Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 4 December 2018

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 and Luhansk regions.
• The Mission observed damage to a house caused by shelling in a residential area of Chermalyk.
• The SMM recorded ceasefire violations, including over 20 explosions, inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area and observed fresh shrapnel damage.
• The Mission observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Mykhailivka and Alchevsk.
• The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to essential civilian infrastructure and houses on both sides of the contact line. It continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station.
• The Mission monitored a court hearing related to the detained Mekhanik Pogodin tanker; the court ruled that the tanker should continue to be detained.
• The Mission’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas. It was also restricted at two weapons storage sites in non-government-controlled areas of Donetsk region and near Novolaspa.*

Ceasefire violations[1]

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including about 450 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 210 explosions). The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded south-east and south-west of Svitlodarsk (government-controlled, 57km north-east of Donetsk), at south-easterly and south-westerly directions of Kamianka (government-controlled, 20km north of Donetsk) and south-west and north-west of Yasynuvata (non-government-controlled, 16km north-east of Donetsk).

In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including about 290 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 35 explosions). The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded west and north-north-west of Kadiivka (formerly Stakhanov, non-government-controlled, 50km west of Luhansk), including over 150 explosions assessed as impacts of rounds of undetermined weapon(s), south-south-west of Stanytsia Luhanska (government-controlled, 16km north-east of Luhansk) and west-north-west of Yuzhna Lomuvatka (non-government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk), including 50 explosions assessed as impacts of mortar rounds.

Shattered windows caused by shelling in a residential area of Chermalyk

On 3 December, the SMM observed fresh damage to a residential house in Chermalyk (government-controlled, 31km north-east of Mariupol), assessed as caused by the explosion of a recoilless-gun round (SPG-type) fired from an easterly direction. At 26 Nikitina Street, the SMM saw six shattered south-west-facing windows and four broken west-facing windows of a house. About 10-12m west of the house, the SMM observed a broken section of a power line and two freshly damaged trees, assessed as caused by metal fragments. A resident (a woman in her forties) of the house told the SMM that on the late afternoon of 1 December, while near the house, she had heard a whistling sound and seen a “red ball” flying from an easterly direction, followed by the sound of an explosion.

Disengagement areas[2]

On the evening of 3 December, the SMM camera in Zolote (government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk) recorded three projectiles in flight (from south-west to north-east, south-south-west to north-north-east and from east-north-east to west-south-west), at an assessed range of 0.5-1km south-east and south-south-east (assessed as outside the disengagement area).[3]

On the evening of 3 December, while on the eastern edge of Stanytsia Luhanska, the SMM heard 21 undetermined explosions and about 125 bursts and shots of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all at an assessed range of 3-4.5km south-south-west (all assessed as inside the disengagement area). While at the same location, the SMM also heard four bursts of small-arms fire at an assessed range of 2-3km south-south-west (assessed as outside the disengagement area).

The following day, about 50m south-east of the forward position of the Ukrainian Armed Forces north of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge, the SMM saw fresh shrapnel (about 20 holes) damage to the south-east-facing side of tractor tyres used to fortify the position. About 100m south-east of the position, the SMM saw a hole in a road sign on the south-western side of the road leading to the bridge, assessed as caused by a round of an undetermined weapon fired from a south-easterly direction. The SMM was not able to assess the type(s) of weapon(s) used at either location.

At the checkpoint of the armed formations immediately south of the bridge, the SMM saw scorch marks on and fresh shrapnel damage to a north-facing concrete block. The SMM was not able to assess the direction of fire or the type of weapon used.

During the day on 4 December, the SMM observed a calm situation in the disengagement area near Petrivske (non-government-controlled, 41km south of Donetsk).

Withdrawal of weapons[4]

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 the withdrawal lines

Non-government-controlled areas:

1 December:

• 13 towed howitzers (D-30 Lyagushka, 122mm) near Mykhailivka (74km south-east of Donetsk) 

3 December:

An SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted:

• Two self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) and two multiple launch rocket systems (one BM-21 Grad, 122mm and one BM-13 Katyusha, 132mm) in a compound in the south-eastern outskirts of Alchevsk (40km west of Luhansk).

Beyond the withdrawal lines but outside of designated storage sites[5]

Non-government-controlled areas:

30 November:

Aerial imagery available to the SMM revealed the presence of:

• 14 tanks (type undetermined) in a training area near Buhaivka (37km south-west of Luhansk) (in the same area, aerial imagery revealed also the presence of 59 combat armoured vehicles (ACV)) (for previous observations, see SMM Daily Report 17 November 2018);
• 22 tanks (type undetermined), nine pieces of self-propelled artillery and 18 pieces of towed artillery in a training area near Myrne (41km south-east of Luhansk) (in the same area aerial imagery revealed also the presence of 78 ACVs) (for previous observations in the area, see SMM Daily Report 17 November 2018); and
• 28 tanks (type undetermined) in a training area near Kruhlyk (31km south-west of Luhansk) (for previous observations, see SMM Daily Report 17 November 2018).

3 December:

An SMM mini-UAV spotted:

• Three tanks (T-64) in a compound in the south-eastern outskirts of Alchevsk (see above).

30 November:

Aerial imagery available to the SMM revealed the presence of:

• 28 pieces of towed artillery in a training area near Buhaivka (for previous observations, see SMM Daily Report 17 November 2018).[6]

Weapons that the SMM was unable to verify as withdrawn:[7]

Weapons storage sites beyond the respective withdrawal lines in non-government-controlled areas of Donetsk region:*

1 December:

• Eight towed howitzers (D-30) remained missing. 

3 December:

• Two towed howitzers (D-30) remained missing.

Weapons verified as withdrawn:*

A permanent storage site beyond the respective withdrawal lines in a non-government-controlled area of Donetsk region

4 December:

• Ten tanks (seven T-64 and three T-72) remained missing.

Indications of military and military-type presence in the security zone[8]

Government-controlled areas:

4 December:

• An infantry fighting vehicle (BTR-4) near Novobakhmutivka (28km north of Donetsk)
• An armoured personnel carrier (APC) (BTR-70) near Novoselivka Druha (36km north-east of Mariupol)
• An APC (BTR-70) near Artema (26km north of Luhansk)

SMM facilitation of repairs to civilian infrastructure

The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repair works to the Petrivske water pumping station near Artema, to a water pipeline near Popasna (government-controlled, 69km west of Luhansk), water pipelines at the pumping station near Vasylivka (non-government-controlled, 20km north-east of Donetsk), to power lines in Zolote-4/Rodina (government-controlled, 59km west of Luhansk), as well as to damaged houses in Marinka (government-controlled, 23km south-west of Donetsk). The Mission continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station.

Border areas not under government control

While at a border crossing point near Marynivka (78km east of Donetsk) for 45 minutes, the SMM saw 16 cars (six with Ukrainian and six with Russian Federation licence plates, and four with “DPR” plates) and six covered cargo trucks (four with Ukrainian and one with Russian Federation licence plates, and one with “DPR” plates) exiting Ukraine. The SMM also saw six cars (four with Ukrainian and one with Russian Federation licence plates, and one with “DPR” plates) entering Ukraine.

While at a border crossing point near Ulianivske (61km south-east of Donetsk) for about 30 minutes, the SMM observed no cross-border traffic.

 Gathering in Kyiv

The SMM saw about 30 people (men and women of different age groups) gathered in front of the Embassy of Georgia at 25 Shevchenko Boulevard in relation to reports that six Ukrainian citizens were arrested in Tbilisi on 2 December. The Mission heard some of them also expressing opinions critical of the Government of Ukraine. There were about 30 National Guard and police officers present, blocking the entrance to the Embassy. The gathering ended peacefully.

Court hearing related to Mekhanik Pogodin tanker

On 3 December, in Kherson, the SMM monitored a hearing at the Kherson Administrative Court related to the Mekhanik Pogodin tanker detained in the city’s port (see SMM Daily Report 16 November). The court ruled that the tanker should continue to be detained. The court also noted that the ruling would take effect in ten days, which was to be followed by 30 days of an appeal period.

The SMM continued monitoring in Odessa, Lviv, Kharkiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, 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 SMM Daily Report 3 December 2018). 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 heavy weapons holding area in a non-government-controlled area of Donetsk region, a guard denied the SMM entry into the area.
• The SMM could not access a permanent storage site in a non-government-controlled area of Donetsk region, as no guards were present to open the locked gate.
• Two armed members of the armed formations at a checkpoint on the eastern edge of Novolaspa (non-government controlled, 50km south of Donetsk) denied the SMM access to the village, citing “safety and security” reasons.

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.

 

[1] For a complete breakdown of ceasefire violations, please see the annexed table. The SMM cameras in Hranitne and Krasnohorivka were not operational during the reporting period.

[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] The sentence on a new position and a 30m-long trench inside the Zolote disengagement area in SMM Daily Report 4 December 2018 should have read: a new position and a 30m-long trench (not visible in imagery from 8 November 2018) about 1.5km south of the area’s northern edge and about 500m east of its western edge (assessed as belonging to the armed formations).

[4] The sentence on towed howitzers (2A65 Msta-B, 152mm) in violation of withdrawal lines in a government-controlled area in SMM Daily Report 1 December 2018 should have read: towed howitzers (D-20, 152mm) near Lysychansk (75km north-west of Luhansk).

[5] ACVs mentioned in this section are not proscribed by the provisions of the Minsk agreements on the withdrawal of weapons.

[6] The SMM was unable to assess whether these weapons were in violation of withdrawal lines in the absence of information on their calibre.

[7] The SMM visited areas previously holding 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. The SMM noted that one such site continued to be abandoned.

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