Weekly Update from the OSCE Observer Mission at Russian Checkpoints Gukovo and Donetsk based on information as of 27 December 2016
This report is for 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 increased at both BCPs. The fifty-seventh Russian Convoy of 20 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). 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 increased overall from 9,917 to 11,383 per day for both BCPs compared to last week. The average net flow for both BCPs went from minus 326 to minus 875 (i.e. more exits from 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 39.3 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 108 this week at both BCPs compared to 106 last week; 50 of them crossed into the Russian Federation, 58 into Ukraine. Approximately 90 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 many 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 period two such families were observed crossing the border into Ukraine and none were observed crossing into the Russian Federation.
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 just have a sign on the windshield stating “Irregular”.
Among the bus connections observed by the OTs, the following “irregular” routes or destinations were noted: Stakhanov – Kyiv, Rovenki – Kyiv and Luhansk – Sevastopol.
On some occasions, the OTs noticed the bus drivers removing the itinerary signs from the windshields of their buses, or some buses don’t display their route at all. The majority of long-distance coaches commuting between Luhansk region and cities in the Russian Federation have Ukrainian licence plates issued in Luhansk region.
Trucks
The OM continued to observe trucks crossing the border in both directions at both BCPs. Compared to the previous week, the total number of trucks increased from 783 to 917 (293 in Gukovo BCP and 624 in Donetsk BCP); 493 of these trucks crossed to the Russian Federation and 424 crossed to Ukraine. Most of the trucks observed by the OTs have Ukrainian licence plates issued in Luhansk region. During the reporting week trucks with Belarusian and “LPR” licence plates were also observed.
Separately, the OTs also observed tanker trucks crossing the border in both directions. The number of tanker trucks remained almost the same (55 last week compared to 54 this week). These trucks were observed crossing the border at both BCPs. The trucks mainly 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. The OTs, due to the unfavourable position at the Gukovo BCP, continue to be unable to observe any X-ray checks. At the Donetsk BCP the OTs observed 220 X-ray checks. At the latter BCP, out of the total number of trucks scanned during the reporting period, 131 (60 per cent) were bound for Ukraine; the remaining 89 (40 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 Luhansk region; however, the OTs frequently saw minivans registered in the Russian Federation.
Compared to the previous week, the number of cargo minivans decreased from 294 to 275; 129 crossed to the Russian Federation and 146 to 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 nine occasions; the OTs estimated that five trains were travelling to the Russian Federation and four trains were bound for Ukraine. The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine was 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 conditions.
Other observations
The majority of vehicles crossing the border have Ukrainian licence plates issued in Luhansk region or Russian Federation licence plates. During the reporting week, the OTs continued to observe cars with “LPR” licence plates crossing the border in both directions at both BCPs. Several private cars with Georgian licence plates were also observed at the Gukovo BCP. The OTs also continued to observe articulated trucks with “LPR” or “Novorossiya” stickers, or in rare cases “DPR” stickers on their licence plates masking the Ukrainian flag.
On 21 December at 10:42hrs the OT observed an ambulance with “LPR” registration plates arriving at Donetsk BCP from Ukraine and parking in the customs control zone. The ambulance had the inscriptions “Medical Emergency Assistance”, “Emergency Medicine” and “Reanimation” written in Russian on its sides. At 11:00hrs an ambulance with Russian licence plates arrived at the BCP from the Russian Federation and parked near the first ambulance. One person was transferred by stretcher from the ambulance registered in the Russian Federation to the other ambulance. At 11:06hrs both ambulances left the BCP in the directions from which they arrived.
On 22 December at 12:20hrs the OT in Donetsk BCP observed an ambulance with “LPR” registration plates arriving from Ukraine. At 12:27hrs the ambulance passed to the Russian Federation. The ambulance had inscriptions “Medical Emergency Assistance”, “Emergency Medicine” and “Reanimation” written in Russian on its sides. At 13:48hrs the same ambulance entered the BCP from the Russian Federation and left the BCP at 14:08hrs to Ukraine.
On 26 December at 16:10hrs the OT in Donetsk BCP noticed an ambulance with Russian licence plates entering the BCP from the Russian Federation. The ambulance picked up a woman from the control area and returned to the Russian Federation at 16:25hrs without crossing the border to Ukraine.
On 21 December at 16:09hrs the OT in Donetsk BCP observed a van with Ukrainian licence plates crossing the border from the Russian Federation to Ukraine. The driver wore a camouflage coat. The van had a sign “Gruz 200” on its windshield from inside and had an inscription “ANUBIS” written in Russian on its side. The OT was not able to ascertain whether there was any coffin inside the van or not.
On 22 December at 07:20hrs the OT in Donetsk BCP observed a white van with Ukrainian licence plates with the inscription “Funeral”, crossing the border from Ukraine to the Russian Federation.
On 26 December at 08:15hrs the OT at the Donetsk BCP noticed a man wearing camouflage clothing carrying a soft black rifle case and a camouflage rucksack. The man entered the BCP from the Russian Federation and moved to the control area. The OT cannot ascertain whether the person crossed to Ukraine or not. The OT cannot ascertain whether there was any rifle in the case.
Russian Convoy
On 22 December 2016 the fifty-seventh Russian convoy of 20 vehicles crossed into Ukraine and returned to the Russian Federation through the Donetsk Border Crossing Point. A spot report was issued (see OM Spot Report of 22 December 2016).
For trends and figures at a glance covering the period from 22 November to 27 December 2016 see the attachment here.
[1] Based on data received from Rostov 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).