the impact of a (82mm) mortar round  about 1.5km east of Vodiane (government-controlled, 19km north-east of Mariupol) and another explosion, assessed as the impact of a (82mm) mortar round about 2km north-east of Lebedynske (government-controlled, 16km east of Mariupol).

Mines near Krasnohorivka, Staromykhailivka and Vesela Hora and unexploded ordnance in Spartak

On 29 May, an SMM mid-range UAV spotted for the first time a total of 245 anti-tank mines in fields about 2-3km east of Krasnohorivka (government-controlled, 21km west of Donetsk), all assessed as belonging to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. About 600m east of the aforementioned mines, the same UAV spotted for the first time 20 anti-tank mines in fields about 2km north-east of Staromykhailivka (non-government-controlled, 15km west of Donetsk), assessed as belonging to the armed formations. On 30 May, an SMM mini-UAV spotted again four anti-tank mines (TM-62) laid across road H21 near Vesela Hora (non-government-controlled, 16km north of Luhansk).

On 31 May, the SMM saw for the first time three pieces of unexploded ordnance (UXO), assessed as not recent and as rounds of multiple launch rocket system (BM-21 Grad, 122mm), all within 15-20m from the nearest residential building in Spartak (non-government-controlled, 9km north of Donetsk). 

SMM facilitation of repairs to civilian infrastructure

The Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to the Petrivske pumping station near Artema (government-controlled, 26km north of Luhansk), to water pipelines between Zolote-3/Stakhanovets (government-controlled, 61km west of Luhansk) and Popasna (government-controlled, 69km west of Luhansk), to water pipelines near Zolote-5/Mykhailivka (non-government-controlled, 58km west of Luhansk), as well as to enable preparatory works for the construction of a new power line near the entry-exit checkpoint near Maiorsk.

The SMM also facilitated 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).

SMM facilitation of recovery and transfer of human remains across the contact line

On 29 May, the SMM facilitated and monitored the recovery of the body of deceased Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel from an area near Molodizhne (non-government-controlled, 63km west of Luhansk). On 31 May, the SMM facilitated and monitored the transfer of the body from non-government- to government-controlled areas through the bridge in Shchastia (government-controlled, 20km north of Luhansk).

Convoy carrying humanitarian aid travelled to non-government-controlled areas

At the entry-exit checkpoint near Novotroitske (government-controlled, 36km south-west of Donetsk), the SMM saw a convoy of humanitarian aid consisting of two cars and 22 trucks travelling from government- to non-government-controlled areas in Donetsk region, reportedly carrying material for water purification and medical equipment.

The SMM continued monitoring in Kherson, Odessa, Lviv, Kharkiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Dnipro, Chernivtsi and Kyiv.

*Restrictions of the 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 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 27 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.

Denial of access:

• At a checkpoint 800m north of Zaichenko (non-government-controlled, 26km north-east of Mariupol), two armed members of the armed formations again denied the SMM passage westward to Pikuzy (formerly Kominternove, non-government-controlled, 23km north-east of Mariupol), citing “demining activities”.

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:

• On 31 May, on four occasions, SMM mini-UAVs experienced GPS signal interference, assessed as probably caused by jamming, while flying over non-government-controlled areas near Zernove (33km south of Donetsk), Vasylivka (47km south of Donetsk) and Rozdolne (46km south-east of Donetsk).[5]

 

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

[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.

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