Weekly Update from the OSCE Observer Mission at Russian Checkpoints Gukovo and Donetsk based on information as of 31 July 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). On 26 July, the seventy-seventh Russian convoy of 21 vehicles crossed into Ukraine and returned through the Donetsk Border Crossing Point.
OPERATIONAL REMARKS
The OM is currently operating with 20 permanent international staff members, including the Chief Observer (CO). During the reporting period, one first responder[1] left the mission on 27 July 2018. 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.
During the reporting period, the OM did not receive the usual data on persons crossing at the two border checkpoints from the Rostov-on-Don Regional Administration.
Persons in military-style outfits
During the reporting period, the number of persons in military-style outfits crossing the border in both directions at both BCPs decreased to 22 persons (compared to 52 last week); 10 of them crossed into the Russian Federation, and 12 into Ukraine. All of these crossings occurred at the Donetsk BCP. They continued to cross the border individually or in groups. Most individuals crossed on 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 continued 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, six families were observed crossing into the Russian Federation and another three into Ukraine, compared to the previous reporting period when nine families were observed crossing the border into the Russian Federation and another eight into Ukraine.
Bus connections
Regular local and long-distance bus connections continued 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 an increase in the number of buses crossing the border at both BCPs (434 compared to 432 observed during the previous week). There were 232 buses bound for the Russian Federation and 202 bound for Ukraine.
Among the bus connections observed by the OTs, the following “irregular” routes or destinations were noted: Luhansk-Kharkiv; Luhansk-Kyiv, Rovenky-Kyiv, Kyiv, Luhansk-Yalta and Luhansk-Sevastopol.
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 license plates issued in the Luhansk region.
Trucks
During the reporting period the OM observed a decrease in the overall number of trucks crossing the border in both directions and at both BCPs. Compared to the previous week, the total number of trucks went from 756 to 682 (237 at the Gukovo BCP and 445 at the Donetsk BCP); 348 of these trucks crossed into the Russian Federation and 334 crossed into Ukraine. Most of the trucks observed by the OTs had Ukrainian license plates issued in the Luhansk region.
Among them, the OTs continued to also observe tanker trucks crossing the border in both directions. During the reporting week, the number of tanker trucks decreased to 45 (compared to 48 from 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 had hazard signs, indicating that they were transporting propane or a mix of propane and butane.
All trucks undergo systematic inspection by Russian Federation officials, which may include an X-ray check. Due to the unfavourable observation position at the Gukovo BCP, the OTs continued to be unable to observe any X-ray checks.
Compared to the previous week, the total number of X-ray checks at the Donetsk BCP went from 85 to 65: out of the total number of trucks scanned, 35 trucks (54 per cent) were bound for Ukraine; the remaining 30 trucks (46 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 license 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 205 to 119 vehicles; 55 crossed into the Russian Federation and another 64 into Ukraine.
Trains
The OTs continued to pick up the sound of trains running on the railway tracks located approximately 150 metres south-west of the Gukovo BCP. During the reporting week, the OTs heard trains on 38 occasions, compared to 37 last week; the OTs assessed that 21 trains were travelling to the Russian Federation and 17 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.
Other observations
The majority of vehicles crossing the border had Ukrainian license plates issued in the Luhansk region, or Russian Federation license plates. A significant number of vehicles with “LPR” plates were also observed crossing the border in both directions on a daily basis, as were vehicles with Belarusian and Georgian license plates; vehicles with “DPR” plates were also observed crossing the border.
On 26 July 2018 at 08:15 at the Donetsk BCP, the OT observed an ambulance which entered the BCP from the Ukraine side and went into the Russian Federation. The duration of the crossing was less than one minute and during that time the OT could not observe any more details about the ambulance.
On 27 July at 13:10 at the Donetsk BCP, an ambulance with Russian Federation license plates, carrying one driver and one paramedic on board came to the BCP from the Russian Federation and parked close to the main building. At the same time two women who were crossing the border from the Russian Federation to Ukraine on foot reached the ambulance and got inside. Shortly thereafter, at 13:20, the ambulance returned in the direction of the Russian Federation. The OT was not able to observe if the ambulance took any patients with it.
On 30 July at 09:03 at the Gukovo BCP, the OT observed a fire vehicle entering the BCP from the Russian Federation and going towards Ukraine. A few minutes later, at 09:08, an ambulance also entered the BCP from the direction of the Russian Federation and travelled towards Ukraine. From its position, the OT was not able to see whether the vehicles actually crossed the border to Ukraine, or whether they remained at the “blind spot” behind the main building of the BCP, where the OT does not have permission to move. At 12:40, another fire vehicle arrived at the BCP from the direction of the Russian Federation, stopped in the outbound lane to Ukraine, and returned shortly thereafter at 12:57 to the Russian Federation. Later that night, at 21:07, the OT observed an ambulance with Russian Federation license plates, coming from the direction of Ukraine and crossing the border into the Russian Federation. A few minutes later, at 21:13, a fire vehicle followed the ambulance. The OT could not confirm whether these were the same vehicles observed in the morning or not.
In addition, on the same day in Gukovo at 17:58, an ambulance with Russian Federation license plates entered from the Russian Federation and went towards Ukraine at the BCP. At 18:05, it returned back to the Russian Federation.
On 31 July at 04.12 at the Donetsk BCP, a group of four men and one woman entered the BCP from the Russian Federation on foot, carrying a coffin (by hands) and a big funeral wreath. They underwent border formalities and crossed to Ukraine. The OT from its position could not ascertain whether the coffin was opened and if there was a body inside or not.
Convoy
On 26 July at 06:35 (Moscow time), the seventy-seventh[3] Russian convoy arrived at the Donetsk Border Crossing Point (BCP). A total of 21 vehicles were checked by Russian Federation border guards and customs officers prior to their crossing into Ukraine. All 21 vehicles had crossed back into the Russian Federation by 15:55 on 26 July (see the OM Spot Report of 26 July 2018: https://www.osce.org/observer-mission-at-russian-checkpoints-gukovo-and-donetsk/389102).
For trends and figures at a glance covering the period from 3 July to 31 July 2018, please see the attachment here.
[1] First responders are OSCE staff or mission members deployed to another mission for a short period of time.
[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-ninth Russian convoy which was sent to Ukraine. As two of these convoys did not cross through the “Donetsk” or “Gukovo” BCPs, the Observer Mission did not record them. Hence, based on the Observer Mission’s counting, this convoy is considered the seventy-seventh convoy that has crossed into Ukraine.