Along the front line between the warring sides in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, several unofficial “border” crossing points now exist, where people can cross from government-held territories into areas where Russian-backed armed groups have seized control from the local authorities.
People crossing the line of control now face waiting in long lines to undergo document and vehicle checks. Meanwhile, a large section of Ukraine’s official border with Russia, in areas of the Donbas where the Russian-backed armed groups operate, is beyond the control of the government.
