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.
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 10,836 to 10,636 per day at both BCPs compared to last week.
During the reporting period, the majority of border crossings were to Ukraine, with an average net flow of minus 29 for both BCPs.
The Donetsk BCP continued to experience more traffic than the Gukovo BCP.
During the reporting period, the number of persons in military-style outfits crossing the border in both directions at both BCPs increased to 40 (compared to 26 last week); 12 of them crossed into the Russian Federation, and twenty-eight into Ukraine (93 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 on 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 some of the private vehicles have tinted windows, and buses and minivans have drawn curtains.
The OTs continued to report on families crossing the border, sometimes with elderly people and/or children, at both BCPs with a significant amount of luggage, or travelling in heavily loaded cars. During this reporting week, six families were observed crossing into the Russian Federation and six were observed crossing into Ukraine, compared to the previous reporting period when six families were observed crossing the border into the Russian Federation and four into Ukraine.
Regular local and long-distance bus connections continued 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 a slight increase in the overall number of buses crossing the border at both BCPs (409 compared to 391 observed during the previous week). There were 215 buses bound for the Russian Federation and 194 bound for Ukraine.
Among the bus connections observed by the OTs, the following "irregular" routes or destinations were noted: Stakhanov-Kharkiv; Kyiv; Luhansk-Kyiv; Rovenky- Kyiv.
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.
During the reporting period, the OM observed an increase in the overall number of trucks crossing the border in both directions and at both BCPs. Compared to the previous week, the total number of trucks went from 880 to 903 (284 at the Gukovo BCP and 619 at the Donetsk BCP); 493 of these trucks crossed into the Russian Federation and 410 crossed into Ukraine. Most of the trucks observed by the OTs had Ukrainian licence plates issued in the Luhansk region.
Among them, the OTs also continued to observe tanker trucks crossing the border in both directions. During the reporting week, the number of tanker trucks decreased to 60 (compared to 75 during the previous reporting period). 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 had hazard signs, indicating that they were transporting propane or a mix of propane and butane.
All trucks undergo systematic inspection by Russian Federation officials, which may include an X-ray check. Due to the unfavourable observation position at the Gukovo BCP, the OTs continued to be unable to observe any X-ray checks.
Compared to the previous week, the total number of X-ray checks at the Donetsk BCP increased from 95 to 124: of the total number of trucks scanned, 87 trucks (70 per cent) were bound for Ukraine; the remaining 37 trucks (30 per cent) crossed into the Russian Federation.
The OM continued to observe passenger and cargo minivans 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. Compared to the previous week, the number of cargo minivans decreased from 191 to 156 vehicles; 72 crossed into the Russian Federation and another 84 into Ukraine.
The OTs continued to pick up the sound of trains running on the railway tracks located approximately 150 metres south-west of the Gukovo BCP. During the reporting week, the OTs heard trains on 17 occasions, compared to 24 last week; the OTs assessed that 9 trains were travelling to the Russian Federation and the rest to 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.
The majority of vehicles crossing the border had Ukrainian licence plates issued in the Luhansk region, or Russian Federation licence plates. A significant number of vehicles with "LPR" plates were also observed crossing the border in both directions on a daily basis, as were vehicles with "DPR" plates and with Czech, Lithuanian, Georgian and Belarusian licence plates.
During the reporting period the OTs observed ambulances on three occasions: twice at the Donetsk BCP on 27 September and on 2 October, and once at the Gukovo BCP on 25 September. Only in one case, on 27 September, did an ambulance (with Ukrainian licence plates and the inscription "Urgent medical help") cross the border from Ukraine to the Russian Federation. On the remaining occasions, the ambulances arrived from the Russian side, parked within the BCP areas and, after a short stay, travelled back to the Russian Federation. On all occasions, the OTs could only observe medical personnel on board the vehicles.
On 26 September, at both BCPs (in Donetsk 15:28 and in Gukovo at 15:45), the OTs observed a military type helicopter flying over the BCP area, along the border line (in Donetsk flying from north-west to south-east and in Gukovo from north-east to east), without leaving the Russian airspace.
On 27 September at 06:33 (Moscow time), the seventy-ninth Russian convoy arrived at the Donetsk Border Crossing Point (BCP). A total of 16 vehicles were checked by Russian Federation border guards and customs officers prior to their crossing into Ukraine. All 16 vehicles had crossed back into the Russian Federation by 14:01 on 27 September (for more details see: https://www.osce.org/observer-mission-at-russian-checkpoints-gukovo-and-donetsk/397661).
For trends and figures at a glance covering the period from 4 September to 2 October 2018, please see the attachment here.
 Based on data received from the Regional Representation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.
 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).
 According to the statement of the Russian Federation officials, this convoy is considered to be the eighty-first Russian convoy which was sent to Ukraine. As two of these convoys did not cross through the "Donetsk" or "Gukovo" BCPs, the Observer Mission did not record them. Hence, based on the Observer Mission's counting, this convoy is considered the seventy-ninth convoy that has crossed into Ukraine.