Weekly Update from the OSCE Observer Mission at Russian Checkpoints Gukovo and Donetsk based on information as of 1 May 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).
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. Due to the Labour Day holiday, the OM was not able to receive and process the usual data on persons crossing at the two BCPs from the Rostov-on-Don region Border Guard Service.
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.
Persons in military-style outfits
During the reporting period, the number of persons in military-style outfits crossing the border in both directions was 65 at both BCPs compared to 66 last week; 39 of them crossed into the Russian Federation, 26 into Ukraine. Approximately 65 percent 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 some 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, three families were observed crossing into the Russian Federation and four were observed crossing into Ukraine, compared to the previous reporting period when two such families were observed crossing the border into the Russian Federation and four 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 393 buses crossing the border at both BCPs (compared to 371 observed during the previous week), 203 of them were bound for the Russian Federation and while the remaining 190 for Ukraine.
Among the bus connections observed by the OTs, the following “irregular” routes or destinations were noted: Kyiv; Luhansk-Kharkov; Rovenky-Kyiv and Stakhanov-Kharkov; Stakhanov-Kyiv; Alchevsk-Kyiv and Luhansk-Kyiv-Moscow.
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 slight 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 went just from 781 to 780 (225 at the Gukovo BCP and 555 at the Donetsk BCP); 412 of these trucks crossed into the Russian Federation and 368 crossed into Ukraine. Most of the trucks observed by the OTs had Ukrainian licence plates issued in the Luhansk region.
Separately, the OTs continued also to observe tanker trucks crossing the border in both directions. The number of tanker trucks decreases from 75 to 63, 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 102 X-ray checks: out of the total number of trucks scanned during the reporting period, 78 trucks (76 percent) were bound for Ukraine; while the remaining 24 trucks (24 percent) crossed into the Russian Federation.
Minivans
The OM continued to observe passenger and cargo minivans[1] 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 168 to 159; 82 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 30 occasions, compared to 31 heard last week; the OTs assessed that 16 trains were travelling to the Russian Federation and the other 14 to 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.
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 Georgia, Lithuania and Armenia. A number of vehicles with “LPR” plates were also observed crossing the border in both directions and at both BCPs.
During the reporting week, the OTs observed ambulances on five occasions; one at the Gukovo BCP and the other four at the Donetsk BCP. These ambulances were observed bearing “LPR” and Russian Federation licence plates. Those with “LPR” plates crossed the border while the ambulances with Russian licence plates arrived at the BCP (Donetsk) from the Russian Federation side, stayed a short while, and returned without crossing the border to Ukraine. In almost all instances the OTs observed either a driver alone, or a crew of two to three medical personnel. No other passengers were observed in any of the vehicles.
For trends and figures at a glance covering the period from 27 March to 1 May 2018, please see the attachment here.
[1] 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).