OSCE SMM observes trucks transporting coal to Russia, tanker trucks going to Ukraine

Members of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (OSCE SMM) conducting round-the-clock monitoring at the Gukovo and Donetsk border checkpoints have reported intense truck and rail traffic in both directions.

"During the reporting week the OM (observation mission) continued to observe an increased number of trucks crossing the border in both directions," the mission said in a weekly report as of 10 a.m. on May 12 posted on Tuesday evening.

"The OTs (the observer teams) continued to observe dumper trucks transporting coal from Luhansk region to the Russian Federation through the BCP Gukovo. The OTs observed intense trailer truck traffic at BCP Donetsk crossing the border in both directions," the report said.

"While majority of the trucks are registered in Luhansk oblast, during the reporting period the OTs have also observed trucks registered in Belarus and Lithuania cross the border," the monitors said.

"The OTs also observed tanker trucks crossing the border both ways. These crossings occurred at both BCPs. These trucks for the most part had the word "Propane" and "Flammable" written across the tanks in Russian," they noted.

"In addition to the above-mentioned tanker trucks with the word "Propane" and "Flammable", the OT observed an unusual number of orange articulated fuel trucks crossing at the Gukovo BCP. On one morning eleven of these trucks were lined up at the entrance of the BCP waiting to cross into Ukraine. Such movement of fuel trucks has not been seen before," the monitors said.

"The OTs picked up on the sound of trains running down the train tracks located approximately 150 meters south west of the BCP on twelve occasions during the reporting week; the OTs estimated that seven trains were going to Ukraine; five were bound for the Russian Federation. Visual observation was not possible because of the line of trees in between the train tracks and the BCP," the report added.