Weekly Update from the OSCE Observer Mission at Russian Checkpoints Gukovo and Donetsk based on information as of 8 January 2019
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). During the reporting period the data on persons crossing was not available.
OPERATIONAL REMARKS
The OM is currently operating with 21 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.
Due to the Russian national holidays, the OM was not able to receive and process the usual data on persons crossing at the two border checkpoints usually received from the Regional Representation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.
Persons in military-style outfits
During the reporting period, the number of persons in military-style outfits observed crossing the border in both directions at both BCPs was 47; twenty-one of them crossed into the Russian Federation, and twenty-six into Ukraine (all 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 period, twenty-six families were observed overall (thirteen crossing into the Russian Federation and thirteen 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 overall 1,096 buses (576 buses bound for the Russian Federation and 520 bound for Ukraine).
Among the bus connections observed by the OTs, the “irregular” route “Stakhanov-Kyiv” was noted.
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 total number of trucks noted by the OTs was 1,380 (484 at the Gukovo BCP and 896 at the Donetsk BCP); 697 of these trucks crossed into the Russian Federation and 683 crossed into Ukraine. Most of the trucks observed by the OTs had Ukrainian licence plates issued in the Luhansk region; however, on a daily basis, the OTs also noted trucks registered in the Russian Federation and in Belarus.
Among them, the OTs observed 106 tanker trucks crossing the border in both directions 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.
The total number of X-ray checks at the Donetsk BCP was 290: out of the total number of trucks scanned, 96 trucks (33 per cent) were bound for Ukraine; the remaining 194 trucks (67 per cent) 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.
During the reporting period, 343 minivans were observed (176 crossed into the Russian Federation and another 167 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 last three weeks, the OTs heard trains on eleven occasions; the OTs assessed that seven trains were travelling to the Russian Federation and the other four 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 licence plates issued in the Luhansk region, or Russian Federation licence plates. A significant number of vehicles with “LPR” plates were also observed crossing the border in both directions on a daily basis.On 27 December, the OTs observed two ambulances at the Donetsk and Gukovo BCPs (one at each BCP). The ambulances arrived at the BCPs from the Russian Federation and after a while returned without crossing the border into Ukraine.
The first ambulance arrived at 09:36 at the Gukovo BCP and parked behind the main building until it crossed back into the Russian Federation at 09:55.
At 15:15, another ambulance (with Russian Federation licence plates) arrived at the Donetsk BCP. The OT observed at least two persons inside (a driver and a passenger). The vehicle parked outside the main building while the passenger from the ambulance entered the main building. At 15:45, the ambulance returned to the Russian Federation.
In each instance, the OTs did not observe any injured persons, or patients inside the two vehicles.
Convoy
On 20 December at 08:20 (Moscow time), the eighty-second[2] Russian convoy arrived at the Donetsk Border Crossing Point (BCP). A total of 22 vehicles were checked by Russian Federation border guards and customs officers prior to their crossing into Ukraine. All 22 vehicles had crossed back into the Russian Federation by 20:57 on 20 December (for more details see: https://www.osce.org/observer-mission-at-russian-checkpoints-gukovo-and-donetsk/407522 ).
For trends and figures at a glance covering the period from 4 December to 8 January 2019, 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).
[2] According to the statement of the Russian Federation officials, this convoy is considered to be the eighty-fourth 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 eighty-second convoy that has crossed into Ukraine.