Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 17 June 2019
This report is for the media and the general public.
Summary
- Compared with the previous 24 hours, the Mission recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
- The SMM again saw damage from gunfire to a functioning school in Zolote-5/Mykhailivka, and saw damage from shelling to residential houses in Khreshchatytske. It also observed damage to an agricultural building near Dokuchaievsk and craters in Prymorske and Sosnivske, as well as near Mykolaivka and Zaitseve.
- Inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area, the Mission saw an anti-aircraft gun and a trench extension and recorded a ceasefire violation.
- The SMM spotted anti-tank mines near Nyzhnie Lozove and Vesela Hora.
- The Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable the operation of critical civilian infrastructure.
- Restrictions of the SMM’s access continued in all three disengagement area and elsewhere.*
Ceasefire violations[1]
In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including more explosions (about 80), compared with the previous 24 hours (about 25 explosions). The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded in the area east of Hnutove (government-controlled, 20km north-east of Mariupol) and south-east of Pyshchevyk (government-controlled, 25km north-east of Mariupol).
In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded more ceasefire violations, including more explosions (about 280), compared with the previous 24 hours (about 50 explosions). The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded at easterly and southerly directions of Popasna (government-controlled, 69km west of Luhansk) and in areas north of Hannivka (non-government-controlled, 58km west of Luhansk).
Damage from gunfire at a functioning school in Zolote-5/Mykhailivka
In Zolote-5/Mykhailivka (non-government-controlled, 58km west of Luhansk), at a functioning school on Myru Street, the SMM saw fresh holes in three north-west facing windows (one on the first floor and two on the second floor) in a three-storey brick building. The Mission saw shattered glass on the floor inside the building below two of the windows. It assessed the damage as caused by gunfire. A school employee (woman, 50 years old) told the SMM that she had found the damage after 06:00 on 17 June. This is the tenth time that the Mission has reported on damage at this school since the beginning of the year (for the most recent observations at this location, see SMM Daily Report 15 June 2019).
Fresh damage from shelling at residential houses in Khreshchatytske
In Khreshchatytske (formerly Krasnoarmiiske, non-government-controlled, 33km north-east of Mariupol), at a one-storey house at 3 Zoi Kosmodemianskoi Street, the SMM saw a shrapnel hole in a corrugated asbestos roof panel on the south-facing side of the roof. The Mission assessed the damage as caused by an airburst, but could not determine the direction of fire or weapon used. A resident of the house (woman in her sixties) told the SMM that in the early morning hours of 17 June she had been at home when she heard explosions near her house.
About 1.3km further south-east, on the south-eastern edge of Khreshchatytske, the SMM saw a fresh crater in soft soil on the side of a local road, assessed as caused by a 122mm artillery round, fired from a westerly direction. About 30m north-north-west of the crater, it also saw two fresh holes on a concrete electrical pylon, assessed as shrapnel damage. Approximately 30m north-north-east from the aforementioned crater, the Mission observed a shattered south-facing window and a fresh hole in the south-facing wall of a one-storey house at 1 Stepova Street, assessed as shrapnel damage. Two residents of the house (a man and a woman in their sixties) told the Mission that on the night of 15-16 June, they had heard eight explosions near their house and that the electricity and gas supply to the village had been cut (and restored around noon on 16 June).
About 350m further east-south-east, 1m from the eastern edge of the road to Kachkarske (non-government-controlled, 35km north-east of Mariupol), the SMM saw another fresh crater in soft soil, assessed as caused by a 122mm artillery round fired from a westerly direction.
Damage to an agricultural building near Dokuchaievsk and craters near Prymorske, Sosnivske, Mykolaivka and Zaitseve
On 14 June, an SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted an impact to the roof of an agricultural building south-west of Dokuchaievsk (non-government-controlled, 30km south-west of Donetsk) (not visible in imagery from 21 April 2019).
On 15 June, in a residential area on the northern edge of Prymorske (non-government-controlled, 76km south of Donetsk), an SMM mini-UAV spotted 11 fresh craters in the garden of a house, including three within 10m of the property, assessed as caused by 82mm mortar rounds fired from a westerly direction.
About 3km further south-west, the same UAV spotted eight fresh craters in a field on the eastern outskirts of Sosnivske (non-government-controlled, 78km south of Donetsk), assessed as caused by 122mm artillery rounds fired from a north-westerly direction (for previous observations in the area see SMM Daily Report 28 May 2019).
About 7km further north-west, the same UAV spotted six fresh craters on an unpaved road about 1.3km south-east of Mykolaivka (non-government-controlled, 70km south of Donetsk): three assessed as caused by 82mm mortar rounds and three as caused by grenades (AGS-17/30, 30mm), all fired from a north-westerly direction.
On 16 June, an SMM long-range UAV spotted two fresh craters in a treeline about 1.3km north-east of Zaitseve (50km north-east of Donetsk), assessed as caused by probable 122mm artillery rounds fired from a southerly direction.
Disengagement areas[2]
On 15 June, inside the disengagement area near Stanytsia Luhanska (government-controlled, 16km north-east of Luhansk), an SMM mini-UAV spotted a 100m-long extension of a trench running from east to west, about 650m west-south-west of the armed formations checkpoint south of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge (15km north-east of Luhansk), near previously reported positions of the armed formations (not seen in previous imagery from 2 June 2019). The same UAV also spotted an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23, 23mm) among uninhabited damaged houses inside the disengagement area, about 110m east of the aforementioned trench (for previous observations see SMM Daily Report 9 April 2019). On 16 June, outside the disengagement area, an SMM-mini UAV spotted a new 150m-long trench running from north to south close to civilian houses, about 700m north-west of the northern edge of the area (not visible in imagery from 2 June). On the evening of 17 June, the SMM camera at the Prince Ihor monument south-east of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge recorded a muzzle flash at an assessed distance of 1.5km north, assessed as inside the disengagement area.
On 16 June, inside the disengagement area near Zolote (government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk), an SMM long-range UAV spotted for the first time a defensive position, 5m west of previously observed trenches of the armed formations and about 900m north of the checkpoint of the armed formations on the southern edge of the disengagement area. During the day on 16 June, the same camera recorded smoke near the ground at assessed ranges of 0.5-1km east-south-east and 1-1.5km south, within 5km of the disengagement area’s periphery. On the evening of 17 June, the same camera recorded an undetermined explosion at an assessed range of 1-1.5km east-south-east, assessed as within 5km of the disengagement area’s periphery. During the day on 17 June, while in Popasna and positioned on the western edge of Pervomaisk (non-government-controlled, 58km west of Luhansk) and on the south-western edge of Zolote-5/Mykhailivka, the SMM heard about 190 undetermined explosions and about 190 bursts and shots of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all within 5km of the disengagement area’s periphery.
On 17 June, positioned north of the disengagement area near Petrivske (non-government-controlled, 41km south of Donetsk), 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:
Government-controlled areas
17 June
The SMM saw a surface-to-air missile system (9K35 Strela-10) about 20m from residential buildings in Novhorodske (35km north of Donetsk).
Indications of military and military-type presence in the security zone[4]
Government-controlled areas
15 June
An SMM long-range UAV spotted:
- an armoured personnel carrier (APC) (MT-LB) near Krymske (42km north-west of Luhansk) and
- two armoured combat vehicles (ACV) (BMP variants) near Prychepylivka (50km north-west of Luhansk).
17 June
The SMM saw an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (BMP-2) about 20m from residential buildings in Novhorodske.
Non-government-controlled areas15 June
An SMM mini-UAV spotted an APC (BTR-80) about 40m from the playground of a functioning school in Lukove (72km south of Donetsk).
An SMM mid-range UAV spotted an APC (BTR-70 or BTR-80) near Nyzhnie Lozove (59km north-east of Donetsk).
An SMM long-range UAV spotted:
- six IFVs (three BMP-1 and three BMP variants) near Kruhlyk (65km south-west of Luhansk) and
- two ACVs (type undetermined) near Zorynsk (54km south-west of Luhansk).
Presence of anti-tank mines near Nyzhnie Lozove and Vesela Hora
On 15 June, an SMM mid-range UAV again spotted seven anti-tank mines (TM-62) laid across road M-03 about 2.5km west of Nyzhnie Lozove. On 16 June, an SMM mini-UAV spotted again four anti-tank mines laid across road H-21 near Vesela Hora (non-government-controlled, 16km north of Luhansk). About 750m further north-west, the same UAV spotted for the first time eight anti-tank mines laid in one row across the western lane of the same road.
SMM facilitated operation of civilian infrastructure
The SMM facilitated the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station (15km north of Donetsk) and continued to monitor the security situation in the area of the pumping station near Vasylivka (non-government-controlled, 20km north of Donetsk).
The SMM continued monitoring in Kherson, Odessa, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Chernivtsi and Kyiv.
*Restrictions of the 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 on 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, SMM Daily Report 12 June 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.
Denial of access:
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.
Other impediments:
- On the evening of 16 June, an SMM long-range UAV experienced GPS signal interference, assessed as due to jamming, while flying near Kamyshne (government-controlled, 31km north-east of Luhansk) and Stanytsia Luhanska (government-controlled, 16km north-east of Luhansk).[5]
[1] For a complete breakdown of ceasefire violations, please see the annexed table. During this reporting period, the SMM camera at Oktiabr mine (non-government-controlled, 9km north-west of Donetsk) was 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 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.
[5] The interference could have originated from anywhere within a radius of kilometres from the UAVs’ positions.