Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 18 February 2019 - ReliefWeb
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Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to
Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of
19:30, 18 February 2019
KYIV 19 February 2019
This report is for the media and the general public.
Summary
Compared with the previous 24 hours, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire
violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
The SMM lost a long-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in non-
government-controlled areas of Luhansk region.
The SMM heard explosions and saw two craters caused by the detonation
of explosive devices near its residence in Donetsk city.
It saw small-arms fire damage to an apartment building in Dokuchaievsk
and to a former kindergarten in Zolote-5/Mykhailivka.
The Mission saw military hardware inside the Zolote disengagement area;
an SMM UAV also spotted probable anti-tank mines laid across the road
inside the area.
It facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repair
works to essential civilian infrastructure on both sides of the contact line in
Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
Restrictions of the Mission’s access continued in all three disengagement
areas and elsewhere. It was also restricted at a checkpoint near
Verkhnoshyrokivske and at a compound near Donske.*
A gathering in Kyiv commemorated those who lost their lives during
Maidan-related events in 2014.
Ceasefire violations[1]
In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including about 90
explosions, compared with the previous 24 hours (about 110 explosions). The highest
number of ceasefire violations were recorded in areas south-east of Chermalyk
(government-controlled, 31km north-east of Mariupol).
In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including about 70
explosions, compared with the previous 24 hours (about 200 explosions). The majority
of ceasefire violations, including about 40 explosions assessed as outgoing rounds,
were recorded in areas south-east and north-east of Popasna (government-controlled,
69km west of Luhansk).
SMM loses a long-range unmanned aerial vehicle in Luhansk regionOn 18 February, an SMM long-range UAV lost its GPS signal, assessed as due to jamming, while flying over areas near Donetskyi (non-government-controlled, 49km west of Luhansk). About 600m south-east of Berdianka (non-government-controlled, 45km west of Luhansk), the UAV began spinning uncontrollably and losing altitude. The SMM assessed that the UAV had crashed in the area. (See SMM Spot Report 18 February 2019.)* Explosions in Donetsk city centre On the morning of 18 February, in non-government-controlled Donetsk city, the SMM heard at least two undetermined explosions (one of which it also saw) approximately 100-150m south-south-east of the SMM’s residence on Pushkina Boulevard. The same day, the SMM saw two fresh craters about 100m and 300m south of its residence. At the location of the first crater, 2m east of a gas distribution station, the Mission observed that four bricks and an extended part of the corrugated roof on the east- facing side of the station were damaged. Near the second crater, about 7-8m north of a residential apartment building at 70 Kobozeva Street, the SMM saw dirt and small holes in the north-facing side of the building, consistent with the dirt and pebbles on the ground. The Mission assessed the damage at both sites as having been caused by detonations of explosive devices without casing (type undetermined). (See SMM Spot Report 18 February 2019.) Small-arms fire hit an apartment building and a former kindergarten On 17 February, at 7/75 Vatutina Street, in a north-western neighbourhood of Dokuchaievsk (non-government-controlled, 30km south-west of Donetsk), the SMM saw a hole in the outer window pane and another fresh hole in the inner window pane of a south-facing window on the fifth floor of an inhabited five-storey apartment building. The SMM also observed glass splinters in between the two panes. It assessed the damage as fresh and caused by small-arms fire. On 18 February, the SMM saw 11 fresh bullet holes in the north-west- and north- facing sides of a former two-storey kindergarten building on 22/23 Maryny Chumakovoi Street on the eastern edge of Zolote-5/Mykhailivka (non-government- controlled, 58km west of Luhansk). The SMM also saw a hole in each of two ground- floor north-west- and north-facing windows. The SMM assessed the damaged as fresh and caused by small-arms fire (probably 5.45mm or 7.62mm in calibre). The director of the kindergarten told the SMM that the building had been hit between 09:00 and 11:00 on 15 February. She added that the kindergarten had not been operational for some time. Disengagement areas[2] On 15 February, an SMM mid-range UAV spotted three infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) (BMP-1) inside the disengagement area near Zolote (government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk), assessed as belonging to the Ukrainian Armed Forces: one about 300m south of the disengagement area’s northern edge and about 1.5km west of its eastern edge another about 500m south of its northern edge and 2km west of its
eastern edge, and an additional one about 900m south of its northern edge and 2km
east of its western edge.
The same day, the same UAV spotted for the first time eight probable anti-tank mines
(TM-62) (not seen in imagery from January 2019) laid out in two rows of four across
road T-1316 inside the disengagement area, about 900m south of its northern edge
and about 2km west of its eastern edge. It also spotted about 30 fresh impact craters
(assessed as caused by probable 82mm mortar rounds) about 250m east of the area’s
western edge and about 450m north of its southern edge.
On the evening of 17 February, the SMM camera in Zolote recorded five projectiles in
flight from west to east at an assessed range of 1-2km south-south-west (unable to
assess whether inside or outside the disengagement area).
On 18 February, positioned on the southern-edge of Zolote-5/Mykhailivka, the SMM
heard seven bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire at an assessed range of 3-5km west-
north-west (assessed as outside the disengagement area).
Positioned inside the disengagement area near Stanytsia Luhanska (government-
controlled, 16km north-east of Luhansk), the SMM observed a calm situation.
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.
Beyond withdrawal lines but outside of designated storage sites:
Non-government-controlled areas
16 February
An SMM mini-UAV spotted:
eight self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm), 12 towed howitzers
(D-30 Lyagushka, 122mm), 21 tanks (11 T-64 and ten T-72) and 15 mortars
(2B-11 Sani, 120mm) in a training area near Myrne (28km south-west of
Luhansk) and
21 tanks (11 T-64 and ten T-72) in a training area near Kruhlyk (31km south-
west of Luhansk) (see SMM Daily Report 25 January 2019 for previous
observations in these areas).
Indications of military and military-type presence in the security zone[3]
Government-controlled areas
15 February
An SMM mid-range UAV spotted:an IFV (BMP-1) near Zolote-4/Rodina (59km west of Luhansk).
17 February
An SMM mini-UAV spotted:
an IFV (BMD-2) near Staryi Aidar (20km north-west of Luhansk).
18 February
The SMM saw:
two armoured personnel carriers (MT-LB variant) near Netailove (22km
north-west of Donetsk),
an armoured medical evacuation vehicle (MT-LB S) and three IFVs (BMP-1)
in Popasna; and
four armoured reconnaissance vehicles (one BRM-1K and three BRDM-2)
near Popasna.
Non-government-controlled areas
17 February
An SMM mini-UAV spotted:
five IFVs (BMP-1) and six armoured combat vehicles (probable BMP-1) near
Dovhe (22km north-west of Luhansk).
On 15 February, an SMM long-range UAV spotted for the first time a 200m long
trench, running from north to south west of Pervomaiske (non-government-
controlled, 59km south of Donetsk), assessed as belonging to the armed formations
(not visible in imagery from 22 August 2018), reducing the distance between the
forward positions of the armed formations and the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
On 16 February, an SMM mini-UAV spotted four fresh craters near previously reported
positions of the armed formations in Zolote-5/Mykhailivka, assessed as 82mm mortar
rounds (direction of fire not determined).
On the same day, an SMM mid-range UAV spotted 13 fresh craters, assessed as
impacts of 120mm mortar rounds (direction of fire not determined), in the non-
government-controlled southern part of Dolomitne (53km north-east of Donetsk),
near previously reported positions of the armed formations and trenches leading to
civilian houses.
SMM facilitation of repair works to civilian infrastructure
The SMM monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable inspection and repair works
to water pipelines of the Petrivske water pumping station near Artema (government-
controlled, 26km north of Luhansk) and to power transmission lines near Zolote-2/Karbonit (government-controlled, 62km north-west of Luhansk). The Mission
continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station (15km north of
Donetsk).
Border areas not under government control
While at a border crossing point in Novoborovytsi (79km south of Luhansk) for about
30 minutes, the SMM observed no cross-border traffic.
Gathering in Kyiv commemorates those who lost their lives during Maidan-
related events in 2014
In Kyiv, the SMM observed a pre-announced gathering and prayer service of about
135 people (12-75 years old, mixed gender) around a small chapel at 6 Heroyiv
Nebesnoyi Sotni Alley to commemorate those who lost their lives during Maidan-
related events in 2014. The SMM saw that some participants wore camouflage
clothing with “Right Sector” insignias. The SMM also saw two police cars and four
police officers. No incidents were observed.
The SMM continued monitoring in Kherson, 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 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 18 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.
Denial of access:
On two occasions, members of the armed formations denied the SMM
passage at a checkpoint about 600m west of Verkhnoshyrokivske (non-
government-controlled, 29km north-east of Mariupol). On the first
occasion, a member of the armed formations asked the SMM to provide its
patrol plan; when the SMM refused to do so, he denied it access at the
checkpoint.
Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel denied the SMM access to a compound
near Donske (government-controlled, 57km south of Donetsk).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.
At a checkpoint of the armed formations about 3km south of the bridge in
Shchastia (government-controlled, 20km north of Luhansk), a member of
the armed formations told the SMM that mines on the road leading north
had not been cleared.
Other impediments:
On 18 February, an SMM long range-UAV lost its GPS signal, assessed as
due to jamming, while flying in areas near Donetskyi.[4] The SMM assessed
that the UAV had crashed near Berdianka (non-government-controlled,
45km west of Luhansk) (see above).
[1] For a complete breakdown of ceasefire violations, please see the annexed table.
During the reporting period, the SMM cameras in Svitlodarsk and Krasnohorivka 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] The hardware mentioned in this section is not proscribed by the provisions of the
Minsk agreements on the withdrawal of weapons.
[4] The interference could have originated from anywhere within the radius of several
kilometres of the UAV’s position.
Contacts
Dragana Nikolic-Solomon
Chief of Press and Public Information Unit
OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine
26 Turhenievska Street
01054 Kyiv
Ukraine
Office: +380 44 392 08 55
Mobile: +380 95 291 99 18
Dragana.Nikolic-Solomon@osce.org
smm-press@osce.org
Liudmyla PalamarNational Outreach Officer OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine 26 Turhenievska Street 01054 Kyiv Ukraine Office: +380 44 392 0965 Mobile: +38 067 828 06 79 Mobile: +38 050 387 93 98 liudmyla.palamar@osce.org smm-media@osce.org
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