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

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 region and fewer in Luhansk region.
• The Mission learned about readiness to observe the recommitment to the ceasefire by the Ukrainian side of the JCCC and the armed formations in Donetsk and Luhansk starting from 00:01 on 21 July.
• The SMM followed up on a woman who died of shrapnel injuries in Donetsk city.
• The Mission saw fresh damage caused by gunfire to civilian properties in Donetsk city and in Marinka.
• Inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area, the SMM continued to monitor demining activities and the operation of a shuttle bus service in government-controlled areas north of the bridge.
• The Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to facilitate repairs to water pipelines near Horlivka and Maiorsk, as well as to power lines near Novokyivka.
• Restrictions of the SMM’s access continued, including at a checkpoint near non-government-controlled Verkhnoshyrokivske.*

Ceasefire violations[1]

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including more explosions (73) compared with the previous reporting period (35 explosions). The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded at southerly directions of Chermalyk (government-controlled, 31km north-east of Mariupol) and at north-easterly directions of Hnutove (government-controlled, 20km north-east of Mariupol).        

In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including fewer explosions (14), compared with the previous reporting period (about 30 explosions). The majority of ceasefire violations, including ten explosions were recorded in areas close to the disengagement area near Zolote (government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk) (see also below).

On 20 July (outside the reporting period), the Ukrainian side of the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC)[2] informed the SMM in a letter, and the armed formations in Donetsk and Luhansk made public statements, about the readiness to observe the recommitment to the ceasefire starting at 00:01 on 21 July, in connection with the agreement reached at the meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group in Minsk on 17 July.

Woman died in Donetsk city due to shrapnel injuries

On 19 July, at a hospital in Donetsk city (non-government-controlled), medical staff told the SMM that in the evening hours of 18 July, a 68-year-old woman had been admitted to the hospital but died shortly after due to traumatic and haemorrhagic shock caused by multiple shrapnel wounds to her abdomen and legs. The SMM visited the house of the deceased woman at 7/2 Makarenka Street of Donetsk city’s Kyivskyi district (non-government-controlled, about 2.3km south-west of the contact line), where it saw a fresh hole (1m in diameter) in the north-west facing wall of the one-storey house and north-western side of its roof, as well as debris from the roof under the hole inside the house. The SMM saw fresh blood stains along the brick wall at the entrance of the house along with remains of used first aid material. A resident of 11/1 Makarenka Street (35m south-west of 7/2 Makarenka Street) told the SMM that on 18 July, between 17:00 and 18:00 he heard five loud explosions while at his house, with the first explosion hitting the house at 7/2 Makarenka Street, where a woman was injured while watering plants outside. Another man, resident of 4/1/2 Makarenka Street (about 45m north, located across 7/2 Makarenka Street) told the SMM that at around 17:00, while working on his car outside the house, he heard five explosions, and he saw the first explosion hitting the house at 7/2 Makarenka Street and heard a woman screaming outside the house.

Fresh damage to civilian properties in Donetsk city and Marinka

On 19 July, in Donetsk city’s Kyivskyi district, at 4/1/2 Makarenka Street, the SMM saw a fresh hole on the north-western side of the roof of a one-storey inhabited house, assessed as caused by a mortar round that had penetrated the ceiling and an internal wall dividing the living room and bedroom, where the SMM saw an entry hole on one side of the wall and exit hole on the other side where the SMM saw the mark left by the mortar tailfin. A woman (in her sixties), presenting herself as a resident of the house, told the SMM that on 18 July at 17:00 she was in the house while her husband was in the garage when she heard one loud explosion and she took cover in the basement where she heard the second explosion that hit her house. The husband (in his sixties) told the SMM that he was outside the house when he heard the first explosion at 7/2 Makarenka Street and heard a woman screaming (see above).

On the same day, in Marinka (government-controlled, 23km south-west of Donetsk), at 45 Prokofieva Street (approximately 1.5km west of the contact line), the SMM saw a hole (30cm in diameter) and five destroyed bricks in the left upper corner on the north-east facing wall of an inhabited house. The SMM saw another hole (8cm in diameter) on the left lower side of the same wall and shattered glass at the upper corner of the window located on the same wall. The Mission assessed the damage as fresh and caused by 30mm projectile. A woman (in her forties) residing in the house, told the SMM that gunfire had occurred in the evening of 11 July when at around 22:30, while inside the house, she heard an explosion hit her house. At 54 Prokofieva Street, the SMM saw four fresh holes (3cm in diameter each) on the north-east facing side of a one-storey inhabited house. A man (in his seventies), presenting himself as a resident, told the SMM that on 11 July at around 22:20 he was inside the house with his wife when he heard gunfire.

Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area

On 18 July, the SMM saw a white armoured personnel carrier (APC) (Kozak), assessed as belonging to the State Emergency Services (SES) passing the entry-exit checkpoint (EECP) north of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge (15km north of Luhansk) and driving south. Outside the disengagement area, 200m south of the EECP, the Mission saw six people conducting demining activity. The SMM also saw two members of the armed formations wearing armbands with “JCCC” written on them, standing on the southern part of the broken bridge.

On 19 July, inside the disengagement area, around 120m south of the EECP, the Mission saw five unarmed personnel of the Ukrainian Armed Forces laying concertina wire in a field west of the road leading to the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge. The SMM also saw five members of the armed formations wearing armbands with “JCCC” written on them near the near the southern part of the broken bridge.

The Mission again saw a bus transporting people in government-controlled areas north of the bridge, mainly elderly, from an area about 250m south of the EECP to the broken section of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge and back, leaving about every 15 minutes.

Other disengagement areas[3]

On the evening and night between 18-19 July, the SMM camera in Zolote recorded ten undetermined explosions at an assessed range of 1-4km south-east and south-south-east and 16 projectiles in flight at an assessed range of 1-5km south-south-east and south-west, all assessed as inside the disengagement area. The same camera also recorded 12 projectiles at an assessed range of 1-3.5km at south-easterly and south-westerly directions assessed as outside the disengagement area but within its 5km periphery. On 19 July, positioned at four locations near the disengagement area near Zolote, the Mission heard four undetermined explosions and 11 shots and bursts of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all assessed as outside the disengagement area but within its 5km periphery.

On 17 July, aerial imagery available to the SMM revealed the presence of a tank (type undetermined) 300m west of the disengagement area near Petrivske (non-government-controlled, 41km south of Donetsk) (see below). It also revealed multiple craters and probably destroyed defensive positions, assessed as belonging to the armed formations, in the south-eastern corner of the disengagement area (partly inside of the area), as well as at least 30 impacts about 600m east of it (all not seen in imagery from 26 Jun 2019). On 19 July, positioned close to the disengagement area near Petrivske, the SMM observed a calm situation.[4]

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 July

Aerial imagery available to the SMM revealed the presence of a tank (type undetermined) 300m west of the disengagement area near Petrivske (see above).

Beyond withdrawal lines but outside of designated storage sites

Non-government-controlled areas

19 July

The SMM saw ten tanks (T-64) and three self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) in a training area near Kruhlyk (31km south-west of Luhansk).

Weapons permanent storage site

At a permanent storage site in a non-government-controlled area of Luhansk region

19 July

The SMM noted that 29 tanks (18 T-64 and 11 T-72), four towed howizters (D-30 Lyagushka, 122mm), two self-propelled howitzers (2S1) and nine mortars (82mm) remained missing.

Indications of military presence in the security zone[5]

Government-controlled areas

18 July

An SMM long-range unmanned aerial vehicle spotted:

• two armoured combat vehicles (ACV) (types undetermined) near Lopaskyne (23km north-west of Luhansk);
• two communication vehicles (types undetermined) near Oleksandropillia (71km west of Luhansk);
• an infantry fighting vehicle (probable BMP-1) about 100m north of the northern edge of the disengagement area near Stanytsia Luhanska.

19 July

The SMM saw:

• an APC (MT-LB) near Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk);
• three APC (BTR-70) near Voitove (33km north-west of Luhansk);
• an APC (BTR-70) inside a concrete shelter outside the disengagement area near Stanytsia Luhanska.

Fresh craters near Vodiane and burnt grass areas near Pikuzy

On 14 July, aerial imagery available to the SMM revealed a 50m-long extension of an existing trench and the presence of seven fresh craters about 1km west of Vodiane (government-controlled, 19km north-east of Mariupol), between positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the armed formations. It also observed newly burnt areas of grass about 1km east and about 1.5km south-west of Pikuzy (formerly Kominternove, non-government-controlled, 23km north-east of Mariupol) (all not seen in imagery from 02 Jul 2019).

SMM facilitation of repairs to civilian infrastructure

The Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to a pump station near Raivka (non-government-controlled, 16km north-west of Luhansk), to power transmission lines in Novokyivka (non-government-controlled, 25km east of Luhansk), to water pipelines near Horlivka (non-government-controlled, 39km north-east of Donetsk) and Maiorsk (government-controlled, 45km north-east of Donetsk), to phenol sludge reservoir near Zalizne (government-controlled, 42km north-east of Donetsk).

The SMM also continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS) (15km north of Donetsk) and monitor the security situation in the area of the pumping station near Vasylivka (non-government-controlled, 20km north of Donetsk). In the morning of 19 July, the SMM saw and heard two impact explosions 500m south-east of the DFS and one hour after commencement of monitoring the security situation near Vasylivka, the SMM left the area due to ceasefire violations in the area.  

Border areas outside government control

On 19 July, while at a border crossing point near Marynivka (78km east of Donetsk) for about an hour, the SMM saw 17 cars (three with Ukrainian and seven with Russian Federation licence plates, as well as seven with “DPR” plates) entering Ukraine. The Mission also saw 16 cars (six with Ukrainian and six with Russian Federation licence plates, as well as four with “DPR” plates) and one bus with Ukrainian licence plates, exiting Ukraine.

On the same day, while at the border crossing point near Izvaryne (52km south-east of Luhansk), for about nine minutes, the SMM saw 32 cars (11 with Ukrainian, 13 with Russian Federation, two with Georgian and one with Lithuanian licence plates, and  five with “LPR” plates) queueing to exit Ukraine. After about nine minutes, a member of the armed formations told the SMM to leave the area.*

While at the border crossing point near Sievernyi (50km south-east of Luhansk), for about 15 minutes, the SMM saw two female pedestrians entering Ukraine and three pedestrians (one man and two women) exiting Ukraine. While at the border crossing point near Verkhnoharasymivka (57km south-east of Luhansk), for about ten minutes, the SMM saw four pedestrians (two men and two women) exiting and no pedestrians entering Ukraine.

The SMM continued monitoring in Kherson, Odessa, Lviv, Kharkiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, 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 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, SMM Daily Report 15 July 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:

• At a checkpoint about 600m west of Verkhnoshyrokivske (formerly Oktiabr, non-government-controlled, 29km north-east of Mariupol), on three occasions an armed member of the armed formations denied the SMM passage, citing “orders from superiors” and “demining activities”.
• At a border crossing point near Izvaryne (non-government-controlled, 52km south-east of Luhansk), a member of the armed formations told the SMM to leave the area.

Regular restrictions related to disengagement areas and mines/UXO:

• The sides continued to deny the SMM full access to 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:

• During the evening and night of the 18-19 July, an SMM long range-UAV lost its GPS signal, assessed as due to probable jamming, while flying over Stepanivka (government-controlled, 54km north of Donetsk), between Stanytsia Luhanska (government-controlled, 16km north-east of Luhansk) and Smile (non-government-controlled, 31km north-west of Luhansk), between Sentianivka (formerly Frunze, non-government-controlled, 44km west of Luhansk) and Stepanivka (government-controlled, 54km north of Donetsk), and, assessed as jamming while flying over Chasiv Yar (government-controlled, 62km north of Donetsk) and Paraskoviivka (government-controlled, 75km north of Donetsk).[6]

[1] For a complete breakdown of ceasefire violations, please see the annexed table.

[2] The Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) was established in September 2014 by Ukraine and the Russian Federation. Each posted a representative to jointly head the Centre and a staff of officers from the Ukrainian and Russian Federation Armed Forces to be co-located in defined sectors of Luhansk and Donetsk regions. In December 2017, Russian Federation Armed Forces officers withdrew from the JCCC and departed Ukraine.

[3]Disengagement is foreseen in the Framework Decision of the Trilateral Contact Group relating to disengagement of forces and hardware of 21 September 2016.

[4] 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.

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

[6] The interference could have originated from anywhere within the radius of kilometres from the UAVs’ position.