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Ukraine

Weekly Update from the OSCE Observer Mission at Russian Checkpoints Gukovo and Donetsk based on information as of 14 November 2017

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 decreased at both BCPs compared to the previous week.

OPERATIONAL REMARKS

The OM is currently operating with 21 permanent international staff members, including the Acting Chief Observer (CO). The Mission is supported administratively by a Vienna-based staff member.

OBSERVATIONS AT THE BORDER CROSSING POINTS

Persons crossing the border

The profile of the people 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 people and/or children) travelling on foot or by car with a significant amount of luggage.

The average number of entries/exits decreased from 10,555 to 10,422 per day for both BCPs compared to last week. The average net flow for both BCPs went from plus 18 to plus 134 (i.e. more entries into the Russian Federation).

The Donetsk BCP continues to experience more traffic than the Gukovo BCP. The cross-border movements registered at both BCPs accounted for 37.2 per cent of all entries/exits in Rostov region[1].

Persons in military-style outfits

During the reporting period, the number of persons in military-style outfits crossing the border in both directions was 57 this week at both BCPs compared to 90 last week; 27 of them crossed into the Russian Federation, 30 into Ukraine. Approximately 84 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 by 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 many of the private vehicles have tinted windows, and buses and minivans have drawn curtains.

Families with a significant amount of luggage

On some occasions, the OTs continue to report on families crossing the border, sometimes with elderly people and/or children, crossing at both BCPs with a significant amount of luggage, or travelling in heavily loaded cars. During this reporting period, at the BCPs five families were observed crossing into the Russian Federation and six families into Ukraine.

Bus connections

Regular local and long-distance bus connections continue 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 do not state their route; instead they have a sign on the windshield stating “irregular”.

During the reporting period the OTs observed 409 buses crossing the border at both BCPs, 203 of them were bound for the Russian Federation and 206 for Ukraine. Eighteen out of those 409 buses were connecting Ukrainian towns through the Russian Federation (circumventing the contact line), twelve of which went to the Russian Federation and six to Ukraine.

On some occasions, the OTs noticed the bus drivers removing the itinerary signs from the windshields of their buses, while some buses do not display their route at all. The majority of long-distance buses commuting between the Luhansk region and cities in the Russian Federation have Ukrainian licence plates issued in the Luhansk region.

Trucks

During the reporting period the OM observed an increase in the number of trucks crossing the border in both directions at both BCPs. Compared to the previous week, the total number of trucks slightly increased from 611 to 632 (202 in Gukovo BCP and 430 in Donetsk BCP); 349 of these trucks crossed into the Russian Federation and 283 crossed into Ukraine. Most of the trucks observed by the OTs had Ukrainian licence plates issued in the Luhansk region.

Separately, the OTs also observed tanker trucks crossing the border in both directions. The number of tanker trucks increased from 42 to 53. 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 have hazard signs, indicating that they are transporting propane or a mix of propane with butane.

All trucks undergo systematic inspection by Russian Federation officials, which may include an X-ray check. Due to the unfavourable position at the Gukovo BCP, the OTs continued to be unable to observe any X-ray checks. At the Donetsk BCP the OTs observed 110 X-ray checks: out of the total number of trucks scanned during the reporting period, 86 trucks (78 per cent) were bound for Ukraine; the remaining 24 trucks (22 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.

As compared to the previous week, the number of cargo minivans decreased from 157 to 134; 74 crossed to the Russian Federation and 60 to Ukraine.

Trains

The OTs continued to pick up the sound of trains running on the train tracks located approximately 150 metres south-west of the Gukovo BCP. During the reporting week, the OTs heard trains on 22 occasions; the OTs assessed that nine trains were travelling to the Russian Federation, with the other 13 bound for Ukraine. 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, as well as due to unfavourable light conditions.

Other observations

The majority of vehicles crossing the border had Ukrainian licence plates issued in the Luhansk region or Russian Federation licence plates. In addition, the OTs also observed vehicles with Belarusian, Georgian and Lithuanian licence plates and also a significant number of “LPR” plates crossing the border in both directions.

On 7 November, the OT at Donetsk BCP observed an ambulance with the inscription (in Russian) “Urgent medical help” which arrived inside the BCP from the Russian Federation side at 13:28 and returned in the same direction at 15:53. During its stay at the BCP the ambulance went behind the BCP facilities, hence the OT was unable to observe if any activities were carried out by the paramedics. The ambulance had Russian licence plates from the Rostov region.

On the same day another ambulance with the inscription (in Russian) “Urgent medical help” arrived at 20:28 from the Russian Federation side and crossed into Ukraine. The OT was unable to see the licence plates.

For trends and figures at a glance covering the period from 17 October 2017 to 14 November 2017 see the attachment here.

[1] Based on data received from Rostov-on-Don region Border Guard Service.

[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).

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