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

This report is for the media and the general public.

Summary

• Following the beginning of a recommitment to the ceasefire on the occasion of New Year and Christmas festivities at 00:01 on 29 December, between the evenings of 28 and 29 December, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, compared with the previous reporting period.
• Between the evenings of 29 and 30 December, the Mission recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region, compared with the previous 24 hours.
• The Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repair works to essential civilian infrastructure on both sides of the contact line.
• Restrictions of the SMM’s access continued in all three disengagement areas. The Mission was also restricted in Michurine, Starolaspa, near Zaichenko and at two border crossing points with the Russian Federation near Izvaryne and Sievernyi.*

Ceasefire violations[1]

In Donetsk region, between the evenings of 28 and 29 December, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including 37 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 100 explosions). The majority of ceasefire violations and all explosions were recorded in areas south-east of Svitlodarsk (government-controlled, 57km north-east of Donetsk) and south-west of the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS) (15km north of Donetsk). About 30 per cent of the ceasefire violations (114), including six explosions, were recorded after the beginning of the recommitment to the ceasefire at 00:01 on 29 December.

Between the evenings of 29 and 30 December, the Mission recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including one explosion, compared with the previous 24 hours.

In Luhansk region, between the evenings of 28 and 29 December, the SMM recorded six ceasefire violations and no explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 20 explosions). All ceasefire violations were recorded north-west of Sentianivka (formerly Frunze, non-government-controlled, 44km west of Luhansk) after the start of the recommitment to the ceasefire.

Between the evenings of 29 and 30 December, the Mission recorded more ceasefire violations, including three explosions, compared with the previous 24 hours. The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded north-west and south-west of Kalynove-Borshchuvate (non-government-controlled, 61km west of Luhansk).

Following the beginning of the recommitment to the ceasefire, the SMM recorded in total 355 ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

On 30 December, a Ukrainian Armed Forces officer and two Ukrainian Border Guard Service officers at three checkpoints in government-controlled areas of Donetsk region told the SMM they had received instructions to respect the recommitment to the ceasefire. Two Ukrainian Armed Forces officers at another checkpoint in a government-controlled area of Donetsk region told the Mission they had not received such instructions. At two checkpoints in non-government-controlled areas Donetsk region, two members of the armed formations told the SMM they were aware of the recommitment. In a non-government-controlled area of Luhansk region, another member of the armed formations told the Mission they had signed a document stating they would not violate the recommitment to the ceasefire unless specifically instructed to do so by superiors.

Disengagement areas[2]

On 29 and 30 December, positioned close to the disengagement area near Zolote (government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk) and inside the disengagement area near Stanytsia Luhanska (government-controlled, 16km north-east of Luhansk), the SMM observed a calm situation.

On 30 December, positioned close the disengagement near Petrivske (non-government-controlled, 41km south of Donetsk), the Mission observed a calm situation.[3]

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.

In violation of the withdrawal lines

Government-controlled areas

29 December

• An anti-tank guided missile system (RK-3 Corsar, 107mm) moving south near Myronivka (64km north-east of Donetsk)

Non-government-controlled areas

30 December

• A surface-to-air missile system (9K33 Osa) moving south-west near Almazna (55km west of Luhansk)

Indications of military presence in the security zone[4]

Government-controlled areas

29 December

• An anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23-2, 23mm) mounted atop a truck near Kamianka (20km north of Donetsk)

30 December

• An armoured personnel carrier (BTR variant) and an armoured combat vehicle (type undetermined) near Lobacheve (17km north-west of Luhansk)
• Three armoured reconnaissance vehicles (BRDM-2) near Popasna (69km west of Luhansk)
• An armoured recovery vehicle (BREM variant) near Orikhove-Donetske (44km north-west of Luhansk)

SMM facilitation of repair works to civilian infrastructure

On 29 and 30 December, the Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repair works to power lines near Zolote-4/Rodina (government-controlled, 59km west of Luhansk) and a water pipeline near Obozne (non-government-controlled, 18km north of Luhansk). The Mission also continued to facilitate the operation of the DFS.

Border areas not under government control

29 December

While at a border crossing point near Izvaryne (52km south-east of Luhansk), the SMM saw a bus with Ukrainian licence plates and about 60 people (40 men and 20 women, mixed ages) enter Ukraine as well as eight people (five men and three women, mixed ages) exit Ukraine. After about 30 minutes, a member of the armed formations told the Mission to leave the area.*

While at a border crossing point near Sievernyi (50km south-east of Luhansk), the SMM saw six people (men, 16-20 years old) enter Ukraine. After about ten minutes, a member of the armed formations told the Mission to leave the area.*

While at a border crossing point near Verkhnoharasymivka (57km south-east of Luhansk) for about 25 minutes, the SMM saw six people (men, 20-30 years old) enter Ukraine.

The SMM continued monitoring in Kherson, Odessa, Lviv, Kharkiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, 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 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, 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:

29 December

• At a border crossing point near Izvaryne, a member of the armed formations again told the SMM to leave the area.
• At a border crossing point near Sievernyi, a member of the armed formations again told the SMM to leave the area.
• In Michurine (non-government-controlled, 61km south of Donetsk), a member of the armed formations told the SMM to leave immediately as it was not permitted to stop in the settlement.
• At a checkpoint near Starolaspa (non-government-controlled, 51km south of Donetsk), a member of the armed formations again prevented the SMM from entering the settlement, citing “the safety of the SMM”.

30 December

• Two armed members of the armed formations again denied the SMM passage through a checkpoint north of Zaichenko (non-government-controlled, 26km north-east of Mariupol), preventing the Mission from travelling west towards Pikuzy (formerly Kominternove, non-government-controlled, 23km north-east of Mariupol) and south towards Sakhanka (non-government-controlled, 24km north-east of Mariupol). They cited “the SMM’s safety”. The Mission saw a civilian car travelling through the checkpoint from the direction of Pikuzy.

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.

Conditional access:

• On 29 December, at a checkpoint on road H15 east of Kreminets (non-government-controlled, 16km south-west of Donetsk), a member of the armed formations allowed the SMM to pass only after he had inspected the SMM vehicle’s trailer.

 

[1]           For a complete breakdown of ceasefire violations, please see the annexed table. During the reporting period, the SMM cameras in Krasnohorivka, Svitlodarsk and at the entry-exit checkpoint near Pyshchevyk were not operational.

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

[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] 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.

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