Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 27 February 2019

This report is for the media and the general public.

Summary

• Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• The SMM followed up on reports of three men who sustained shrapnel wounds following the explosion of a device near government-controlled Hrodivka.
• The SMM saw anti-tank mines and military hardware on the road inside the Zolote disengagement area and recorded ceasefire violations near the same area.  
• The SMM saw weapons in violation of the withdrawal lines in non-government-controlled areas of both Luhansk and Donetsk region.
• The Mission monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repair works to essential civilian infrastructure in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions, as well as the recovery of human remains from an area in Luhansk region close to the contact line.
• Restrictions of the Mission’s access continued in all three disengagement areas. It was also restricted at a heavy weapons holding area in Donetsk region, at a checkpoint near Popasna and, on three occasions, at a checkpoint near Verkhnoshyrokivske.*
• In Odessa, the SMM monitored a gathering in front of the Consulate General of the Russian Federation.

Ceasefire violations[1]

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including a similar number of explosions (about 180), compared with the previous reporting period. The majority of ceasefire violations, including the majority of explosions, were recorded at southerly directions of Chermalyk (government-controlled, 31km north-east of Mariupol) and close to essential civilians infrastructure, including the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS) (15km north of Donetsk), in areas south-west, west and north of Yasynuvata (non-government-controlled, 16km north-east of Donetsk).

In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including a similar number of explosions (about 20), compared with the previous reporting period. The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded in areas north-west of Sentianivka (formerly Frunze, non-government-controlled, 44km west of Luhansk).

Three men injured by explosion of a device

At a hospital in Myrnohrad (formerly Dymytrov, government-controlled, 52km north-west of Donetsk), the SMM saw two men (aged 25 and 34) with bandages on their hands, elbows and legs. Medical staff told the SMM that the two men had been admitted to the hospital on 25 February with several shrapnel wounds. Medical staff added that a third man (aged 29) had also been admitted with shrapnel wounds to his legs, chest and right hand, as well as a bone fracture in his left foot; however, at the time of the SMM’s visit, medical staff told the SMM that the man had been undergoing medical examinations. The two men told the SMM that they had been collecting wood in a forest near Hrodivka (government-controlled, 43km north-west of Donetsk) when their friend (the aforementioned 29-year-old man) had stepped on a device and triggered an explosion. They added that they had not seen any sign marking the area as contaminated by mines. Police in Pokrovsk (government-controlled, 55km north-west of Donetsk) told the SMM that an investigation into the incident was ongoing and that the remnants of the explosive device had been sent for expert analysis.

Disengagement areas[2]

On 26 February, an SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (BMP-1) inside the disengagement area near Zolote (government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk) on road T-1316, about 900m south of the area’s northern edge, assessed as belonging to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. About 200m further south, inside the disengagement area, the same UAV spotted at least 12 anti-tank mines (TM-62) laid out in two rows across the same road (spotted for the first time on 15 February 2019, see SMM Daily Report 19 February 2019).

During the night of 26-27 February, the SMM camera in Zolote recorded a projectile in flight from north-west to south-east at an assessed range of 2-4km east (assessed as outside the disengagement area). During the day on 27 February, positioned 1.5km south-west of Molodizhne (non-government-controlled, 63km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard two undetermined explosions as well as bursts and shots of small-arms and heavy-machine-gun fire, all at an assessed range of 0.6-6km north and north-west (all assessed as outside the disengagement area). 

During the day on 27 February, positioned close to the disengagement area near Petrivske (non-government-controlled, 41km south of Donetsk) and inside the disengagement area near Stanytsia Luhanska (government-controlled, 16km north-east of Luhansk), the SMM 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 withdrawal lines

Non-government-controlled areas

25 February

An SMM mini-UAV spotted:

• two mortars (2B11 Sani, 120mm) near Donetskyi (49km west of Luhansk).

27 February

The SMM saw:

• a stationary tank (type undetermined) in the northern outskirts of Horlivka (39km north-east of Donetsk).

Weapons that the SMM could not verify as withdrawn*

At heavy weapons holding areas in government-controlled areas of Donetsk region[4]

21 February

The SMM noted that:

• seven multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) (BM-21 Grad, 122mm) were present and
• a self-propelled howitzer (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) and 35 MLRS (BM-21) were missing, including 12 MLRS missing for the first time.

Indications of military and military-type presence in the security zone[5]

Government-controlled areas

26 February

An SMM mini-UAV spotted:

• an IFV (BMP variant) inside a partially destroyed building on the eastern edge of Krasnohorivka (21km west of Donetsk) and
• four IFVs (BMP-1) and two armoured reconnaissance vehicles (BRDM-2) near Novooleksandrivka (65km west of Luhansk).

27 February

The SMM saw:

• an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23, 23mm) near Zalizne (42km north-east of Donetsk);
• two IFVs (BMP variant) in Krasnohorivka (24km north of Donetsk); and
• an armoured personnel carrier (APC) (MT-LB) near Kamianka (20km north of Donetsk).

Non-government-controlled areas

25 February

An SMM mini-UAV spotted:

• an APC (MT-LB) and an armoured reconnaissance vehicle (BRDM-2) next to a former school building used by the armed formations in Donetskyi.

An SMM mid-range UAV spotted:

• three new trench networks near Vedenske (90km south of Donetsk) (not visible in imagery from 27 October 2018).

Presence of new mine hazard signs

The SMM saw for the first time two mine hazard signs in the eastern outskirts of Horlivka: one wooden board with “Stop Mines” written in Russian language and one wooden stake with “Stop Dangerous Zone, Access Forbidden” written in Russian language.

SMM facilitation of repair works to civilian infrastructure

The SMM monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable an inspection of and repair works to water pipelines at the Petrivske water pumping station near Artema (government-controlled, 26km north of Luhansk) and a water pipeline near Shumy (government-controlled, 41km north of Donetsk). The Mission continued to facilitate the operation of the DFS. Due to ceasefire violations in the area, the SMM was unable to monitor the security situation near the Vasylivka Pumping Station (non-government-controlled, 20km north of Donetsk).

SMM monitoring recovery of human remains in Luhansk region

The SMM monitored adherence to the ceasefire to facilitate the recovery of human remains from an area between the forward positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the armed formations near Novooleksandrivka.

Gathering in front of the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Odessa

On 26 February, the SMM monitored a gathering in front of the Consulate General of the Russian Federation at 14 Haharinske Plateau in Odessa. Onsite, the SMM saw about 25 people (mostly men, aged 20-40), including one holding a red-and-black flag, placing about 20 disposable plastic bags filled with pieces of paper and other items into the grating of the fence at the main entrance of the Consulate building. It also observed about 25 law enforcement officers present in the area. The gathering dispersed without incidents.

The Mission continued monitoring in 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 Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination 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 of 25 February 2019). 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:

• Two Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel (one of them visibly armed) denied the SMM entry into a heavy weapons holding area in a government-controlled area of Donetsk region.
• On three occasions, armed members of the armed formations at a checkpoint 600m west of Verkhnoshyrokivske (formerly Oktiabr, non-government-controlled, 29km north-east of Mariupol) denied the SMM passage through the checkpoint after the SMM refused to show its patrol plans all three times.
• A Ukrainian Armed Forces soldier at a checkpoint on the eastern edge of Popasna (government-controlled, 69km west of Luhansk) again did not allow the SMM to proceed south-west on road T-0504, citing orders from his commander.

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] Please see the annexed table for a complete breakdown of the ceasefire violations as well as a map of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions marked with locations featured in this report. During the reporting period, the SMM cameras in Krasnohorivka and at Oktiabr mine were not operational.

[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 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] 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.

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