Weekly Update from the OSCE Observer Mission at Russian Checkpoints Gukovo and Donetsk based on information as of 17 March 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.
Update on COVID-19 measures
During the reporting period, the OM has been subject to developing restrictions on both air travel and international and local measures, which limit the travel by the OM’s international observers. At the moment, the Mission’s area is not affected by any COVID-19 cases, and the CO has maintained constant working contacts with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the topic. On 13 March the CO decided to apply extraordinary measures: official and private travels were stopped and internal measures were strengthened. The Mission will keep the situation under close review, in contact with the Secretariat and Chairmanship but is capable of continuing to fulfil its mandate under the current circumstances.
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 9,583 to 10,523 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 252 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, compared to 17 last week, eight of them crossed into the Russian Federation, and six into Ukraine (57 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, five families were observed crossing into the Russian Federation and 10 families were observed crossing into Ukraine, compared to the previous reporting period when four families were observed crossing to the Russian Federation and five families 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 an increase in the overall number of buses crossing the border at both BCPs (447 compared to 409 observed during the previous week). There were 230 buses bound for the Russian Federation and 217 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.
Trucks
During the reporting period, the OTs observed an increase in the overall number of trucks crossing the border at both BCPs (793 compared to 688 during the previous reporting week); 382 at the Gukovo BCP and 411 at the Donetsk BCP, 408 of these trucks crossed into the Russian Federation and 385 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, Georgia, the Russian Federation and trucks 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 36 to 49. 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 130 to 140. Of the total number of trucks scanned, 115 trucks (82 per cent) were bound for Ukraine: the remaining 25 trucks (18 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 significantly increased from 118 to 195 vehicles; 90 crossed into the Russian Federation and another 105 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 23 occasions; the OTs assessed that 13 trains were travelling to the Russian Federation and ten 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 vehicles with “DPR” plates and vehicles with Georgian and Lithuanian licence plates.
On 11 March at 18:49, an ambulance with Russian Federation licence plates entered the Donetsk BCP from Ukraine. The vehicle underwent border control procedures and left to the Russian Federation.
On 12 March at 09:32, the OT observed a police minivan arriving at Donetsk BCP from the Russian Federation and parking behind the main building. At 09:46, the vehicle left the BCP towards the Russian Federation.
On 16 March at 04:31, a group of six vehicles entered the Donetsk BCP area from the Russian Federation. The group consisted of three vehicles with Russian Federation licence plates (one police car, one white minivan and one black car with flashing light – turned off) and three black SUVs with "Republic of South Ossetia" plates. The police car and the white minivan stopped on the side of the main building, the group of SUVs underwent border control procedures and crossed into Ukraine at 04:45. The black car with flashing light (off) escorted the SUVs to the Ukrainian side of the BCP and returned at 04:54. At 05:01, the police car, the white minivan and the black car with flashing light (off) returned to the Russian Federation.
On the same day at 23:36, a group of three black SUVs arrived from Ukraine. All three vehicles had "Republic of South Ossetia" plates and quickly underwent border control procedures. These black SUVs crossed into the Russian Federation escorted by a black car with flashing lights and a white minivan which had arrived at 23:28 at the BCP from the Russian Federation.
On 16 March, a Russian police car visited the Gukovo BCP on two separate occasions, at 14:34 and at 20:36. In both cases two policemen had short conversations with the border guards and then left to the Russian Federation.
For trends and figures at a glance covering the period from 11 February to 17 March 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).