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Weekly Update from the OSCE Observer Mission at Russian Checkpoints Gukovo and Donetsk based on information as of 13 August 2019

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Ukraine
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KAMENSK-SHAKHTINSKIY 13 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:

  1. Adults travelling on foot or by car with little or no luggage;

  2. Persons in military-style outfits;

  3. 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 12,968 to 13,435 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 289 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 17 this week compared to 28 last week: nine of them crossed into the Russian Federation, and eight into Ukraine (47 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, 14 families were observed crossing into the Russian Federation and four were observed crossing into Ukraine, compared to the previous reporting period when 18 families were observed crossing to the Russian Federation and 13 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 a decrease in the overall number of buses crossing the border at both BCPs (465 compared to 476 observed during the previous week). There were 239 buses bound for the Russian Federation and 226 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: Lugansk-Simferopol, Luhansk-Yalta and Yalta-Luhansk-Stakhanov.

Trucks

During the reporting period, the OTs observed 1007 trucks (compared to 988 during the previous reporting week) crossing the border in both directions at both BCPs (600 at the Gukovo BCP and 407 at the Donetsk BCP); 626 of these trucks crossed to the Russian Federation and 381 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, Georgia and the Russian Federation and with “LPR” plates. 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 into 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 45 (compared to 49 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 significantly increased from 49 to 105, 91 trucks (87 per cent) were bound for Ukraine; the remaining 14 trucks (13 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 165 to 140 vehicles; 66 crossed into the Russian Federation and another 74 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 26 occasions; the OTs assessed that 14 trains were travelling to the Russian Federation and 12 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 observed cars with licence plates from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Lithuania and Poland; cars with “DPR” plates were also noted during the reporting week.

On 8 August at 07:40, the OT at the BCP Donetsk observed more than 20 bikers crossing as group from Ukraine to the Russian Federation. The motorcycles bore licence plates from the Russian Federation and "DPR" and also "LPR" plates. Most of the motorcycles displayed flags of the Russian Federation, and also of "DPR" and "LPR.

On 10 August at 11:00, the OT at the BCP Gukovo observed an ambulance with Russian Federation licence plates which entered the BCP area from the Russian Federation which parked behind the main building. Inside the vehicle a driver and two paramedics were observed. The ambulance stayed approximately 20 minutes within the BCP area and, at 11:26, drove back to the same direction.

On 10 August at 17:55, the OT at the Gukovo observed a funeral service van with Russian Federation licence plates, which crossed into the Russian Federation from Ukraine.

On 12 August at 11:52, the OT at the BCP Donetsk observed a police jeep (bearing white and blue licence number plates, from the Rostov region) arriving from the Russian Federation which parked behind the main building. Two men in uniforms were observed inside the vehicle (wearing blue shirts). The vehicle stayed 13 minutes within the BCP area and at 12:05 returning towards the Russian Federation. Inside the vehicle, a man dressed in civilian clothes was observed, in addition to the mentioned police officers.

[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).

For trends and figures at a glance covering the period from 2 July to 6 August 2019, please see the attachment here.

Contacts

Communication and Media Relations Section OSCE Secretariat Phone: + 43 676 71 74 592 press@osce.org