Weekly Update from the OSCE Observer Mission at Russian Checkpoints Gukovo and Donetsk based on information as of 3 April 2018
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 increased at both BCPs. On 29 March 2018 the seventy-third Russian convoy of 16 vehicles crossed into Ukraine and returned back to the Russian Federation through the Donetsk BCP.
OPERATIONAL REMARKS
The OM is currently operating with 22 permanent international staff members, including the 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:
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Adults travelling on foot or by car with little or no luggage;
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Persons in military-style outfits;
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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 increased from 9,148 to 10,349 per day for both BCPs compared to last week. The average net flow for both BCPs went from minus 25 to minus 72 (i.e., more exits from 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 37.1 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 62 at both BCPs compared to 57 last week; 28 of them crossed into the Russian Federation, 34 into Ukraine. Approximately 81 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
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 week, five families were observed crossing into the Russian Federation and seven were observed crossing into Ukraine compared to the previous reporting period when three such families were observed crossing the border 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 374 buses crossing the border at both BCPs (compared to 346 observed during the previous week), 192 of them were bound for the Russian Federation and 182 for Ukraine.
Among the bus connections observed by the OTs, the following “irregular” routes or destinations were noted: Kyiv; Luhansk-Kyiv; Luhansk-Kyiv-Moscow; Rovenky-Kyiv; Pervomaisk-Kyiv and Stakhanov-Kyiv.
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 an increase in the number of trucks crossing the border in both directions at both BCPs. Compared to the previous week, the total number of trucks went from 764 to 868 (241 at the Gukovo BCP and 627 at the Donetsk BCP); 506 of these trucks crossed into the Russian Federation and 362 crossed into Ukraine. Most of the trucks observed by the OTs had Ukrainian licence plates issued in the Luhansk region.
Separately, the OTs continued to observe also tanker trucks crossing the border in both directions. The number of tanker trucks increased from 50 to 58, compared to the previous reporting period. 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 141 X-ray checks: out of the total number of trucks scanned during the reporting period, 90 trucks (64 per cent) were bound for Ukraine; the remaining 51 trucks (36 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 increased from 134 to 156; 79 crossed into the Russian Federation and 77 into 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 20 occasions, compared to 21 heard last week; the OTs assessed that 10 trains were travelling to the Russian Federation, with the other same number 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 and weather conditions.
Convoy
On 29 March 2018 at 06:50 (Moscow time), the seventy-third[3] Russian convoy arrived at the Donetsk BCP. A total of 16 vehicles were checked by the Russian border guards and customs services prior to their crossing into Ukraine. All 16 vehicles had crossed back into the Russian Federation by 14:26 on 29 March (see the OM Spot Report of 29 March 2018: https://www.osce.org/observer-mission-at-russian-checkpoints-gukovo-and-...).
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 registered in Lithuania and Georgia. A number of vehicles with “LPR” plates were also observed crossing the border in both directions.
On 28 March at 15:40, the OT at the Donetsk BCP observed a white van with a red cross sign and with “LPR” registration plates, crossing the border from Ukraine into the Russian Federation.
Later on the same day at 22:30, the OT observed an ambulance with Russian license plates crossing the border from the Russian Federation into Ukraine. On both occasions, the OT was not able to observe if someone was transported or not.
For trends and figures at a glance covering the period from 27 March to 3 April 2018, please see the attachment here.
[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]According to the statement of the Russian Federation officials, this convoy is considered to be the seventy-fifth Russian convoy which was sent to Ukraine. As two of these convoys did not cross through the “Donetsk” or “Gukovo” border crossing points, the Observer Mission did not record them. Hence, based on the Observer Mission’s counting, this convoy is considered the 73rd convoy that has crossed into Ukraine.