Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 3 April 2018
This report is for the media and the general public.
The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and a similar number in Luhansk region, compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations outside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas and at a heavy weapons holding area in an area of Donetsk region outside of government control.* The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Anadol. The Mission observed for the first time anti-tank mines near Starohnativka. The SMM continued to facilitate access for workers to and from the Donetsk Filtration Station; it also facilitated repairs to the Petrivske pumping station near Artema and to a water pipeline near Zaitseve. In Kyiv, the Mission monitored a march in the city centre.
In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations[1], including about 40 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 70 explosions).
On the evening of 2 April, while in Horlivka (non-government-controlled, 39km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard about 20 undetermined explosions and ten bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire, all 6-10km at directions ranging from south-west to north.
On the evening of 2 April, while in Svitlodarsk (government-controlled, 57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard about 20 undetermined explosions and about 150 shots and bursts of small-arms and heavy-machine-gun fire, all 1-8km at directions ranging from east to south-west.
On the night of 2-3 April, the SMM camera at the Donetsk Filtration Station (15km north of Donetsk) recorded 15 projectiles in flight from west to east 1-3km south.
On the evening of 2 April, the SMM camera at the entry-exit checkpoint in Maiorsk (government-controlled, 45km north-east of Donetsk) recorded, in sequence, an illumination flare and 13 projectiles in flight from south to north, an illumination flare in vertical flight and 36 projectiles from north to south, followed by totals of three undetermined explosions and 36 projectiles in flight from south to north, all 1-2km east.
On the night of 2-3 April, the SMM camera 1km south-west of Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) recorded, in sequence, seven projectiles in flight from west to east and two projectiles from south to north, all 1-4km north.
In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded a similar number of ceasefire violations, including two explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (three explosions).
The SMM continued to monitor the disengagement process and to pursue full access to the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska (government-controlled, 16km north-east of Luhansk), Zolote (government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk) and Petrivske (non-government-controlled, 41km south of Donetsk), as foreseen in the Framework Decision of the Trilateral Contact Group relating to disengagement of forces and hardware of 21 September 2016. The SMM’s access remained restricted, but the Mission was able to partially monitor them.*
During the night of 2-3 April, while on the eastern edge of Stanytsia Luhanska, the SMM heard an undetermined explosion 3-5km south-east (assessed as outside the disengagement area). During the day on 3 April, positioned on the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge (15km north-east of Luhansk), the SMM heard an undetermined explosion 3km west (assessed as outside the disengagement area).
During the day on 3 April, positioned near the Zolote disengagement area, the SMM observed a calm situation.
The SMM continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons in implementation of the Package of Measures and its Addendum as well as the Memorandum.
In violation of withdrawal lines in a government-controlled area, the SMM saw six stationary self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) near Anadol (39km north of Mariupol).
Beyond withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites in government-controlled areas, the SMM saw a tank (T-72) loaded on a flatbed truck in Lysychansk (75km north-west of Luhansk) heading north, three self-propelled howitzers (2S3 Akatsiya, 152mm) and three tanks (T-72) loaded on a stationary flatbed train at the railway station in Rubizhne (84km north-west of Luhansk), as well as a stationary surface-to-air missile system (9K35 Strela-10) near Portivske (14km south-west of Mariupol). In non-government-controlled areas, the SMM saw eight stationary tanks (three T-72, one T-64 and the remainder undetermined) in Kruhlyk (31km south-west of Luhansk) and seven stationary tanks (one T-64 and six of undetermined type) in Myrne (28km south-west of Luhansk).
The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles[2] and other military-type presence in the security zone. In government-controlled areas, the SMM saw two infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) (BMP-2) and an armoured personnel carrier (APC) parked in the yard of a house in Zolote-3/Stakhanovets (60km west of Luhansk), an IFV (BMP-1) in Vrubivka (72km west of Luhansk), as well as an IFV (BMP-1) and an armoured reconnaissance vehicle (BRDM-2) near Novotoshkivske (53km west of Luhansk). An SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted on 31 March two APCs (type undetermined), an IFV (BMP-variant) and a newly dug trench (approximately 180m of length) close to the entry-exit checkpoint near Berezove (31km south-west of Donetsk), an armoured reconnaissance vehicle (BRDM-2) and an IFV (BMP-2) near Novohnativka (40km south of Donetsk), a static pontoon bridge (PMP-3) near Orikhove-Donetske (44km north-west of Luhansk) (see SMM Daily Report of 17 February 2018), as well as two IFVs (BMP-2) near Novohryhorivka (55km south of Donetsk).
In non-government-controlled areas, the SMM saw an APC (MT-LB) near Molodizhne (63km north-west of Luhansk) and an IFV (BMP-2) near Vedenske (90km south of Donetsk). An SMM mini-UAV spotted on 2 April two IFVs (BMP-1) near Bila Kamianka (51km south of Donetsk).
The SMM observed the presence of mines. On 2 April, an SMM mini-UAV spotted for the first time eight anti-tank mines (TM-62) laid across a road about 2km east of Starohnativka (government-controlled, 51km south of Donetsk) (not present in imagery from 2 February 2018).
On 31 March, the SMM continued to facilitate access of Voda Donbassa water company employees to and from the Donetsk Filtration Station to keep the station operational (see SMM Daily Report 3 April 2018). On 3 April, the SMM also facilitated and monitored repairs to the Petrivske pumping station near Artema (government-controlled, 26km north of Luhansk) and to a water pipeline near Zaitseve (50km north-east of Donetsk).
In Kyiv, the SMM monitored a march in the city centre. On 3 April, the SMM saw approximately 10,000 people (different ages, mostly men) gathered near the Dynamo stadium on 8 Hrushevskoho Street. Some of the participants were carrying flags of political parties and movements, including Svoboda and National Corps. Subsequently, they then marched to the Cabinet of Ministers on 12/2 Hrushevskoho Street, where some of the participants held speeches critical of oligarchs, and to the Parliament building on Hrushevskoho Street. A smaller group of participants (about 2,000) continued the march up to the corner of Bankova and Institutska Streets, and dispersed without incidents. The SMM observed about 50 police officers and National Guard officers securing the building of the Cabinet of Minister as well as 600-700 police officers near the Parliament building.
The SMM continued monitoring in Kherson, Odessa, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kharkiv, Dnipro and Chernivtsi.
*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, 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 for 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 (see below). 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 heavy weapons holding area in an area outside of government control in Donetsk region, a member of the armed formations denied the SMM access, saying that the SMM could not enter the site without a written permission from senior “DPR” members.
Related to disengagement areas and mines/UXO:
- The SMM was prevented from accessing parts of the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area, with the exception of the main road, due to the possible presence of mines and UXO. A Ukrainian Armed Forces officer of the JCCC told the SMM that he had no information regarding demining activities over the previous 24 hours. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed and informed the JCCC.[3]
- The SMM was prevented from accessing secondary roads in the Zolote disengagement area due to the possible presence of mines and UXO. A Ukrainian Armed Forces officer of the JCCC told the SMM by phone that he had no information regarding demining in the area during the previous 24 hours. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed and informed the JCCC.4
- The SMM was prevented from accessing secondary roads south of the Zolote disengagement area due to the possible presence of mines and UXO. An armed formation member positioned on the southern side of the Zolote disengagement area told the SMM that no demining had taken place during the previous 24 hours. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed.
[1] For a complete breakdown of the ceasefire violations, please see the annexed table.
[2] This hardware is not proscribed by the provisions of the Minsk agreements on the withdrawal of weapons.
[3] The SMM informed Ukrainian Armed Forces officers of the JCCC. Russian Federation Armed Forces officers of the JCCC have withdrawn from the JCCC as of 18 December 2017.