Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 29 May 2018

This report is for the media and the general public.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer ceasefire violations in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission heard and saw an explosion about 200m away near Nelipivka. The SMM followed up on reports of a civilian casualty in Zaitseve. The Mission observed fresh damage caused by shelling in a residential area in Chermalyk. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske and recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote disengagement area. The Mission’s access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere, including near Izvaryne at the border with the Russian Federation and at a heavy weapons holding area in a non-government-controlled part of Donetsk region. The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Boikivske, Miusynsk, Myrne, Donetskyi and Sentianivka. It continued to facilitate the access of Voda Donbassa water company employees to the Donetsk Filtration Station and monitor the security situation as well as facilitate repair works and demining activities in order to keep the station operational; it heard ceasefire violations in the area, despite security guarantees. The SMM continued to monitor and facilitate repairs to high-voltage power lines near Yuzhna-Lomuvatka and the Petrivske pumping station near Artema.

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations[1], including about 215 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 115 explosions).

On the evening of 28 May, while in Horlivka (non-government-controlled, 39km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard about 45 undetermined explosions and small-arms fire, all 2-5km north-west. On 29 May, while on the northern edge of Horlivka, the SMM heard four undetermined explosions 3-4km north and a shot of small-arms fire 500m north.

On the evening and night of 28-29 May, while in Svitlodarsk (government-controlled, 57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard eight explosions assessed as outgoing mortar rounds 2-6km south-east, eight explosions assessed as impacts 4-5km south-east and about 100 explosions (six as outgoing rounds of infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (BMP-1) cannon (73mm) fire, one as an artillery round and the remainder undetermined) and about 400 bursts and shots of IFV (BMP-2) cannon (30mm), anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23, 23mm), automatic grenade-launcher and heavy-machine-gun fire, all 1-6km east and south-east. On 29 May, while at the same location, the SMM heard three undetermined explosions 3-5km south-east.

On 29 May, positioned on the southern edge of Toretsk (formerly Dzerzhynsk, government-controlled, 43km north of Donetsk), the SMM heard 12 explosions (two assessed as outgoing artillery rounds, one as an impact and the remainder undetermined), all 2-3km south-east.

Positioned at the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS), the SMM heard an undetermined explosion 1-3km north-north-west and three bursts of small-arms fire 400-500m north-north-east.

Positioned about 3km north-east of Nelipivka (government-controlled, 40km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard an explosion and saw a smoke column about 200m north, assessed as a probable ground-based explosion. The patrol also saw two cars (a possible 4x4 and a pickup truck) with four people in military-style clothing (two in each car) driving past the SMM patrol and away from where the explosion occurred. The SMM immediately left the area.

In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including two explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 35 explosions).

The SMM followed up on reports of a civilian casualty. On 24 May, a woman told the SMM that on 11 May her son (aged 36) had sustained shrapnel wounds to his neck and shoulder when two explosions had occurred near the yard of his house on 38 Artemivska Street in Zaitseve (50km north-east of Donetsk). Medical staff at a hospital in Horlivka told the SMM by telephone that a man (aged 36) from 38 Artemivska Street had been admitted on 11 May and treated for shrapnel wounds to his neck and shoulder. A community representative in Zaitseve relayed the same information to the SMM by telephone. The SMM has been unable to visit the injured man’s house in Zaitseve due to security reasons.                                                                                                  

The SMM followed up on reports of damage caused by shelling in a residential area in Chermalyk (government-controlled, 31km north-east of Mariupol). Accompanied by a Ukrainian Armed Forces Officer of the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC), at 18 Haharina Street, the SMM saw two shattered windows and minor shrapnel scarring on the north-facing wall of a one-storey house, as well as a fresh crater 8m north of the house. The SMM assessed all damage to have been caused by a 73mm cannon round fired from an easterly direction. A resident of the house (aged 40-50) told the SMM that she had been at home with her husband on the night of 28-29 May when the sound of glass breaking had woken them up and that they had sought shelter in the basement.

At 20 Haharina Street, the SMM saw a fresh crater in the soft soil about 4.5m south-east of a barn which had minor shrapnel damage to its south-east facing wall, assessed to have been caused by a 73mm cannon round fired from an easterly direction. Residents of 21 Haharina Street (a woman, aged 40-50 and her son, aged 20-30) told the SMM that they had been at home when they had heard shelling in the early morning hours of 29 May.

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.*

On the evening and night of 28-29 May, the SMM camera in Zolote recorded totals of three undetermined explosions, 23 projectiles in flight (14 from south-west to north-east, four from south to north, three from north-west to south-east and two from west to east) and an airburst, all 3-9km east-north-east and east (assessed as outside the disengagement area), as well as a projectile from east-north-east to west-south-west 1-2km south-south-east (unable to assess whether inside or outside the disengagement area).

On 28 May, an SMM long-range UAV again spotted an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23) mounted on a green truck (KamAZ-4310) inside the Zolote disengagement area on its southern edge (see SMM Daily Report 3 May 2018), three rows of previously spotted anti-tank mines (TM-62) about 600m inside the southern edge of the disengagement area and a previously spotted trench system and footpath leading to a probable military position 1km further north (see SMM Daily Report 26 April 2018).

Positioned near the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area, the SMM observed a calm situation.

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 in non-government-controlled areas, on 26 May, aerial imagery available to the SMM revealed the presence of three towed howitzers (or mortars) near Boikivske (formerly Telmanove, 67km south-east of Donetsk) and eight multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) (type undetermined) near Miusynsk (62km south-west of Luhansk) (see SMM Daily Report 17 May 2018). On 27 May, an SMM long-range UAV spotted seven MLRS (BM-21 Grad, 122mm) about 6km south-east of Miusynsk and seven MLRS (BM-21) in Myrne (28k south-west of Luhansk) (see SMM Daily Report 18 May 2018). On 28 May, an SMM long-range UAV spotted a mortar (2B11 Sani, 120mm) and a tank (T-64) in Donetskyi (49km west of Luhansk), as well as three mortars (2B11) near Sentianivka (formerly Frunze, 44km west of Luhansk).

Beyond withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites in government-controlled areas, on 29 May the SMM saw 18 self-propelled howitzers (nine 2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm and nine 2S3 Akatsiya, 152mm) travelling north on a road between Paraskoviivka (75km north of Donetsk) and Malynivka (82km north of Donetsk) and a self-propelled howitzer (2S1) on the north western outskirts of Kostiantynivka (60km north of Donetsk).

In non-government-controlled areas, on 26 May, aerial imagery available to the SMM revealed the presence of 57 tanks (type undetermined) about 4km south-east of Ternove (57km east of Donetsk) (see SMM Daily Report 28 February 2018); 34 tanks (type undetermined) near Kruhlyk (31km south-west of Luhansk); 19 tanks (type undetermined), eight self-propelled mortars (or howitzers) and 24 towed mortars (or howitzers) near Myrne; 13 tanks (type undetermined) near Shymshynivka (27km south-west of Luhansk); eight tanks (type undetermined) and seven towed mortars (or howitzers) near Miusynsk; as well as 24 tanks (type undetermined) and four surface-to-air missile systems (type undetermined) near Buhaivka (37km south-west of Luhansk). On 27 May, an SMM long-range UAV spotted 34 tanks (24 T-72 and ten T-64) about 4km south-east of Ternove; nine self-propelled howitzers (2S1), seven towed howitzers (D-30 Lyagushka, 122mm), seven tanks (T-64) and four surface-to-air missile systems (9K35 Strela-10) 6km south-east of Miusynsk; as well as 21 tanks (11 T-64 and ten T-72), 12 towed howitzers (D-30), eight self-propelled howitzers (2S1), six anti-tank guns (MT-12 Rapira, 100mm) and 15 towed mortars (PM-38, 120mm) near Myrne.

The SMM observed weapons that could not be verified as withdrawn, as their storage did not comply with the criteria set out in the 16 October 2015 notification from the SMM to the signatories of the Package of Measures on effective monitoring and verification of the withdrawal of heavy weapons. In non-government-controlled areas of Donetsk region, the SMM saw six self-propelled howitzers (2S1) and noted that 12 mortars (11 PM-38 and one 2B11) continued to be missing.

The SMM revisited permanent storage sites whose locations were beyond the respective withdrawal lines in areas outside government control in Donetsk region and noted that 18 tanks (ten T-72 and eight T-64), nine mortars (2B14 Podnos, 82mm) and 15 anti-tank guns (MT-12) continued to be missing.

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles (ACVs)[2] and indications of military-type presence in the security zone. In government-controlled areas, on 27 May, an SMM long-range UAV spotted an armoured personnel carrier (APC) (MT-LB) and an IFV (BMP-1) near Troitske (69km west of Luhansk). On 28 May, an SMM long-range UAV spotted an APC (BTR-70) near Klynove (68km north-east of Donetsk), four IFVs (three BMP-1 and a BMP-variant) near Novotoshkivske (53km west of Luhansk), three IFVs (BMP-1) and an APC (MT-LB) near Orikhove (57km north-west of Luhansk) and two APCs (BTR-80) near Zaitseve (62km north-east of Donetsk) and the SMM saw two IFVs (BMP-1) near Popasna (69km west of Luhansk). On 29 May, the SMM saw an IFV (BMP-2) near Sartana (15km north-east of Mariupol).

In non-government-controlled areas, aerial imagery revealed on 26 May the presence of 20 ACVs near Boikivske. On 27 May, an SMM long-range UAV spotted three IFVs (BMP-1) near Sofiivka (formerly Karlo-Marksove, 40km north-east of Donetsk) and three IFVs (BMP-1) and an APC (MT-LB) near Dovhe (22km north-west of Luhansk). On 28 May, an SMM long-range UAV spotted four IFVs (BMP-1) near Sentianivka and an IFV (BMP-1) near Znamianka (36km north-west of Luhansk). On 29 May, the SMM saw freshly dug trenches and firing positions near Ohulchansk (25km east of Luhansk), as well as five people in military-style clothing digging trenches between Zolote-5 (Mykhailivka) (61km north-west of Luhansk) and Berezivske (53km north-west of Luhansk).

The SMM observed a mine hazard sign for the first time at the crossroads between roads T1315 and T1303, about 2.5km north of Stepove (non-government-controlled, 27km west of Luhansk), reading “Stop Mines, Danger, Don’t leave the road, in case of danger call 101” in Russian and bearing the logo of an international organization.

The SMM continued to monitor and facilitate the access of Voda Donbassa water company employees to the DFS as well as repair works to the DFS and demining activities around the station. Positioned in areas near the DFS, the SMM heard undetermined explosions and small-arms fire (see ceasefire violation table below), despite explicit security guarantees.

The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to high-voltage power lines near Yuzhna-Lomuvatka (non-government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk) and to the Petrivske pumping station near Artema (government-controlled, 26km north of Luhansk) and facilitated demining as part of an international organization’s construction projected located between Maiorsk (government-controlled, 45km north-east of Donetsk) and Horlivka. 

The SMM visited two border areas not under government control. While at a border crossing point near Izvaryne (52km south-east of Luhansk), the SMM saw two cars (one with Ukrainian and one with Russian Federation licence plates) exiting Ukraine as well as two cars (one with Ukrainian and one with Russian Federation licence plates) and 21 pedestrians entering Ukraine. After about five minutes, an armed member of the armed formations told the SMM to leave the area.* While at a border crossing point near Novoazovsk (102km south-east of Donetsk) for about 30 minutes, the SMM saw eight cars (five with Ukrainian licence plates, and three with “DPR” plates) and two covered cargo trucks (with Ukrainian licence plates) exiting Ukraine and six cars (three with Ukrainian and two with Russian Federation licence plates, and one with “DPR” plates) and a covered cargo truck (with Ukrainian licence plates) entering Ukraine.

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

*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 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 border crossing point near Izvaryne, an armed member of the armed formations told the SMM to leave the area.
• At a heavy weapons holding area in a non-government-controlled area of Donetsk region, three members of the armed formations told the SMM it could not enter the site.

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 no demining had taken place during 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 no demining had taken place during the previous 24 hours. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed and informed the JCCC.5
• 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.

Other impediments:

• Medical staff at a hospital in Horlivka told the SMM that they could not provide any information about civilian casualties without written permission from senior members of the armed formations in Donetsk.

[1] For a complete breakdown of the ceasefire violations, please see the annexed table. The SMM camera at the entry-exit checkpoint in Marinka and the SMM camera at entry-exit checkpoint in Pyshchevyk were not operational during the reporting period.

* Please see the section at the end of this report entitled “Restrictions of SMM’s freedom of movement or other impediments to fulfilment of its mandate”.

[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.