Weekly Update from the OSCE Observer Mission at Russian Checkpoints Gukovo and Donetsk based on information as of 3 September 2019
This report is for the media and the general public.
Weekly Update, 3 September 2019
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 compared to the previous week.
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 staff member and the Chief of Fund Administration based in Vienna.
OBSERVATIONS AT THE BORDER CROSSING POINTS
Persons crossing the border
The profile of persons 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 persons and/or children) travelling on foot or by car with a significant amount of luggage.
The average number of entries/exits decreased from 13,968 to 13,174 per day at both BCPs compared to last week[1].
During the reporting period, the majority of border crossings were to the Russian Federation, with an average net flow of 145 per day for both BCPs.
The Donetsk BCP continued to experience much more traffic than the Gukovo BCP.
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 was 11 this week compared to 14 last week: five of them crossed into the Russian Federation, and six into Ukraine (55 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 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 had tinted windows, and buses and minivans had drawn curtains.
Families with a significant amount of luggage
The OTs continued to report on families, sometimes with elderly persons and/or children, crossing the border at both BCPs with a significant amount of luggage, or travelling in heavily loaded cars. During this reporting week, eight families were observed crossing into the Russian Federation and seven were observed crossing into Ukraine, compared to the previous reporting period when nine families were observed crossing to the Russian Federation and seven to 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 did not state their route; instead they had a sign on the windshield stating “irregular”.
During the reporting period, the OTs observed almost the same number of buses crossing the border at both BCPs (542 compared to 543 observed during the previous week). There were 299 buses bound for the Russian Federation and 243 bound for Ukraine.
On some occasions, the OTs noticed the bus drivers removing the itinerary signs from the windshields of their buses, while some buses did not display their route at all. The majority of long-distance buses commuting between the Luhansk region and cities in the Russian Federation had Ukrainian licence plates issued in the Luhansk region and “LPR” plates.
Among the bus connections observed by the OTs, the following “irregular” routes or destinations were noted: Alchevsk-Lugansk-Yalta-Sebastopol, Alchevsk-Yalta and Kyiv.
Trucks
During the reporting period, the OTs observed 920 trucks (compared to 991 during the previous reporting week) crossing the border in both directions at both BCPs (447 at the Gukovo BCP and 473 at the Donetsk BCP); 507 of these trucks crossed to the Russian Federation and 413 crossed to 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 Belarus and the Russian Federation and with “LPR” plates. Compared to the previous reporting week, the Donetsk BCP experienced more cargo traffic than Gukovo.
The OTs also continued to observe tanker trucks crossing the border in both directions. During the reporting week, the number of tanker trucks slightly decreased to 60 (compared to 62 during 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 underwent systematic inspection by Russian Federation officials, which could 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 increased from 80 to 135; 118 trucks (87 per cent) were bound for Ukraine, the remaining 17 trucks (13 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. Compared to the previous week, the number of cargo minivans decreased from 159 to 114 vehicles; 61 crossed into the Russian Federation and another 53 into Ukraine.
Trains
The OTs continued to pick up the sound of trains on the railway tracks located approximately 150m south-west of the Gukovo BCP. During the reporting week, the OTs heard trains on 27 occasions; the OTs assessed that 19 trains were travelling to the Russian Federation and eight to Ukraine (more details are provided in the sections “trends and figures at a glance” below).
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. The OTs also observed cars with licence plates from Belarus, Georgia, Germany, Estonia and Lithuania; cars with “DPR” plates were also observed.
During the reporting week, the OTs at the Gukovo BCPs observed ambulances on two separate occasions:
- on 29 August at 22:14 an ambulance arrived at the BCP from the Russian Federation side and parked next to the main building, partially visible to the OT. At 22:24, the ambulance returned towards the Russian Federation;
- on 2 September at 16:23, an ambulance with Russian Federation licence plates entered the BCP from the Russian Federation side and parked next to the main building. Two paramedics entered the building, while the driver waited in the vehicle. At 16:38, the paramedics left the building and the ambulance drove back towards the Russian Federation. No patient or other persons were observed on board the ambulance.
During the reporting week, the OTs observed one police vehicle with Russian Federation licence plates and a crew of two persons entering the Donetsk BCP on 28 August at 15:37. The vehicle parked next to the main building and was partially visible to the OT. At 15:52, the vehicle drove back towards the Russian Federation with the same number of people inside.
Among other observations, on 28 August at 22:00, the OT observed flames in the immediate vicinity of the Donetsk BCP, southwest from its position along the border line, inside Russian Federation territory. At 22:42, two fire engines entered the BCP from the Russian Federation and quickly drove behind the main building. The vehicles bore the inscription "43 - Donetsk" (in Russian) and the coat of arm of the Ministry of the Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation. At 23:14, both vehicles drove back to the Russian Federation. The OT noted that meanwhile the fire had been extinguished.
For trends and figures at a glance covering the period from 23 July to 27 August 2019, please see the attachment here.
[1] Based on data received from the Regional Representation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation
[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).