Weekly Update from the OSCE Observer Mission at Russian Checkpoints Gukovo and Donetsk based on information as of 18 February 2020
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 9,164 to 10,148 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 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 five, compared to eight last week, two of them crossed into the Russian Federation, and three into Ukraine (60 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, six families were observed crossing into the Russian Federation and no family was observed crossing into Ukraine, compared to the previous reporting period when no families were observed crossing to the Russian Federation and one family 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 slight increase in the overall number of buses crossing the border at both BCPs (446 compared to 439 observed during the previous week). There were 222 buses bound for the Russian Federation and 224 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 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.
Trucks
During the reporting period, the OTs observed an increase in the overall number of trucks crossing the border at both BCPs (712 compared to 608 during the previous reporting week); 306 at the Gukovo BCP and 406 at the Donetsk BCP, 370 of these trucks crossed into the Russian Federation and 342 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, the Russian Federation and with “LPR” plates.
The OTs also continued to observe tanker trucks crossing the border in both directions. During the reporting week, the number of tanker trucks increased from 33 to 40. 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 significantly increased from 85 to 143. Of the total number of trucks scanned, 115 trucks (80 per cent) were bound for Ukraine: the remaining 28 trucks (20 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 increased from 98 to 113 vehicles; 51 crossed into the Russian Federation and another 62 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 11 occasions; the OTs assessed that nine trains were travelling to the Russian Federation and two to Ukraine (more details are provided in the sections “trends and figures at a glance” below).
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 Armenia, Georgia, Lithuania and Poland.
On 17 February at 22:40, an ambulance with Russian Federation licence plates entered the Donetsk BCP from the Russian Federation side and parked in front of the main building. The ambulance bore the inscription "URGENT MEDICAL HELP 112"(in Russian). Inside the vehicle two persons were observed. At 22:50, the ambulance returned towards the Russian Federation.
At 15:30, a group of four black SUVs arrived from Ukraine. All the vehicles had “Republic of South Ossetia” plates and quickly underwent border control procedures. At 15:36, the four vehicles crossed into the Russian Federation escorted by a police car which had arrived several minutes earlier at the BCP from the Russian Federation.
For trends and figures at a glance covering the period from 14 January to 18 February 2020, 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).