Monitoring Mission to Ukraine
Daily Report for February 19, 2022

Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe

(February 19, 2022) — Here is the OSCE Monitoring Mission’s latest daily report, detailing yesterday’s ceasefire violations and explosions:

There were 1,566 violations, including 1,413 explosions, compared with 870 violations on Thursday. The map now shows a large concentration of explosions inside the northwest border of the Luhansk People’s Republic, consistent with an escalating artillery bombardment of that area by government forces.

Summary: Daily Report 39/2022

• In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded 591 ceasefire violations, including 553 explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 222 ceasefire violations in the region.
• In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded 975 ceasefire violations, including 860 explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 648 ceasefire violations in the region.
• The SMM corroborated reports of a civilian casualty in government-controlled Marinka, Donetsk region.
• The Mission followed up on reports of damage to a school in government-controlled Vrubivka in Luhansk region.
• The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. It recorded ceasefire violations (including explosions) close to the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska and Zolote.
• The Mission monitored the operation of critical civilian infrastructure.
  ·The SMM continued to follow up on the situation of civilians, including at four entry-exit checkpoints and three corresponding checkpoints of the armed formations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

· The Mission monitored a gathering in Kyiv.
·The SMM’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted, including at two checkpoints of armed formations in Donetsk region.*

Ceasefire violations rise as Ukraine attacks  Donetsk region.

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded 591 ceasefire violations, including 553 explosions (46 outgoing and 507 undetermined). The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded on the morning of 18 February in areas north, north-north-east, west, and north-west of Horlivka (non- government-controlled, 39km north-east of Donetsk), west and west-north-west of Donetsk city (non-government-controlled), south-west of Novoluhanske (government-controlled, 53km north-east of Donetsk), and south-west and north-north-west of Mykolaivka (government- controlled, 40km south of Donetsk). In the previous reporting period, the Mission recorded 222 ceasefire violations in the region, some of which also occurred in areas near Donetsk city.

In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded 975 ceasefire violations, including 860 explosions (59 outgoing, 57 impacts and 744 undetermined). The majority of ceasefire violations were recorded in areas close to the disengagement area near Stanytsia Luhanska (government- controlled, 16km north-east of Luhansk) (see below), in areas north, south-west, north-west and north-north-west of Kadiivka (formerly Stakhanov, non-government-controlled, 50km west of Luhansk), and in areas close to the disengagement area near Zolote (government- controlled, 60km west of Luhansk).

The Mission also assessed 50 ceasefire violations near Novopavlivka (non-government-controlled, 25km south-west of Luhansk) and 32 shots of small-arms fire near Kruhlyk (non-government-controlled, 31km south-west of Luhansk) as live-fire training exercises outside the security zone. In the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded 648 ceasefire violations in the region, the majority of which also occurred near the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska and Zolote.

Following agreement reached at the meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group on 22 July 2020 regarding Measures to strengthen the ceasefire, from 00:01 on 27 July 2020 until the end of the reporting period, the SMM has recorded at least 111,768 ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions (including 31,759 explosions, 25,981 projectiles in flight, 477 muzzle flashes, 497 illumination flares, and at least 53,054 bursts and shots).

Ukrainian tanks on the move in eastern regions.

Civilian Casualty Corroborated in
Government-controlled Marinka, Donetsk Region

The Mission followed up on reports of a civilian injured in government-controlled Marinka (23km south-west of Donetsk).

On 17 February, a woman (65 years old) told the SMM over the phone that she had been waiting at a bus stop in the centre of Marinka that same morning, near School No.2 at 4, Druzhby Avenue, about 1.5km west of the contact line. She said that she suddenly noticed nearby trees being hit by shrapnel and ran for shelter. Before she could make it to a nearby shop, she felt that her left hand had been hit by a piece of metal. She added that an ambulance brought her to a hospital in Kurakhove (government-controlled, 40km west of Donetsk).

On the same day, a police officer in Kurakhove told the Mission over the phone that, on the morning of 17 February, a woman (in her sixties) had been waiting at a bus stop near School No.2 in Marinka, and had sustained injuries to her left hand from shrapnel.

One the same day, medical staff at a hospital in Kurakhove told the SMM over the phone that, during the same morning, a woman (in her sixties) had been admitted with injuries to her left hand consistent with those caused by shrapnel.

Damage to a Working School in Vrubivka, Luhansk Region

On 17 February, the Mission followed up on reports of damage to a working school in the centre of Vrubivka (government-controlled, 72km west of Luhansk), located approximately 11km north-west of the disengagement area near Zolote.

At 5 Shkilna Street, about 50m south-west of the south-west facing wall of a two-storey school building, the SMM observed an impact crater (1.5m in diameter) in the school’s yard, as well as three broken windows and a front door with a broken glass pane. The SMM noted that the broken windows and front door had been partially sealed with large sheets of paper.

The SMM assessed the crater and damage as recent and caused by the impact of an artillery round (of an unknown calibre) fired from a south-eastern direction.

Also, staff at the school told the Mission that she had heard shelling occurring on the morning of 17 February, while children had been in their classrooms, but reported no injuries.

Disengagement Areas Near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske5

SMM cameras at Prince Ihor (15km north-east of Luhansk) and in Stanytsia Luhanska recorded 20 explosions (three impacts and 17 undetermined), while SMM patrols heard 247 explosions (14 impacts and 233 undetermined) and 38 bursts and shots of small-arms and heavy-machine- gun fire.

All of these ceasefire violations were assessed as outside the disengagement area near Stanytsia Luhanska, but within 5km of its periphery (see above). Also, the SMM camera in Stanytsia Luhanska recorded three undetermined explosions, while an SMM patrol recorded eight such explosions, unable to assess whether inside or outside the disengagement area. (For details, see the table below.)

Inside the disengagement area, the Mission observed two members of the armed formations (wearing armbands with “JCCC” written on them) south of the repaired span of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge.

SMM patrols heard 134 undetermined explosions and eleven bursts and shots of small-arms and heavy-machine-gun fire, all assessed as outside the disengagement area near Zolote, but within 5km of its periphery. Also, an SMM patrol recorded four undetermined explosions, unable to assess whether inside or outside the disengagement area.