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 REMARK
The OM is currently operating with 22 permanent international staff members, including the 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 10,347 to 9,855 per day for both BCPs compared to last week. The average net flow for both BCPs went from minus 35 to minus 132 (i.e. more exits from 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 38.9 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 87 this week at both BCPs compared to 85 last week; 39 of them crossed into the Russian Federation, 48 into Ukraine. Approximately 85 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
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 two families were observed crossing into the Russian Federation and none 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 435 buses crossing the border at both BCPs, 218 of them were bound for the Russian Federation and 217 for Ukraine. Eighteen of the 435 buses were connecting Ukrainian towns through the Russian Federation (circumventing the contact line), ten of which went to the Russian Federation and eight 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 increased from 649 to 664 (184 in Gukovo BCP and 480 in Donetsk BCP); 362 of these trucks crossed into the Russian Federation and 302 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 was 54, the same as the previous week. 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 121 X-ray checks: out of the total number of trucks scanned during the reporting period, 97 trucks (80 per cent) were bound for Ukraine; the remaining 24 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.
As compared to the previous week, the number of cargo minivans slightly decreased from 176 to 172; 80 crossed to the Russian Federation and 92 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 23 occasions; the OTs assessed that eleven trains were travelling to the Russian Federation, with the other twelve 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 licence plates and a significant number of “LPR” plates crossing the border in both directions.
On 1 December the OTs observed ambulances at the Donetsk BCP on several occasions. At 08:00 two ambulances with “LPR” plates arrived together from Ukraine, followed by a third a few minutes later. During border formalities, the OTs observed three paramedics and the drivers of both vehicles. A lady went out of one ambulance and entered the BCP’s main building accompanied by a paramedic. After ten minutes they returned to the ambulance. The OTs also observed the paramedics talking with customs officers and making phone calls. One of the ambulances crossed the border to the Russian Federation at 09:09, the second one at 9:45, the third one returned to Ukraine.
At 12:06 an ambulance with a Russian licence plate entered the BCP from the Russian Federation side and parked in the entry lane. It returned to the Russian Federation after 20 minutes. At 18:31 an ambulance with “LPR” plates came from the Russian Federation and crossed to Ukraine.
In all instances, the OTs did not observe any injured or patients inside the ambulances.
For trends and figures at a glance covering the period from 31 October 2017 to 28 November 2017, please 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).
Contacts Communication and Media Relations Section OSCE Secretariat Phone: + 43 676 71 74 592 press@osce.org