The mission of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) which monitors Russian border checkpoints in Gukovo and Donetsk, has observed massive removal of coal from the militia-controlled areas in eastern Ukraine into the Russian Federation, the OSCE said on its website on Dec. 25.
The monitoring mission continued observing a large number of trucks moving coal from Luhansk region into Russia, it said. It was reported earlier that the monitors had seen Russian customs officers making sure the trucks were empty when leaving Russia, the report said.
Besides, there has been an increase in the number of people passing through both checkpoints, with more people traveling to Ukraine than to Russia, it said. On average, the number of entries/exits has increased from 6,663 to 7,112 per day on both checkpoints throughout the reporting period. More people entered Ukraine than Russia. The balance of entries and exits was minus 268 (those traveling from Russia) per day for both checkpoints, the report said.
Traffic at Donetsk checkpoint is still above that of Gukovo’s.
Throughout the reporting period the monitors observed 739 men and women in military uniforms crossing the border in both directions, mainly into Russia, the mission said. The monitors also observed several Cossacks and a number of ambulance vehicles crossing the border in both directions at the Donetsk checkpoint, the OSCE said.
Apart from Russian border vehicles, the monitors did not observe any movement of military vehicles and equipment.
The OSCE also said that on Dec. 19 and 21, 2014 its monitors observed two Russian convoys heading to Ukraine through the Donetsk checkpoint, the first one consisting of six and the second one of 92 vehicles. Those were the tenth and eleventh convoys to have crossed the Donetsk checkpoint since the monitors arrived at the Russian checkpoints, the report said.
The first convoy, according to Russian officials at the checkpoint, was carrying presents for children in Donbas: toys and sweets. Ukrainian customs officers were not present during their inspection.
In the second convoy, 91 vehicles bore the inscription “Humanitarian help from the Russian Federation” and one bearing the inscription “presents for the children of Donbas.” The vehicles stopped at the customs control point and the trucks were opened and inspected by Russian border and customs officers. The monitoring mission saw that Ukrainian officers were present during the inspection, the statement said. The convoy returned to Russia on the evening of the same day.
