Weekly Update from the OSCE Observer Mission at Russian Checkpoints Gukovo and Donetsk based on information as of 27 August 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 increased 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 increased from 13,793 to 13,968 per day at both BCPs compared to last week[1].
During the reporting period, the majority of border crossings were to Ukraine, with an average net flow of 164 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 14 this week compared to 11 last week: seven of them crossed into the Russian Federation, and seven into Ukraine (86 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, seven families were observed crossing into the Russian Federation and five 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 an increase in the overall number of buses crossing the border at both BCPs (543 compared to 483 observed during the previous week). There were 284 buses bound for the Russian Federation and 259 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” route or destination was noted: Luhansk- Sevastopol and Alchevsk-Luhansk-Yalta-Sevastopol.
Trucks
During the reporting period, the OTs observed 991 trucks (compared to 981 during the previous reporting week) crossing the border in both directions at both BCPs (560 at the Gukovo BCP and 431 at the Donetsk BCP); 632 of these trucks crossed to the Russian Federation and 359 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. Trucks with licence plates from Poland were noted during the reporting week. The Gukovo BCP continued to experience more cargo traffic than Donetsk (in particular due to a significant number of cargo trucks crossing from Ukraine to the Russian Federation).
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 62 (compared to 65 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 decreased from 98 to 80. 59 trucks (74 per cent) were bound for Ukraine, the remaining 21 trucks (26 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 slightly decreased from 161 to 159 vehicles; 73 crossed into the Russian Federation and another 86 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 13 occasions; the OTs assessed that eight trains were travelling to the Russian Federation and five 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, the Netherlands and Poland; cars with “DPR” plates were also observed.
During the reporting week, the OTs at both BCPs noticed helicopters flying along the border within the Russian Federation airspace on four separate occasions:
- on 20 August at 09:46, the OT at Donetsk BCP observed a camouflaged helicopter
Mi-8/Mi-17 type, which flew over Donetsk BCP. The aircraft came from the east and continued flying in a northerly direction;
- on 21 August at 9:57, the OT at Gukovo BCP observed a Mi-8 helicopter which came from the north and continued to fly in an easterly direction;
- on 26 August at 10:34 a helicopter was observed flying from the east in a north-easterly direction above the Gukovo BCP. The helicopter was dark green in colour. On the same day at 13:02, also another helicopter was observed. This aircraft arrived from the same direction as the previous one and had same colours.
During the reporting week, the OTs at both BCPs observed ambulances on four separate occasions:
- on 22 August at 16:15, an ambulance bearing the inscription “Urgent medical help -112” (in Russian) arrived at the Donetsk BCP from the Russian Federation side and parked next to the main building. Due to the heavy traffic and its position, the OT was not able to monitor the situation. At 16:26, the ambulance returned to the Russian Federation;
- on 23 August at 19:15, an ambulance with licence plates from the Rostov Region entered the Gukovo BCP from the Russian Federation and parked near the main building at the place designated as a customs control zone. The ambulance bore the inscription “urgent medical help – 112” (in Russian). Inside the vehicle two paramedics were observed. One of them left the ambulance carrying a medical suitcase and went towards to a passenger car parked in the exit queue. At 19:28, the paramedic returned and the ambulance travelled back to the Russian Federation;
- on 26 August at 10:23, an ambulance entered the Donetsk BCP area from the Russian Federation and parked near the checking area. The vehicle bore the inscription "urgent medical help" (in Russian) and licence plates from the Rostov Region of the Russian Federation. A paramedic was observed leaving the vehicle and returning shortly after. At 10:41, the ambulance drove back towards the Russian Federation. On the same date at 17:56, the same ambulance arrived from the Russian Federation and parked near the checking area of the BCP. Shortly after, at 18:03, the ambulance drove back towards the Russian Federation.
During the reporting week, the OTs at both BCPs observed police vehicles:
- on 22 August at 12:40, one police vehicle with Russian Federation licence plates entered the Donetsk BCP from the Russian Federation. The OT observed two policemen inside the car. At 12:53, the police car drove back towards the Russian Federation;
- on 25 August at 14:05, the OT observed one police vehicle entering the Donetsk BCP from the Russian Federation which parked in front of the border checking area. At 14:50, one minibus with tinted windows arrived from Ukraine and quickly underwent border control procedures. The minibus had "Republic of South Ossetia (RSO)" plates. At 14:58, the minibus crossed into the Russian Federation escorted by the police car with its flashing lights and siren turned on.
Among the other observations, on 24 August at 14:14, a white minivan with dark brown stripes on both sides and the inscription – Ritual Service "VOZNESENIE" (in Russian) with Russian Federation licence plates entered the Donetsk BCP from the Ukrainian side; one person was observed inside the minivan. The vehicle underwent customs procedures and crossed into the Russian Federation.
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).