Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 23 June 2019

This report is for the media and the general public.

Summary

• Compared with the previous reporting period, between the evenings of 21 and 22 June the Mission recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• Between the evenings of 22 and 23 June, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region, compared with the previous 24 hours.
• Two men were injured by shrapnel in Horlivka and Vesele, and a woman was injured and a house damaged by gunfire in Chermalyk.
• The SMM saw fresh damage from gunfire to a residential house in Pikuzy.
• Small-arms fire was assessed as aimed at an SMM unmanned aerial vehicle on two occasions near Zolote-5/Mykhailivka and Pervomaisk, including in the vicinity of a patrol.
• The SMM saw an anti-personnel mine, tailfins from exploded mortar rounds and remnants of exploded grenades between Popasna and Pervomaisk, some for the first time.
• The Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to and the operation of critical civilian infrastructure.
• The SMM continued to follow up on hardship faced by civilians at checkpoints along the contact line. It saw the body of a man who reportedly died of natural causes while queuing at the entry-exit checkpoint north of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge.
• The Mission saw people apply for “LPR passports” in Kadiivka to be able to later apply for Russian Federation passports.
• The SMM monitored the Kyiv Pride 2019 march in Kyiv.
• Restrictions of the SMM’s access continued in all three disengagement areas. Its freedom of movement was also restricted at checkpoints of the armed formations near Zaichenko, Yuzhna Lomuvatka and Verkhnoshyrokivske.*

Ceasefire violations[1]

In Donetsk region between the evenings of 21 and 22 June, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including fewer explosions (about 30), compared with the previous reporting period (about 380 explosions).The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded in areas north of Komuna (non-government-controlled, 56km north-east of Donetsk) and at south-easterly directions of Chermalyk (government-controlled, 31km north-east of Mariupol).

On the evening of 21 June, the SMM camera at the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS) (15km north of Donetsk) recorded a muzzle flash and a projectile in flight, both at an assessed range of 0.5-1km south and south-south-west.

Between the evenings of 22 and 23 June, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including more explosions (about 90), compared with the previous 24 hours. The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded in areas south-east and south-south-east of Chermalyk, east of Hnutove (government-controlled, 20km north of Mariupol) and at easterly directions of Svitlodarsk (government-controlled, 57km north-east of Donetsk).

During the day on 23 June, positioned in Oleksandrivka (non-government-controlled, 20km south-west of Donetsk), the SMM heard 50 shots of small-arms fire at an assessed distance of 700m north-west.

In Luhansk region, between the evenings of 21 and 22 June, the Mission recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including fewer explosions (about 90), compared with the previous reporting period (165 explosions). The majority of ceasefire violations, including the majority of explosions, were recorded in areas south-east and south-south-east of Popasna (government-controlled, 69km west of Luhansk).

Between the evenings of 22 and 23 June, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including fewer explosions (about 55), compared with the previous 24 hours. The majority of ceasefire violations and explosions were again recorded in areas south-east and south-south-east of Popasna.

Man injured by shrapnel in Horlivka

On 6 June at a hospital in Horlivka (non-government-controlled, 39km north-east of Donetsk), a man (33 years old) with a bandage on the back of his left shoulder told the SMM that on the evening of 5 June he had been in front of his house in the Shakhta Gagarina settlement of Horlivka when he heard a whistling sound and felt a sharp pain in his shoulder. Medical staff at the hospital refused to provide the SMM with information on the man’s injury (see SMM Daily Report 7 June 2019). On 19 June, at a different clinic in Horlivka, medical staff told the SMM that the man had been transferred from the aforementioned hospital on 10 June and that he had sustained a shrapnel wound in the area of his left shoulder.

Man injured by shrapnel in Vesele

On 22 June at a hospital in the Kyivskyi district of Donetsk city, a man (61 years old) with a bandage on his abdomen told the SMM that on 21 June he had been collecting vegetables with his partner in his garden at 7 Naberezhna Street in Vesele (non-government-controlled, 9km north-west of Donetsk) when he heard an explosion about 15-50m away and then felt something warm hitting him in the abdomen. The garden is located about 700m south of the closest positions of the armed formations. Medical staff at the hospital said that the man had been admitted on 21 June with a shrapnel wound to his abdomen.

Woman injured and house damaged by gunfire in Chermalyk

On 21 June at a hospital in Mariupol (government-controlled, 102km south of Donetsk), a woman (in her fifties) with a bandage on her left collarbone told the SMM that on the evening of 20 June she had been standing near the north-east-facing entrance door of her house at 25 Kalmiuska Street in the south-western part of Chermalyk when she heard a loud noise and immediately felt pain and saw blood streaming down from her left collarbone. At the same hospital, medical staff told the SMM that the woman had been admitted in the early hours of 21 June with a wound to her collarbone.

On 22 June at 25 Kalmiuska Street, while accompanied by two Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel, the SMM saw seven holes in four shattered south-east-facing windows of a one-storey house, five holes in the north-east-facing side of a shed 5m south-west of the first house and three holes in an east-facing metal fence 5m from the shed. The SMM assessed the damage as fresh and caused by shrapnel from anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23, 23mm) rounds fired from an easterly direction. A resident of the house (man in his fifties) told the SMM that gunfire had occurred on the evening of 20 June while he was at home with his wife, who had been wounded as a result. For recent observations in this settlement, see SMM Daily Report 22 June 2019.

Damage from gunfire to a residential house in Pikuzy

On 23 June in Pikuzy (formerly Kominternove, non-government-controlled, 23km north-east of Mariupol), at 50 Akhmatovoi Street, the SMM saw a fresh hole in the south-west-facing side of a one-storey house and observed the metal jacket of a 12.7mm incendiary bullet, a detonated fuse and a steel core penetrator on the ground below the hole. It also observed trees with broken branches and bunches of blown away leaves, 6-8m from the house. The SMM assessed the damage as caused by 12.7mm incendiary bullets. A resident of the house (woman in her sixties) told the SMM that on the night of 22-23 June she had heard loud noises and seen bright flashes from inside the house.

Small-arms fire aimed at SMM unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) on two occasions, including in the vicinity of a patrol

During the day on 23 June, while conducting a mini-UAV flight near Zolote-5/Mykhailivka (non-government-controlled, 58km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard 16 shots of small-arms fire at an assessed range of 0.8-1.5km north-west, assessed as aimed at the UAV, which was flying 1km north-west. Three minutes later, the SMM heard 15 shots and a burst of small-arms fire, all at an assessed range of  0.8-1km north-west, assessed as aimed at the UAV, which was flying 500m north-east of the patrol. The SMM landed the UAV safely and immediately left the area. It then conducted a second mini-UAV flight near Pervomaisk (non-government-controlled, 58km west of Luhansk) and heard four shots of small-arms fire at an assessed range of 200-300m south-east, assessed as aimed at the UAV, while it was flying about 200m south-east of the patrol, followed four minutes later by two bursts of small-arms fire at an assessed range of 200-300m south-east, assessed as aimed at the UAV, which was at that point flying above the patrol’s location and in the process of landing. The SMM again landed the UAV safely and immediately left the area.*

Disengagement areas[2]

In the early morning hours of 22 June, while on the eastern edge of Stanytsia Luhanska (government-controlled, 16km north-east of Luhansk), the SMM heard two undetermined explosions and a shot of small-arms fire, all at an assessed range of 2-5km south, assessed as outside of the disengagement area (and within 5km of its periphery). On the evening of 23 June, positioned on the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge (15km north-east of Luhansk), the SMM heard a shot of small-arms fire at an assessed distance of 1km south-south-east, assessed as outside of the disengagement area (and within 5km of its periphery).

During the day on 22 June, positioned in Zolote-3/Stakhanovets (government-controlled, 61km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard three undetermined explosions at an assessed range of 2-5km south-east, which it was unable to assess as inside or outside the disengagement area near Zolote (government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk).

On 22 and 23 June, positioned close to the disengagement area near Petrivske (non-government-controlled, 41km south of Donetsk), the SMM observed a calm situation.[3] On 23 June, positioned inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area and near the Zolote disengagement area, the SMM observed calm situations.

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

21 June

An SMM mini-UAV spotted a mortar (2B11 Sani, 120mm) near Hnutove.

Non-government-controlled areas

23 June

The SMM saw 22 multiple launch rocket systems (BM-21 Grad, 122mm) near Khrustalnyi (formerly Krasnyi Luch, 56km south-west of Luhansk) (for previous observations see SMM Daily Report 22 June).

Weapons permanent storage sites

23 June

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

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

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

Government-controlled areas

22 June

The SMM saw:

• an armoured personnel carrier (APC) (BTR-70) near Stanytsia Luhanska and
• an APC (BTR-80) in Nyzhnia Vilkhova (27km north-east of Luhansk).

Non-government-controlled areas

20 June

An SMM mini-UAV spotted four mine layers (PMZ-4) in Brianka (46km south-west of Luhansk).

21 June

An SMM mid-range UAV spotted an armoured combat vehicle near Verkhnoshyrokivske (formerly Oktiabr, 29km north-east of Mariupol).

Anti-personnel mine, tailfins from exploded mortar rounds and remnants of exploded grenades seen between Popasna and Pervomaisk, some for the first time

On 21 June, on a 150m stretch of road T-0504 (which is used regularly by the SMM), about 1km east of a checkpoint of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the eastern edge of Popasna and 1km west of a checkpoint of the armed formations west of Pervomaisk, the SMM saw for the first time a green Bakelite object (15x15x25cm), assessed as an anti-personnel mine (MON-90), on the grass about 1m north of the road. It also again saw a tailfin assessed as from an exploded rocket-propelled grenade (RPG-7) (laying on the southern soft shoulder of the road), as well as three tailfins assessed as from exploded 82mm mortar rounds (two embedded in the asphalt and one in the road’s southern soft shoulder; two for the first time and one previously observed) and two tailfins assessed as from exploded 120mm mortar rounds (for the first time, both embedded in the asphalt). About 800m further north-west, the SMM again saw another tailfin, assessed as from an exploded rocket-propelled grenade (RPG-7), lying on the asphalt of the same road.

On 22 June, the SMM saw for the first time an improvised mine hazard sign (a white wooden board with the words “Beware, mines” written in Russian) in a field on the southern outskirts of Bohdanivka (non-government-controlled, 44km west of Luhansk).

On 23 June, the Mission saw about 20 people in clothing bearing the logo of an international organization, some of them holding mine detectors, conducting demining activities in a field on the northern side of road T-0512, about 5.5km south-west of Hranitne (government-controlled, 60km south of Donetsk).

Hardship for civilians at checkpoints along the contact line

On 21 June at 06:30, at the entry-exit checkpoint north of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge, the SMM saw about 550 people queuing to exit and about 600 people queuing to enter government-controlled areas. On 22 June at 06:00, at the same entry-exit checkpoint, the SMM saw about 500 people queuing to exit and about 450 people queuing to enter government-controlled areas. At 09:00, the SMM saw the body of a deceased man being transported from non-government- to government-controlled areas on a wooden trolley by two men through the entry-exit checkpoint. A representative of the State Emergency Services of Ukraine and two representatives of an international organization separately told the SMM that the 69-year-old man had died of natural causes while waiting in the queue to enter government-controlled areas.

On 22 June, between 14:10 and 14:50 at a checkpoint of the armed formations near Olenivka (non-government-controlled, 23km south-west of Donetsk), the SMM saw approximately 120 civilian vehicles queuing to travel towards government-controlled areas and 100 civilian vehicles queuing in the opposite direction. While present, the SMM saw the queue moving only twice, with six vehicles passing through the checkpoint each time. Nine people (four men and five women, 30-90 years-old) told the SMM that they had been waiting for about nine hours (for similar observations, see SMM Daily Report 17 June 2019).

SMM facilitation of repairs to civilian infrastructure

On 22 June, the Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to a water pipeline between Toretsk (formerly Dzerzhynsk, government-controlled, 43km north of Donetsk) and Horlivka.

On 22 and 23 June, the SMM facilitated the operation of the DFS and continued to monitor the security situation in the area of the pumping station near Vasylivka (non-government-controlled, 20km north of Donetsk).

Border areas outside of government control

On 22 June, while at a border crossing point near Uspenka (73km south-east of Donetsk) for about 75 minutes, the SMM saw 24 cars (four with Ukrainian and seven with Russian Federation licence plates, as well as 13 with “DPR” plates), six covered cargo trucks (four with Ukrainian and two with Russian Federation licence plates), and 64 pedestrians (24 women, 37 men, 30-70 years old; and three children) entering Ukraine.  It also saw 23 cars (four with Ukrainian and seven with Russian Federation licence plates, as well as 12 with “DPR” plates), six covered cargo trucks (with Ukrainian licence plates), a bus (plates not visible), and 25 pedestrians (16 women and nine men, 30-70 years old) exiting Ukraine.

On 22 June, while at a border crossing point near Ulianivske (61km south-east of Donetsk) for about 30 minutes, the SMM saw three pedestrians (two women and one man, 50-60 years old) exiting Ukraine.

On 23 June, while at a border crossing point near Uspenka for about an hour, the SMM saw eight cars (four with Ukrainian and one with Russian Federation licence plates, as well as three with “DPR” plates), four covered cargo trucks (with Ukrainian licence plates) and 21 pedestrians (ten women and eight men, 30-70 years old; and three children) entering Ukraine.  It also saw 29 cars (three with Ukrainian and ten with Russian Federation licence plates, as well as 16 with “DPR” plates), two covered cargo trucks (one with Ukrainian licence plates, as well as one with “DPR” plates) and a bus (with Ukrainian licence plates) exiting Ukraine.

On 23 June, while at a border crossing point near Ulianivske for about 25 minutes, the SMM observed no cross-border traffic.

People apply for “passports” in Kadiivka

On 21 June in Kadiivka (formerly Stakhanov, non-government-controlled, 50km west of Luhansk), the SMM saw about 30 people (15 women and 15 men, 20-70 years old) queuing outside of a building. Four women (60-70 years old) in the queue told the SMM that they had been applying for “LPR passports” so they could later apply for Russian Federation passports.

SMM monitored Kyiv Pride 2019 march in Kyiv

On 23 June, in Kyiv city centre, the SMM observed the Kyiv Pride 2019 march aimed at promoting human rights with a particular focus on ending discrimination against the lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, trans, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) community. The SMM saw about 5,000-6,000 people (mixed genders and ages, mostly under 30 years old) marching through the city centre, as well as 3000 National Guard, Dialogue Police, and National Police officers, the majority in riot gear, along the route of the march. The SMM also observed about 300 people (mostly men, 15-30 years old), including 20 with their faces covered in balaclavas, gathered at Taras Shevchenko Park chanting slogans critical of the march. At 55 Volodymyrska Street, the SMM saw two men (in their twenties) wearing “Tradition and Order” t-shirts breaking through a line of police officers and attempting to confront participants before being stopped by police officers. The Mission also saw a man in his forties throw two eggs at participants to the march, causing an eye injury to a participant, before being apprehended by a police officer.

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

*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, 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 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, SMM Daily Report 12 January 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:

• On 22 June, at a checkpoint north of Zaichenko (non-government-controlled, 26km north-east of Mariupol), two armed members of the armed formations again denied the SMM passage south to Sakhanka (non-government-controlled, 24km north-east of Mariupol) and west to Pikuzy (formerly Kominternove, non-government-controlled, 23km north-east of Mariupol), citing an “order from their superiors to deny passage to everybody except local residents and the fire brigade”.

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.

Delay:

• On 22 June, at a checkpoint in Yuzhna Lomuvatka (non-government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk), an armed member of the armed formations allowed the SMM to proceed only after about 25 minutes of waiting.
• On 22 June, at a checkpoint near Verkhnoshyrokivske (formerly Oktiabr, non-government controlled, 29km north-east of Mariupol), four armed members of the armed formations allowed the SMM to proceed only after 37 minutes of waiting.

Conditional access:

• On 22 June, at a checkpoint near Horlivka (non-government-controlled, 39km north-east of Donetsk), a member of the armed formations allowed the SMM to proceed only after it provided copies of its vehicles’ technical certificates.

Other impediments:

• On 22 June, two SMM UAVs (a mid-range and a mini) experienced GPS signal interference, assessed as due to probable jamming, while flying near Pyshchevyk (government-controlled, 25km north-east of Mariupol).[5]
• While conducting a mini-UAV flight near Zolote-5/Mykhailivka (non-government-controlled, 58km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard 31 shots and a burst of small-arms fire at an assessed range of 0.8-1.5km north-west, all assessed as aimed at the UAV. The Mission landed the UAV and left the area (see above).
• While conducting a mini-UAV flight near Pervomaisk (non-government-controlled, 58km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard four shots and two bursts of small-arms fire, all at an assessed range of 200-300m south-east, all assessed as aimed at the UAV. The Mission landed the UAV and left the area (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’s access to its camera in Petrivske remains limited, 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 UAVs’ positions.