Weekly Update from the OSCE Observer Mission at Russian Checkpoints Gukovo and Donetsk based on information as of 9 July 2019
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 21 permanent international staff members, including the Chief Observer (CO) and one first responder.[1] 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 slightly increased from 11,727 to 12,022 per day at both BCPs compared to last week[2].
During the reporting period, the majority of border crossings were to the Russian Federation, with an average net flow of 149 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 22 last week: seven of them crossed into the Russian Federation, and seven into Ukraine (79 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, seven families were observed crossing into the Russian Federation and three were observed crossing into Ukraine, compared to the previous reporting period when four families were observed crossing into the Russian Federation and six 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 (442 compared to 395 observed during the previous week). There were 225 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. Among the bus connections observed by the OTs, the following “irregular” routes or destinations were noted: Yalta-Stakhanov; Luhansk-Yalta and Stakhanov-Kyiv.
Trucks
During the reporting period, the OTs observed 876 trucks (802 during the previous reporting week) crossing the border in both directions at both BCPs (384 at the Gukovo BCP and 492 at the Donetsk BCP); 500 of these trucks crossed into the Russian Federation and 376 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 with “LPR” plates. Moreover, during the reporting week, trucks with registration plates from the Czech Republic were also noted.
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 49 (compared to 58 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 167 to 118: of the total number of trucks scanned, 73 trucks (62 per cent) were bound for Ukraine; the remaining 45 trucks (38 per cent) crossed into the Russian Federation.
Minivans
The OM continued to observe passenger and cargo minivans[3] 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 157 to 155 vehicles; 79 crossed into the Russian Federation and another 76 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 21 occasions; the OTs assessed that 12 trains were travelling to the Russian Federation and nine 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. Cars with Georgian and Lithuanian licence plates were also observed.
On 2 July at 10:05, the OT at the Donetsk BCP observed an ambulance arriving from the Russian Federation with three medical officers on board. The paramedics were observed moving from the vehicle to the main building. At 10:20, the medical crew accompanied an elderly woman to the ambulance and together they returned towards the Russian Federation.
During the reporting week, the OTs at the Donetsk BCP noticed the presence of a helicopter, flying along the border within Russian Federation airspace on four separate occasions.
On 6 July at 23:49, the OT heard a helicopter flying from the south in a northerly direction, estimated to be flying at a low altitude. The sound of the helicopter was heard for around ten seconds. On 7 July at 01:07, the same OT noticed a helicopter flying in a southerly direction for around six seconds, above the BCP.
On 8 July at 00:00, a helicopter was noticed flying from the north in an easterly direction above the Donetsk BCP. On 8 July at 00:56, a helicopter was heard flying above the BCP area flying in a northerly direction.
On all occasions, the helicopters were flying in the dark, without any lights switched on.
[1] First responders are OSCE staff or Mission members deployed to another mission for a short period of time
[2] Based on data received from the Regional Representation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation
[3] 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).