Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 7 November 2018
This report is for the media and the general public.
The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region, compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. The SMM recorded a ceasefire violation and observed new trenches, military and military-type presence inside the Zolote disengagement area. The Mission’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas; it was also restricted near Novoazovsk – close to the border with the Russian Federation – as well as near Kozatske, Orikhove and in Khrustalnyi.* The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to power lines near Zolote-5/Mykhailivka and damaged houses in Marinka and Krasnohorivka, as well as to enable demining near Nyzhnoteple. In Kyiv, the SMM monitored two public gatherings. In Kherson, the Mission monitored a mourning service for the deceased activist Kateryna Handziuk.
In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations,[1] including fewer explosions (about 115), compared with the previous reporting period (about 220 explosions).[2]
On the evening and night of 6-7 November, the SMM camera 1.5km north-east of Hnutove (government-controlled, 20km north-east of Mariupol) recorded five explosions (two assessed as outgoing rounds, two assessed as impacts and one undetermined), 260 projectiles in flight (mostly from northerly to southerly directions) and about ten muzzle flashes, all at an assessed range of 2-6km at directions ranging from east-north-east to east-south-east.
During the day on 7 November, while in Svitlodarsk (government-controlled, 57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard about 70 undetermined explosions and about 180 bursts and shots of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all at an assessed range of 2-7km east-south-east, south-east and south-west.
During the same day, positioned about 1km north-west of the railway station in Yasynuvata (non-government-controlled, 16km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard eight undetermined explosions and about 160 bursts and shots of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all at an assessed range of 1-5km at directions ranging from south to north.
During the same day, positioned on the south-eastern edge of Avdiivka (government-controlled, 17km north of Donetsk), the SMM heard ten undetermined explosions and about 250 bursts and shots of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all at an assessed range of 1-3km at directions ranging from east-south-east to south.
In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including about 140 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (no explosions).
During the day on 7 November, positioned on the eastern edge of Shchastia (government-controlled, 20km north of Luhansk), the SMM heard about 40 undetermined explosions and 50 bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire, all at an assessed range of 1-3km south-south-east and south-west.
During the same day, positioned about 4km east of Orikhove-Donetske (government-controlled, 44km north-west of Luhansk), the SMM heard about 70 undetermined explosions at an assessed range of 5-10km east, south-east and south-west and about 20 shots and bursts of infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (BMP-2) cannon (30mm) and small-arms fire at an assessed range of 0.3km-5km south.
During the same day, positioned on the northern edge of Smile (non-government controlled, 31km north-west of Luhansk), the SMM heard about 20 undetermined explosions at an assessed range of 6-8km north-east and north-west.
The SMM continued to monitor 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[3] (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 6 November, inside the Zolote disengagement area, an SMM long-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted: an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23-2, 23mm) on a military-type truck and five people nearby, 200m north of the area’s southern edge and 800m west of its eastern edge; about 40m of new trenches (not seen in imagery from 8 October 2018), a firing position and two people nearby, 1km north of the area’s southern edge and 1km west of its eastern edge; two people near previously observed positions (see SMM Daily Report 28 July 2018) about 200m north of the area’s southern edge and about 2km east of its western edge; and another person near previously observed positions about 400m west of road T1316 and about 750m north of the southern edge of the disengagement area (see SMM Daily Report 24 September 2018). All the above-mentioned people were assessed as probable members of the armed formations and the positions were assessed as belonging to them.
On the same day, inside the Zolote disengagement area, an SMM long-range UAV spotted: an armoured combat vehicle (probable IFV) and three people near previously observed firing positions and trenches (see SMM Daily Report 3 August 2018) on the southern side of the railway line, about 600m south of the area’s northern edge and about 2km east of its western edge; a new 100m-long trench about 100m east of road T1316 and about 700m south of the area’s northern edge (not seen in imagery from 3 August 2018); a total of about 70m of trench extensions and an IFV (BMP-1) about 400m south of the area’s northern edge and about 1.6km west of its eastern edge; construction material (timber) north of the railway tracks; as well as two IFVs (BMP-1 and a probable BMP-1) and a person near previously observed trenches (see SMM Daily Report 20 August 2018) about 140m south of the area’s northern edge and about 1km west of its eastern edge. The abovementioned person was assessed as a probable Ukrainian Armed Forces soldier and all of the above-mentioned positions and vehicles were assessed as belonging to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
During the day on 7 November, positioned in Zolote-4/Rodina (government-controlled, 59km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard an undetermined explosion at an assessed range of 1-2km south-south-east (assessed as inside the disengagement area) and an undetermined explosion at an assessed range of 3-5km south-south-east (assessed as outside the disengagement area).
On the same day, positioned north of the Petrivske and inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement areas, 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 a government-controlled area, on 6 November, an SMM long-range UAV spotted a surface-to-air missile system (9K33 Osa) near Klynove (68km north-east of Donetsk).
In violation of withdrawal lines in a non-government-controlled area, on 7 November, the SMM observed eight multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) (BM-21, Grad 122mm) near Khrustalnyi (formerly Krasnyi Luch, 56km south-west of Luhansk).
Beyond withdrawal lines but outside storage sites in a government-controlled area, on 6 November, an SMM long-range UAV spotted a tank (T72) near Siversk (99km north of Donetsk).
On 7 November, the SMM revisited a heavy weapons permanent storage site in a non-government-controlled area of Luhansk region whose location corresponded with the withdrawal lines and noted that two MLRS (BM-21) remained missing.
The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles (ACV) in the security zone.[4] In government‑controlled areas, on 6 November, an SMM long-range UAV spotted an IFV (BMP-2) in Zolote-4/Rodina (about 150m north of the Zolote disengagement area’s northern edge). The following day, the SMM saw two IFVs (BMP-1) in Popasna (69km west of Luhansk).
In a non-government-controlled area, on 6 November, an SMM mini-UAV spotted 4 armoured personnel carriers (APC) (MT-LB) and three ACVs (undetermined variant) near Lobacheve (13km east of Luhansk).
The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repair works to power lines near Zolote-5/Mykhailivka (non-government-controlled, 58km west of Luhansk) and damaged houses in Marinka (government-controlled, 23km south-west of Donetsk) and Krasnohorivka (government-controlled, 21km west of Donetsk), as well as to enable demining activities in Nyzhnoteple (government-controlled, 26km north of Luhansk). The Mission continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station.
The SMM observed the presence of mines. About 1.4km west of Verkhnoshyrokivske (formerly Oktiabr, non-government-controlled, 29km north-east of Mariupol), 1.5m north of a paved road, the Mission saw for the first time a mine fastened to a tree about 1.5m from the ground. It observed two wires hanging from the device and assessed the mine as a MON-100 anti-personnel type equipped with an electrically-driven detonator. The SMM saw no mine hazard signs in the area near the mine.
In Kyiv, the SMM monitored two public gatherings. In front of the Cabinet of Ministers building at 12/2 Mykhaila Hrushevskoho Street, the Mission saw about 300 participants (mostly men, mixed ages) expressing support for the establishment of a Ministry of Veterans Affairs.
Shortly after the abovementioned gathering, the Mission saw a group of about 3,000 people (mostly men, mixed ages) in front of the Parliament building as well as about 250 cars (mostly with Polish and Lithuanian licence plates) blocking the entrance to Mykhaila Hrushevskoho Street. It observed yellow and blue flags of “Auto Euro Power” and posters with messages related to a lack of “safe roads.”
The Mission saw about 200 law enforcement officers positioned around the Cabinet of Ministers and the Parliament buildings, on Mykhaila Hrushevskoho Street and in nearby Mariinskyi Park. At both public gatherings, the Mission observed a calm situation.
In Kherson, the SMM monitored a mourning service for the deceased activist Kateryna Handziuk (see SMM Daily Report 5 November 2018). Throughout the service taking place in a hall at 158 Perekopska Street, the Mission saw about 1,000 people (mixed ages and genders) come to lay flowers and pay tribute, including representatives of various political parties and many representatives of domestic and international media broadcasters. It observed a peaceful situation and six uniformed police officers nearby.
The SMM continued monitoring in 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 (for example, 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.
Denials of access:
- At a checkpoint in Kozatske (non-government-controlled, 36km north-east of Mariupol), an armed member of the armed formations again denied the SMM passage towards Porokhnia (non-government-controlled, 40km north-east of Mariupol), citing the “presence of UXO”.
- At a checkpoint near Novoazovsk (non-government-controlled, 40km east of Mariupol), near the border with the Russian Federation, five armed members of the armed formations again prevented the SMM from travelling east through the checkpoint, citing an ongoing “special operation”.
- At a checkpoint in Yuzhna-Lomuvatka (non-government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk), a member of the armed formations denied the SMM passage, citing “demining activities” in the area.
- Armed formations members denied the SMM access to a compound near Khrustalnyi, citing ongoing “demining activities”.
Regular restrictions 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 informed 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.[5]
- 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 informed 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.5
- The SMM was prevented from accessing secondary roads south of the Zolote disengagement area due to the possible presence of mines and UXO. A member of the armed formations informed the SMM that no demining had taken place during the previous 24 hours. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed.
- South of the bridge in Shchastia (government-controlled, 20km north of Luhansk), a member of the armed formations told the SMM that no demining had taken place north of the positions of the armed formations. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed.
Other impediments:
- At a hospital in Zymohiria (non-government-controlled, 27km west of Luhansk), while following up on reports of a civilian casualty, medical staff told the SMM to either leave the premises or provide permission from senior members of the armed formation. The SMM left the hospital.
[1] For a complete breakdown of ceasefire violations, please see the annexed table.
[2] During the reporting period, the SMM camera in Krasnohorivka was not operational.
[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] This hardware mentioned in this section is not proscribed by the provisions of the Minsk agreements on the withdrawal of weapons.
[5] The SMM informed Ukrainian Armed Forces officers of the JCCC. Russian Federation Armed Forces officers of the JCCC withdrew from the JCCC as of 18 December 2017.