Weekly Update from the OSCE Observer Mission at Russian Checkpoints Gukovo and Donetsk based on information as of 10 October 2017
This report is for the media and the general public.
SUMMARY
Kamensk-Shakhtinskiy, Russian Federation. The Observer Mission (OM) continues to operate 24/7 at both Border Crossing Points (BCPs). The overall number of border crossings by persons decreased at both BCPs compared to the previous week.
OPERATIONAL REMARKS
The OM is currently operating with 20 permanent international staff members, including the Acting Chief Observer (CO). The Mission is supported administratively by a Vienna-based staff member.
OBSERVATIONS AT THE BORDER CROSSING POINTS
Persons crossing the border
The profile of the people crossing the border can be categorized as follows:
- Adults travelling on foot or by car with little or no luggage;
- Persons in military-style outfits;
- Families (often including elderly people and/or children) travelling on foot or by car with a significant amount of luggage.
The average number of entries/exits decreased from 11,473 to 10,982 per day for both BCPs compared to last week. The average net flow for both BCPs went from minus 193 (i.e. more exits from the Russian Federation) to plus 39 (i.e. more entries into the Russian Federation).
The Donetsk BCP continues to experience more traffic than the Gukovo BCP. The cross-border movements registered at both BCPs accounted for 36.8 per cent of all entries/exits in Rostov region[1].
Persons in military-style outfits
During the reporting period, the number of persons in military-style outfits crossing the border in both directions was 93 this week at both BCPs compared to 70 last week; 35 of them crossed into the Russian Federation, 58 into Ukraine. Approximately 85 per cent of this category’s crossings occurred at the Donetsk BCP. They continued to cross the border individually or in groups. Most individuals crossed by foot, however, some made use of private vehicles, buses or minivans, making it more difficult for the observer teams (OTs) to observe their movement across the border, especially since many of the private vehicles have tinted windows, and buses and minivans have drawn curtains.
Families with a significant amount of luggage
On some occasions, the OTs continue to report on families crossing the border, sometimes with elderly people and/or children, crossing at both BCPs with a significant amount of luggage, or travelling in heavily loaded cars. During this reporting period, at the BCPs six families were observed crossing into the Russian Federation and eight families into Ukraine.
Bus connections
Regular local and long-distance bus connections continue to operate between Ukraine (mostly from/to the Luhansk region) and the Russian Federation. In addition to regular bus connections, the OTs continued to observe bus connections on irregular routes. Often the buses do not state their route; instead they have a sign on the windshield stating “irregular”.
During the reporting period the OTs observed 457 buses crossing the border at both BCPs, 240 of them were bound for the Russian Federation and 217 for Ukraine. Sixteen out of those 457 buses were connecting Ukrainian towns through the Russian Federation (circumventing the contact line).
On some occasions, the OTs noticed the bus drivers removing the itinerary signs from the windshields of their buses, while some buses do not display their route at all. The majority of long-distance buses commuting between the Luhansk region and cities in the Russian Federation have Ukrainian licence plates issued in the Luhansk region.
Trucks
During the reporting period the OM observed a decrease in the number of trucks crossing the border in both directions at both BCPs. Compared to the previous week, the total number of trucks decreased from 831 to 751 (240 in Gukovo BCP and 511 in Donetsk BCP); 460 of these trucks crossed into the Russian Federation and 291 crossed into Ukraine. Most of the trucks observed by the OTs had Ukrainian licence plates issued in the Luhansk region.
Separately, the OTs also observed tanker trucks crossing the border in both directions. The number of tanker trucks slightly decreased from 62 to 59. These trucks were observed crossing the border at both BCPs. The trucks had the words “Propane” and “Flammable” written across the tanks in either Russian or Ukrainian. The majority of tanker trucks have hazard signs, indicating that they are transporting propane or a mix of propane with butane.
All trucks undergo systematic inspection by Russian Federation officials, which may include an X-ray check. Due to the unfavourable position at the Gukovo BCP, the OTs continued to be unable to observe any X-ray checks. At the Donetsk BCP the OTs observed 101 X-ray checks: out of the total number of trucks scanned during the reporting period, 77 trucks (76 per cent) were bound for Ukraine; the remaining 24 trucks (24 per cent) crossed into the Russian Federation.
Minivans
The OM continued to observe passenger and cargo minivans[2] crossing the border in both directions at both BCPs. The OTs observed minivans predominantly with Ukrainian licence plates issued in the Luhansk region; however, the OTs also frequently saw minivans registered in the Russian Federation.
As compared to the previous week, the number of cargo minivans decreased from 214 to 184; 95 crossed to the Russian Federation and 89 to Ukraine.
Trains
The OTs continued to pick up the sound of trains running on the train tracks located approximately 150 metres south-west of the Gukovo BCP. During the reporting week, the OTs heard trains on 39 occasions; the OTs assessed that 19 trains were travelling to the Russian Federation, with the other 20 bound for Ukraine. The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine was regularly informed about the trains bound for Ukraine.
Visual observation was not possible because of the line of trees located between the train tracks and the BCP, as well as due to unfavourable light conditions.
Other observations
The majority of vehicles crossing the border had Ukrainian licence plates issued in the Luhansk region or Russian Federation licence plates. In addition, the OTs also observed vehicles with Belarusian, Georgian, German and Lithuanian licence plates and also a significant number with “LPR” plates crossing the border in both directions.
On 3 October at around 12:45, a convoy of three cars entered the Donetsk BCP from the Ukrainian side and parked in the central area in a line. The first car, a brand new Mercedes SUV, had “LPR” plates while the second one had a Ukrainian licence plate (the OT was not able to observe the plates on the third vehicle). All the vehicles had dark/tinted windows. The drivers and some passengers exited the vehicles until a white minivan arrived from the Ukrainian side bringing a group of people (mainly women). Some passengers from the minivan then got inside the cars. All passengers were dressed in formal attire and some brought flowers. At around 13:00, the three cars and the minivan crossed into the Russian Federation. Directly outside the BCP at the gate, a police patrol was waiting for the convoy and escorted all the vehicles with sirens and lights on.
The following morning, on several occasions, police cars with flashing lights arrived at the BCP gate on the Russian side. At 16:00 a police car entered inside the BCP area from the Russian side and after one minute returned in the same direction.
On 5 October at 14:14 a black minivan with Russian Federation licence plates issued in the Rostov Region with the inscription “Ritual Service” (in Russian language) crossed into Ukraine. Inside the vehicle, the OT noted a driver and a person in military uniform. The same van returned to the Russian Federation at 15:53 bearing the sign “Gruz 200”[3].
On 8 October, the OT at the Gukovo BCP observed two distinct funeral vehicles crossing into Ukraine at 14:35 and 19:20.
[1] Based on data received from Rostov-on-Don region Border Guard Service
[2] Cargo minivans: light commercial vehicles with a maximum authorized mass of more than 3.5 t and not more than 7.5 t; with or without a trailer with a maximum mass of less than 750 kg (small cargo vehicles which correspond to driving licence C1).
[3] “Gruz 200” (Cargo 200) is a well-known Russian military code used for “military personnel killed in action”