Weekly Update from the OSCE Observer Mission at Russian Checkpoints Gukovo and Donetsk based on information as of 15 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). The overall number of border crossings by persons decreased at both BCPs. On 8 May 2018 the seventy-fourth Russian convoy of 16 vehicles crossed into Ukraine and returned back to the Russian Federation through the Donetsk Border Crossing Point.
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:
- 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 11,139 to 10,569 per day for both BCPs compared to last week. The average net flow for both BCPs went from minus 551 (i.e., more exits from the Russian Federation) to plus 516 (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 36.2 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 54 at both BCPs compared to 45 last week; 28 of them crossed into the Russian Federation, 26 into Ukraine. Approximately 67 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 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, at both BCPs with a significant amount of luggage, or travelling in heavily loaded cars. During this reporting week, four families were observed crossing into the Russian Federation and six were observed crossing into Ukraine, compared to the previous reporting period when the same number of such families were observed crossing the border into the Russian Federation and 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 353 buses crossing the border at both BCPs (compared to 343 observed during the previous week), 182 of them were bound for the Russian Federation and 171 for Ukraine.
Among the bus connections observed by the OTs, the following “irregular” routes or destinations were noted: Alchevsk-Kyiv; Kyiv; Luhansk – Kharkiv; Luhansk - Kyiv – Moscow; Pervomaisk – Kyiv; Rovenky-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 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 went from 716 to 559 (206 at the Gukovo BCP and 353 at the Donetsk BCP); 354 of these trucks crossed into the Russian Federation and 205 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 decreased from 68 to 46, 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 88 X-ray checks: out of the total number of trucks scanned during the reporting period, 59 trucks (67 per cent) were bound for Ukraine; the remaining 29 trucks (33 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 145 to 112; 59 crossed into the Russian Federation and 53 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 40 occasions, compared to 37 last week; the OTs assessed that 18 trains were travelling to the Russian Federation and 22 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.
Convoy
On 8 May 2018 at 06:57 (Moscow time), the seventy-fourth[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 15:53 on 8 May (see the OM Spot Report of 8 May 2018: https://www.osce.org/observer-mission-at-russian-checkpoints-gukovo-and-donetsk/380347).
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 Belarus, Estonia, Germany, Lithuania and Uzbekistan. A number of vehicles with “LPR” and “DPR” plates were also observed crossing the border in both directions.
On 12 May at 18:55 a funeral service vehicle arrived at the Gukovo BCP from the Russian side and crossed quickly into Ukraine. The same day at 20:42 the vehicle returned to the Russian Federation. The OT, from its position, could not ascertain whether it carried a coffin or not.
During the reporting period the OTs observed ambulances on three occasions at the Donetsk BCP.
On two occasions, on 9 and 14 of May respectively, an ambulance with Russian Federation registration plates entered the BCP from the Russian Federation, before returning less than one hour later without crossing the border.
On one occasion, on 14 of May at 01:56 one ambulance with “LPR” plates entered the BCP from Ukraine, underwent border formalities and crossed into the Russian Federation. The OT was able to observe one paramedic and one woman in civilian clothes in the vehicle.
On 10 May at 09:56 at the Donetsk BCP, a convoy of six vehicles, four civilian cars and two police escorts arrived from the Russian Federation. The vehicles underwent border formalities and crossed to Ukraine at 10:20. One of the police cars went back to the Russian Federation immediately. The OT could observe passengers in civilian clothes. During the convoy crossing, Russian Federation border guards stopped traffic inside the BCP.
For trends and figures at a glance covering the period from 17 April to 15 May 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-sixth 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 74th convoy that has crossed into Ukraine.