Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 25 June 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 Luhansk region.
• Small arms were fired in the vicinity of the SMM, and other civilians, in Donetsk city and of an SMM unmanned aerial vehicle near Zolote.
• The SMM followed up on a boy injured from the detonation of unexploded ordnance in Holmivskyi.
• The Mission saw fresh craters near Vodiane and Molodizhne, and again saw the presence of mines near Vodiane, Travneve, Holmivskyi and Nyzhnie Lozove.
• The Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to water pipelines in Luhansk region and the operation of critical civilian infrastructure in Donetsk region.
• Restrictions of the SMM’s access continued in all three disengagement areas and elsewere.*

Ceasefire violations[1]

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including, however, fewer explosions (about 240), compared with the previous reporting period (about 300 explosions). The majority of the ceasefire violations were recorded at easterly directions of Hnutove (government-controlled, 20km north-east of Mariupol), at southerly directions of Pyshchevyk (government-controlled, 25km north-east of Mariupol) and at south-easterly and southerly directions of Chermalyk (government-controlled, 31km north-east of Mariupol), while a high number of the explosions occurred near the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS) (15km north of Donetsk).

On the evening of 24 June, the SMM camera at the DFS recorded, among other ceasefire violations, two explosions at an assessed range of 500-800m south.

In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including fewer explosions (17), compared with the previous reporting period (about 60 explosions). The majority of the ceasefire violations were recorded in the vicinity of the disengagement area near Zolote (government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk) and at south-easterly directions of Popasna (government-controlled, 69km west of Luhansk).

Boy injured from detonation of unexploded ordnance (UXO) in Holmivskyi

In Horlivka (non-government-controlled, 39km north-east of Donetsk), medical staff at hospital told the SMM that a 17 year-old boy with missing fingers on his left hand and shrapnel injuries to both legs had been admitted to the hospital on 9 June. In Holmivskyi (non-government-controlled, 49km north-east of Donetsk), a man (40 years old), who introduced himself as the boy’s uncle, told the SMM that on 9 June the boy had been injured when a round of ammunition that he found and brought home exploded.

Small-arms fire in the vicinity of the SMM in Donetsk city and of an SMM unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) near Zolote

Positioned near a bus station in the Trudivski area of the Petrovskyi district (non-government-controlled, 15km south-west of Donetsk city centre), six SMM patrol members heard the whistling sound of a ricochet 50m above them, immediately followed by the sound of a shot of small-arms fire, at an unknown distance west. The SMM members were inside the armoured patrol vehicles with open doors during the incident. Some civilians were also present at the bus stop. The SMM immediately left the area.*

During the day on 25 June, while conducting a mini-UAV flight near Zolote, the SMM heard seven shots of small-arms fire at an assessed distance of 500m north, assessed as aimed at the UAV, which was flying about 500m north of the SMM. The SMM landed the UAV safely and immediately left the area.*

Disengagement areas[2]

During the day on 25 June, positioned at three locations near Zolote, the SMM heard six undetermined explosions, 25 bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire and seven shots of small-arms fire, assessed as outside the Zolote disengagement area, but within its 5km periphery.

Positioned close to the disengagement area near Petrivske (non-government-controlled, 41km south of Donetsk), the SMM 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 designated storage sites

Government-controlled areas

On 25 June, the SMM saw two surface-to-air missile systems (9K33 Osa) in Novoaidar (49km north-west of Luhansk).

Indications of military presence in the security zone[4]

Government-controlled areas

24 June

An SMM mid-range UAV spotted an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (BMP-2) near Vodiane (94km south of Donetsk).

An SMM long-range UAV spotted:

• two armoured combat vehicles (ACV) near Bila Hora (54km north of Donetsk) and
• an ACV near Troitske (30km north of Donetsk).

25 June

The SMM saw:

• an armoured reconnaissance vehicle (BRDM-2) near Kamianka (20km north of Donetsk);
• an IFV (BTR-4) near Novobakhmutivka (28km north of Donetsk); and
• an armoured personal carrier (BTR-60) near Krasnohorivka (24km north of Donetsk).

Fresh craters near Vodiane and Molodizhne, and again presence of mines

On 24 June, an SMM mid-range UAV spotted 13 fresh craters assessed as impacts of 122mm artillery rounds fired from a south-easterly direction, as well as 17 fresh craters assessed as impacts of 82mm mortar rounds (direction unable to be assessed) about 1.5km east of Vodiane, near previously observed forward positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. About 500m south-east of the abovementioned craters, the same UAV spotted at least 54 recent craters assessed as impacts of 82mm mortar rounds and about 160 recent craters assessed as impacts of rounds from automatic grenade launchers (AGS-17, 30mm) (direction unable to be assessed), near previously observed forward positions of the armed formations.

On 24 June, an SMM mini-UAV spotted six fresh craters (not seen in imagery from 2 June 2019) near road T-0504, about 3km west of Molodizhne (non-government-controlled, 63km north-west of Luhansk), assessed as caused by rounds from rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) launchers, as well as RPG tailfins in three of the aforementioned craters and an RPG tailfin next to one of the remaining craters. About 1km further east-south-east, the same UAV again spotted a mortar tailfin embedded in the asphalt of road T-0504, as well as about 30 fresh craters (not seen in imagery from 2 June 2019) in fields south of road T-0504 near the forward positions of the armed formations.

On the same day, an SMM mid-range UAV again spotted 20 anti-tank mines (probable TM-62) laid across road T-0519 north of Vodiane. On 24 June, a long-range SMM UAV again spotted about 30 anti-tank mines south-west of Travneve (government-controlled, 51km north-east of Donetsk), assessed as belonging to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, as well as 13 anti-tank mines north-east of Holmivskyi, assessed as belonging to the armed formations. The same UAV again spotted seven anti-tank mines about 2.5km west of Nyzhnie Lozove (non-government controlled, 59km north-east of Donetsk).

SMM facilitation of repairs to civilian infrastructure

The Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to water pipelines between Zolote-3/Stakhanovets (government-controlled, 61km west of Luhansk) and Popasna, and near Pervomaisk.

The SMM also 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).

SMM monitors security situation south-east of Kherson region

On 25 June, the SMM observed a calm situation at the crossing point between Chonhar (163km south-east of Kherson) and Crimea.

The SMM continued monitoring in Odessa, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kharkiv, 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, SMM Daily Report 12 June 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:

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 24 June, an SMM long-range UAV experienced signal interference, assessed as probably caused by jamming, while flying over government-controlled and non-government-controlled areas near the contact line in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• On 25 June, while conducting a mini-UAV flight near Zolote (government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard small-arms fire assessed as aimed at the UAV. The Mission landed the UAV and left the area (see above).
• On 25 June, on three occasions, an SMM mini-UAV experienced GPS signal interference, assessed as probably caused by jamming, while flying over Bohdanivka (government-controlled, 41km south-west of Donetsk).
• On 25 June, positioned in the Trudivski area of the Petrovskyi district of Donetsk city (non-government-controlled, 15km south-west of Donetsk city centre), the SMM heard the sound of a ricochet assessed as 50m above the patrol, followed by the sound of a shot of small-arms fire, at an unknown distance west of its position. The Mission 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 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.