Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 3 July 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 was killed by an explosive device in Horlivka.
• The SMM saw fresh craters and damage due to shelling to buildings in Khreshchatytske and Pikuzy and a fresh crater in Maiorove.
• Small-arms fire as assessed as directed at an SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle near Debaltseve.
• The SMM saw deminers and the dismantling of the former forward position of the Ukrainian Armed Forces inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area.
• The Mission recorded projectiles in flight inside the disengagement area near Zolote.
• The SMM saw unexploded ordnance near Molodizhne.
• The Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to facilitate repairs and the operations of critical civilian infrastructure.
• Restrictions of the SMM’s access continued in the disengagement areas and elsewhere. Its freedom of movement was also denied in non-government-controlled Maiorove.*

Ceasefire violations[1]

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including more explosions (about 384), compared with the previous reporting period (about 125 explosions). The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded at: southerly directions and north-westerly directions of Yasynuvata (non-government-controlled, 16km north-east of Donetsk), including 71 explosions assessed as impacts of automated grenade launcher rounds; westerly directions of Horlivka (non-government-controlled, 39km north-east of Donetsk), including 169 undetermined explosions; and south of Pyshchevyk (government-controlled, 25km north-east of Mariupol). Positioned in Oleksandrivka (non-government-controlled, 20km south-west of Donetsk), the SMM heard and saw an explosion, assessed as an impact at a distance of 650m west.

In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including, however, more explosions (eight), compared with the previous reporting period (four explosions). Over half of the ceasefire violations were recorded in areas south-south-west of Molodizhne (non-government-controlled, 63km north-west of Luhansk).

Man killed by an explosive device in Horlivka

On 19 June, senior staff at a morgue in Horlivka (non-government-controlled, 39km north-east of Donetsk) told the SMM that the morgue had received the body of a man (in his thirties) with his right hand traumatically amputated and severe injuries to his head, all as a result of the explosion of an unknown explosive device. On the same day, the SMM separately spoke to six residents of Horlivka (three men and three women, mixed ages) who told the SMM that they had heard that the man had been near a pond in the northern part of Horlivka on 15 June when an unknown explosive device had detonated and that they had witnessed the funeral procession and ceremony.

Fresh damage to buildings in Khreshchatytske and Pikuzy due to shelling and impacts in Maiorove

At a power station on Oktiabrska Street in Khreshchatytske (formerly Krasnoarmiiske, non-government-controlled, 86km south of Donetsk), about 8m south of the south-facing fence, the SMM saw a fresh crater assessed as caused by a 120mm mortar round fired from a westerly direction. The SMM also saw marks and scratches to the above-mentioned fence and to a transformer box inside of the station, along with more than ten severed power lines. At three residential houses on Oktiabrska Street about 60m south and south-west of the crater, the SMM saw marks and scratches from shrapnel on outer walls. Two workers at the power station (men in their forties) told the SMM that they had been at the station on 1 July when they heard and saw an explosion. They added that power lines had been severed in the explosion and that they had already begun repairs.

At an inhabited house at 18 Cherniakhova Street in Pikuzy (formerly Kominternove, non-government-controlled, 23km north-east of Mariupol), the SMM saw a hole on the north-north-east facing part of the roof, that the surrounding roof was blown off and the wooden beams and ceiling below were broken, assessed as caused by the impact of a 120mm mortar round. About 18m east of the house, the SMM saw that the roof of a wooden shed had been destroyed, assessed as caused by the impact of a 120mm mortar round. The SMM saw five additional craters in the yard of the house – two about 50m north-north-east of the house, one about 15m north-east, one about 25m east, and one about 20m east-south-east – assessed as caused by the impact of 120mm mortar rounds, as well as broken branches on surrounding bushes and trees in easterly directions of the house and marks and scratches on a fence about 25m east of the house, all assessed as shrapnel damage. The SMM assessed that all of the above damage was fresh and that the mortar rounds had been fired from westerly directions.

About 250m west of the above-mentioned house, at the former village administration building at 27/2 Akhmatovoi Street in the south-western part of Pikuzy, the SMM saw a hole in a west-south-west facing wall, assessed as caused by an 82mm mortar round fired from a west-south-westerly direction. On the same wall, the SMM saw a shattered window and shrapnel marks and scratches and that a metal grate that had previously covered the window was damaged and lying on the ground. It assessed the damage as caused by the impact of a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) fired from a westerly direction. The SMM also saw a hole in the wall and scorch marks about 4m above the ground on the building’s north-north-west facing wall, assessed as caused by an RPG fired from the west. The SMM assessed that all of the above damage was fresh.

While following up on reports of shelling in Maiorove (formerly Krasnyi Oktiabr, non-government-controlled, 57km south-east of Donetsk), the SMM saw a freshly burnt military-type truck in the central part of the village. It assessed that the truck had been struck by a round of an undetermined weapon. About 10m north of the truck, in an asphalt road the SMM saw a fresh crater, guarded by three armed members of the armed formations who did not allow the SMM to approach it. Two others told the SMM to leave the area.* A man in his sixties, who introduced himself as a resident of Maiorove, told the SMM that he had heard shelling in the area in the early morning of 30 June.

Small-arms fire assessed as directed at an SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle near Debaltseve

While conducting a mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flight near Debaltseve (non-government-controlled, 58km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard four bursts of small-arms fire at an assessed distance of about 850m north-north-east of the patrol, assessed as aimed at the mini-UAV, which was also flying about 850m north-north-east. The SMM safely landed the UAV and left the area.*

Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area

On 2 July, inside the disengagement area and north of the bridge near Stanytsia Luhanska (15km north-east of Luhansk), the SMM saw eight members of the State Emergency Services (SES) demining team near a shelter of a humanitarian organization along with two vehicles belonging to the SES. The Mission also saw a crane and a truck enter the disengagement area and subsequently begin dismantling the concrete blocks of the former forward position of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. On one occasion in the morning, at the checkpoint of the Ukrainian Armed Forces north of the bridge, the SMM saw around 1000 people queuing to enter government-controlled areas through eight processing booths and around 200 people queuing to exit through 12 processing booths.

On the same day, inside the disengagement area at a checkpoint of the armed formations just south of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge, the SMM saw four members of the armed formations and, at the former forward position of the armed formations, at least seven members of the armed formations, all wearing blue armbands with “JCCC” written on them.

On 3 July, inside the disengagement area and north of the bridge near Stanytsia Luhanska, the SMM saw four Ukrainian Armed Forces officers of the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) [2] near the former forward position of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. In the morning, at a checkpoint of the armed formations south of the bridge, the SMM saw six members of the armed formations wearing blue armbands with “JCCC” written on them. At the same location, in the afternoon, the SMM saw six members of the armed formations in civilian clothing checking civilians’ documents, and also saw six members of the armed formations in military-style clothing wearing blue armbands with “JCCC” written on them. In the evening, the SMM saw two white non-SMM mid-range unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) flying above the disengagement area.

On the same day, about 1km south-south-east of the bridge near Stanytsia Luhanska, outside the disengagement area, the SMM saw six previously observed processing booths and a metal container about 50m south of the Prince Ihor Monument. A member of the armed formations told the SMM that the facilities would be part of a new checkpoint. On 2 July, seven people (five women, two men, mixed ages) separately told the Mission that they were concerned that, without transportation from the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge to the Prince Ihor Monument, people would have to walk longer and uphill to reach the new checkpoint of the armed formations.

Other disengagement areas[3]

On the evening of 2 July, the SMM camera in Zolote (government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk) recorded three projectiles in flight at an assessed range of 2-3km south-south-east, assessed as inside the disengagement area.

During the day on 3 July, positioned close to the disengagement area near Petrivske (non-government-controlled, 41km south of Donetsk), the SMM observed a calm situation.[4]

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

3 July

The SMM saw eight tanks (T-64) near Pokrovsk (formerly Krasnoarmiisk, 55km north-west of Donetsk).

Indications of military and military-type in the security zone[5]

Government-controlled areas

2 July

An SMM mini-UAV spotted:

• four infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) (BMP variant) and an armoured combat vehicle (type undetermined) near Novotoshkivske (53km west of Luhansk);
• a new position of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (not seen in imagery from 1 April 2019) near Novotoshkivske; and
• an armoured personnel carrier (APC) (BTR-80) about 50m north of the northern edge of the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area.

3 July

The SMM saw an APC (BTR-70) near Berezove (31km south-west of Donetsk).

Non-government-controlled areas

02 July

An SMM mini-UAV spotted:

• new trenches (totalling 30m in length) about 1km north-north-west of Donetskyi (49km west of Luhansk), (not seen in imagery from 1 April 2019);
• an APC (MT-LB) near Kadiivka (formerly Stakhanov, 50km west of Luhansk); and
• a member of the armed formations firing a rifle at an SMM mini-UAV flying in Zernove (70km south of Donetsk) (see SMM Daily Report 3 July 2019).

On 3 July, the Mission saw fortification works at the existing positions of the armed formations north of road T-1303, about 5km south-south-west of Slovianoserbsk (28km north-west of Luhansk).

Unexploded ordnance near Molodizhne

On road T-0504 about 2km south-west of Molodizhne (non-government-controlled, 63km north-west of Luhansk) and about 100m west-north-west of a checkpoint of the armed formations, while accompanied by a member of the armed formations, the SMM saw for the first time a piece of unexploded ordnance (UXO), assessed as an RPG round.

SMM facilitation of repairs and the operations of civilian infrastructure

The Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to a water pipeline between Zolote-3/Stakhanovets (government-controlled, 61km west of Luhansk) and Popasna (government-controlled, 69km west of Luhansk) and to a water intake near Krasnyi Lyman (non-government-controlled, 30km north-west of Luhansk). The SMM also facilitated the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS) (15km north of Donetsk) and continued to monitor the security situation in the area of the pumping station near Vasylivka (non-government-controlled, 20km north of Donetsk). Positioned near the DFS and about 1km north-west of the railway station in Yasynuvata (non-government-controlled, 16km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard about 30 bursts of small-arms fire at an assessed range of 1-2km south-west shortly after a bus of workers departed the DFS, assessed as near the bus.

Border areas outside government control

While at a border crossing point near Uspenka (73km south-east of Donetsk) for about an hour, the SMM saw 30 cars (three with Ukrainian, 13 with Russian Federation, one with Belarusian, and one with Georgian licence plates, as well as 11 with “DPR” and one with “LPR” plates), 81 covered cargo trucks (32 with Ukrainian, four with Russian Federation, and 22 with Belarusian licence plates, as well as 20 with “DPR” and three with “LPR” plates), four fuel trucks with Russian Federation licence plates, one bus with “DPR” plates, and 15 pedestrians (mixed ages and genders) entering Ukraine. The SMM also saw 58 cars (six with Ukrainian, 27 with Russian Federation, and one with German licence plates, as well as 24 with “DPR” plates), seven covered cargo trucks (two with “DPR” plates and five with plates not visible), a bus with “DPR” plates and three pedestrians (two women in their 40’s and a child) exiting Ukraine.

While at a border crossing point near Ulianivske (61km south-east of Donetsk) for about 30 minutes, the SMM saw one pedestrian (a man in his forties) entering Ukraine.

The SMM continued monitoring in Kherson, 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 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, SMM Daily Report 29 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:

• While following up on reports of shelling in Maiorove (formerly Krasnyi Oktiabr, non-government-controlled, 57km south-east of Donetsk), two armed members of the armed formations prevented the SMM from approaching a crater, citing orders from their superiors.

Regular restrictions related to disengagement areas and mines/UXO:

• The sides continued to deny the SMM full access to the 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:

• At a checkpoint near Verkhnoshyrokivske (formerly Oktiabr, non-government-controlled, 29km north-east of Mariupol), on two occasions, an armed member of the armed formations again allowed the SMM to proceed only after 30 minutes of waiting on the first occasion and about 40 minutes of waiting on the second occasion.

Other impediments:

• While conducting a mini-UAV flight near Debaltseve (non-government-controlled, 58km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard four bursts of small-arms fire about 850m north-north-east, assessed as aimed at the UAV, which it landed safely.
• Two SMM UAVs (a mini- and a mid-range) experienced GPS signal interference, assessed as probably caused by jamming, while flying over Petrivske (non-government-controlled, 21km south of Donetsk).[6]
• An SMM mini-UAV experienced GPS signal interference, assessed as probably caused by jamming, on five occasions while flying over Zaichenko (non-government-controlled, 26km north-east of Mariupol).

[1] For a complete breakdown of ceasefire violations, please see the annexed table. The SMM cameras in Svitlodarsk and at Oktiabr mine were non-operational during the reporting period.

[2] The Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) was established in September 2014 by Ukraine and the Russian Federation. Each posted a representative to jointly head the Centre and a staff of officers from the Ukrainian and Russian Federation Armed Forces to be co-located in defined sectors of Luhansk and Donetsk regions. In December 2017, Russian Federation Armed Forces officers withdrew from the JCCC and departed Ukraine. 

[3]Disengagement is foreseen in the Framework Decision of the Trilateral Contact Group relating to disengagement of forces and hardware of 21 September 2016.

[4] 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.

[5] The hardware mentioned in this section is not proscribed by the provisions of the Minsk agreements on the withdrawal of weapons.

[6] The interference could have originated from anywhere within a radius of kilometres from the UAVs’ positions.