Weekly Update from the OSCE Observer Mission at Russian Checkpoints Gukovo and Donetsk based on information as of 14 May 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). 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 21 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 11,274 to 10,963 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 plus 1,101 per day for both BCPs.
The Donetsk BCP continued to experience 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 18 this week compared to 14 last week: eleven of them crossed into the Russian Federation, and seven into Ukraine (89 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 crossing the border, sometimes with elderly persons and/or children, at both BCPs with a significant amount of luggage, or travelling in heavily loaded cars. During this reporting week, three families were observed crossing into the Russian Federation and two were observed crossing into Ukraine, compared to the previous reporting period when two families were observed crossing into the Russian Federation and four 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 did not state their route; instead they had a sign on the windshield stating “irregular”.
During the reporting period, the OTs observed a decrease in the overall number of buses crossing the border at both BCPs (358 compared to 382 observed during the previous week). There were 181 buses bound for the Russian Federation and 177 bound for Ukraine. Among the bus connections observed by the OTs, the following “irregular” routes or destinations were noted: Kyiv and Stahanov–Kharkiv.
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.
Trucks
During the reporting period, the OTs observed 579 trucks (527 during the previous reporting week) crossing the border in both directions at both BCPs (155 at the Gukovo BCP and 424 at the Donetsk BCP); 320 of these trucks crossed into the Russian Federation and 259 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 Belarus and the Russian Federation and some with “LPR” plates. In addition, during the reporting week, trucks with Armenian and Georgian licence plates were also observed.
The OTs also continued to observe tanker trucks crossing the border in both directions. During the reporting week, the number of tanker trucks decreased to 50 (compared to 57 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 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 decreased from 137 to 133: of the total number of trucks scanned, 55 trucks (39 per cent) were bound for Ukraine; the remaining 87 trucks (61 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 113 to 82 vehicles; 53 crossed into the Russian Federation and another 29 into Ukraine.
Trains
The OTs continued to pick up the sound of trains running on the railway tracks located approximately 150m south-west of the Gukovo BCP. During the reporting week, the OTs heard trains on 24 occasions; the OTs assessed that 15 trains were travelling to the Russian Federation and nine to Ukraine (more details are provided in the sections “trends and figures at a glance”). 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. In addition, cars with licence plates from Armenia, Georgia and Lithuania were also noted.
On 8 May, the OTs at both BCPs observed a helicopter, flying along the border within Russian Federation airspace on three separate occasions.
A helicopter Mi-8 was first noted at 08:42 at the Donetsk BCP, flying from the north in an easterly direction. Later on the same day at 14:38, the OT at the Gukovo BCP observed the same type of aircraft flying from the north, which made a circle above the BCP area and left in a northerly direction. On the same day, at 14:57, a Mi-8 helicopter arrived at the Donetsk BCP from a south-easterly direction, flew over the BCP at a height of approximately 100-150m and continued to fly in a northerly direction.
On all occasions, the helicopters were white with blue and grey stripes painted on the underside and flew only inside the airspace of the Russian Federation.
On 12 May at 20:16, the OT at the Donetsk BCP observed two police cars entering the BCP area from the Russian Federation which parked in front of the border checking area. In the meantime, another police car was observed parked outside the BCP area with its flashing lights on.
At 23:17 the same day a group of four cars consisting of three black SUVs and one white SUV with the inscription "militia" (in Russian) arrived from Ukraine. All the vehicles had “Republic of South Ossetia (RSO)” plates and quickly underwent border control procedures. At 23:30 the four vehicles crossed into the Russian Federation escorted by the police cars which had arrived three hours earlier.
For trends and figures at a glance covering the period from 9 April 2019 to 14 May 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).