NB! Entry and exit to the DPR and LPR during the coronavirus epidemic situation open only for citizens of both republics, as well as citizens of the Russian Federation registered on their territory. It is better to check with the diplomatic missions of the republics about the possibility of entry for citizens of the Russian Federation. Entry from Ukraine from July 27, 2021 is possible with a special permit. Next, follow the standard entry procedure.
NB!
We remind you that due to coronavirus infection, most countries in the world have banned or limited entry. As of April 1, 2021, according to information from the Federal Tourism Agency, the following are available for travel from the Russian Federation:Abkhazia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Great Britain, Vietnam, Greece, Georgia, Egypt, India, Kazakhstan, Qatar, Kyrgyzstan, Cuba, Maldives, UAE, Seychelles, Serbia, Singapore, Tanzania, Turkey, Finland, Switzerland, Ethiopia, South Korea, Japan.
We recommend checking with the office about the procedure and reasons for allowing entry. websites of diplomatic missions of the above countries.
The information presented in the article further concerns travel outside of coronavirus restrictions.
There are over 100 unrecognized or partially recognized states in the world - territories that have independently declared sovereignty. Such states include the DPR and LPR, located in the Donbass and once considered Ukrainian regions.
In the Donbass, the armed confrontation between the unrecognized states of the DPR/LPR and the forces of the so-called Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) has lasted for over six years. The Ukrainian authorities consider the republics as terrorist organizations; they are not controlled by the Ukrainian government and are considered temporarily occupied territories. The governments of the DPR/LPR consider the current regime in Ukraine to be criminal, committing war crimes.
The states are not recognized by Russia or the world community, except for South Ossetia , whose status is also in question. However, republics have all the signs of a separate state: their own government, armed forces (people's militia), legislation, paraphernalia. In addition, passports are issued to the population, and certain rules for entry into these states are also established.
Citizens of Russia, as well as formally of absolutely all countries in the world, can visit the republics without the mandatory registration of entry documents. Entry into the DPR and LPR for Russians in 2021 is carried out on the basis of an internal Russian or foreign passport.
Entry documents
In order to visit the Donetsk People's Republic from the Russian side, Russians will need only one of the documents:
- Internal passport of the Russian Federation
- International passport
- For minors, birth certificate (and accompanying one of the parents, or notarized parental consent)
Reference! It is recommended to use an internal Russian passport, since stamps on visiting the DPR and LPR in foreign passports may negatively affect future trips to Ukraine.
Persons who are not citizens of the Russian Federation are also not required to have any special documents, except for a multiple-entry Russian visa (for countries with a visa regime).
When traveling by car, the owner will need a Green Card, a driver's license and a technical passport.
Entry rules for foreigners
If you are not a citizen of the Russian Federation, you will be allowed into Donbass from the Russian side using a foreign passport. However, you will be able to return back to Russia only if you have a visa, since you have crossed the border of the Russian Federation. If you are in Russia with a single-entry visa, you should not go to the DPR, since leaving will deprive you of the right to return.
The situation will turn out to be difficult and even hopeless, since in the other direction, to Ukraine, you will also need a visa to this country plus permission, which you had to obtain before the trip.
Example of a visa to Ukraine for foreigners
As for Ukraine, while on its territory, you can apply to the SBU for permission and receive it on a general basis. It will provide you with travel both to the ATO zone and in the opposite direction.
Checkpoints and operating hours
There are 3 international checkpoints between Russia and Donbass:
- Avilo - Uspenka. The most famous checkpoint that passes the largest number of people per day. Works around the clock.
- Kuibyshevo - Marinovka. Works around the clock.
- Novoazovsk - Veselo-Voznesenka. Works around the clock.
There are also 2 checkpoints through which residents of the DPR and Rostov region are allowed to pass:
- Shramko-Ulyanovskoe. Works around the clock.
- Settlement. Works around the clock.
Important! It is necessary to allow up to 6 additional hours to pass through checkpoints. Especially if the route goes through Uspenka, as there are always long queues there.
The opening of the borders between the DPR and Russia is postponed
During a direct line with the local population of Donbass, the head of the DPR Denis Pushilin said that the opening of the borders between Russia and the DPR is temporarily postponed. This measure has become urgently necessary due to the increase in the number of cases of the new viral infection – COVID-19.
Thus, Pushilin said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was forced to work together with colleagues from the LPR on the issue of interaction between both headquarters. Each sent conditions for the possible movement of citizens of the republics across the border.
Due to the fact that a quarantine regime was introduced in several educational institutions of the DPR, the local government decided to provide additional protection for citizens. As a result, the opening of the borders was delayed.
To combat the pandemic, it was decided to reduce the number of movements between states. But at the same time, the measures should not affect Russia: “This does not concern Russia now, we are not even discussing this issue, because the work of our enterprises, movement and interaction with the Russian Federation is vital for us,” says the Head of the DPR.
Let us remind you that from March 14, 2021, a high alert regime was introduced in the DPR due to the threat of a re-outbreak of COVID-19. Some restrictions have been introduced at customs control points on the border with Ukraine. Passage occurs twice a week through a specially designated humanitarian corridor at the Yelenovka checkpoint. The work of checkpoints on the border with the LPR has been temporarily suspended.
Rules and procedure for crossing the border
The DPR, for its part, does not impose any special requirements on those entering from the territory of the Russian Federation.
The main rule is the presence of mandatory documents for all travelers, including animals.
The procedure for passing is no different from what happens when crossing the border, for example, with Abkhazia or Belarus.
In addition, there is a list of property permitted for transportation into the Republic:
| Beer drinks | Up to 5 liters |
| Guilt | Up to 2 liters |
| Strong alcohol | Up to 1 liter |
| Food | For a total amount of no more than 200 euros |
| Currency | For a total amount of up to 10,000 euros |
| Tobacco | No more than 250 grams |
| Cigarettes and cigars | No more than 200 and 50 pieces respectively |
| Other products | For a total amount of no more than 500 euros and weighing up to 50 kilograms |
Reference! If something imported into the territory exceeds the established norms, the entire excess is subject to duty.
What stumped you?
After a pause and remembering all our unfulfilled hopes for at least some glimmer of understanding with Bankova, we decided to say this.
First . The arrangement of checkpoint infrastructure is good. It would be even better without checkpoints at all, but that’s how it is.
But, damn it, it is IMPOSSIBLE to leave Donetsk through the checkpoint, even if a palace with columns and a swimming pool is built there. Perhaps you are not aware that there are not only Ukrainian checkpoints on the demarcation line?
Twice a week, only people with registration in the controlled part of Ukraine or those who sign a piece of paper stating not to return to ORDLO until the end of quarantine can leave through ORDLO checkpoints twice a week. Which has been going on for a year now and no one knows when it will end. Because that’s what the “authorities” of ORDLO decided.
Why do you need an ATM and a registry office in an open field? In half an hour, those who left Donetsk will be in Volnovakha, and in another hour - in Mariupol. And there they will be much more comfortable withdrawing money and filling out documents. Or they will move on. And they will sign at the regional registry office for Mendelssohn, and not with a SBU pass in a tent with the wind whistling in the Donbass steppe.
Of course, we understand: in theory, the Donetsk and Luhansk forces should have resolved their issues right there, at the demarcation line, and returned back, without entering the cities, so as not to bring separatist confusion into the minds of the townspeople. As if there wasn’t enough of their own rubbish... But in ORDLO they thought about it and completely closed travel. It’s not clear to us personally what to do now with the TsNAPs, which at any moment may find themselves under enemy fire. Oh yes, in Schastya, which is near Lugansk, all this works. But getting to Shchastya, for example, from Donetsk is impossible both literally and figuratively. So, alas, it's gone.
Second . The presenter talked a lot about the misinformation in which the world is drowning. About unreliable news, deception, fakes. We have not yet decided which of these definitions to include the statement that supposedly the Dom TV channel is watched en masse in the occupied territories (where it can only be seen on the Internet), but okay, this is not our task at all.
Third . It’s not possible at this rate of vaccination in Ukraine to tell the residents of ORDLO about the vaccine, oh, not at this rate... But out of ten minutes, a third of the time was spent talking about the delights of Covishield. We will not see this vaccine and we will not receive it, even if by some miracle we leave the uncontrolled territories. We are not Dalai Lamas, not people’s deputies and not opinion leaders, we are those for whom laws on collaboration are being adopted and whose rights are proposed to be curtailed because seven years ago our own state handed us over to you know who...
How to get to Donetsk
From Moscow
The distance between Moscow and Donetsk is 1,000-1,050 km. There are several ways to get to it.
By your car
At an average speed of 80 km/h, it will be possible to get to Donetsk by your own car in about 12-13 hours.
The simplest option, which does not require additional papers and permits, would be to take the M-4 highway to Rostov-on-Don and cross the nearest checkpoint, after which go to Donetsk.
By train
There has been no direct train connection between Moscow and Donetsk since 2014.
If you need to travel by train, you can use the following option:
- Travel from Moscow to Rostov-on-Don by train. Every day, 10-12 trains leave from different stations in the capital and go through Rostov. Travel time varies from 15 to 30 hours. Ticket prices: reserved seat - from 1,400 rubles, coupe - from 2,700 rubles, SV - from 7,500 rubles
- Get to Uspenskaya station. Travel time will be 3 hours. Ticket price is 245 rubles. Sent daily, once, at 07:07
- From Uspenskaya take the train to the station. Ashish. Departs daily, once, at 13:30. Travel time is 3 hours. Ticket price 315 rubles
Getting to Donetsk by rail is quite difficult and expensive. Both in time and financially.
| Route | Departure time | Travel time | Arrival time |
| No. 126E Moscow Kazansky railway station - Rostov-Glavny | 00:25 | 22h 24m | 22:49 |
| No. 121A Moscow Kursk railway station - Rostov-Glavny | 04:17 | 1 day 44 m. | 05:01 |
| No. 012M Moscow Kazansky railway station - Rostov-Glavny | 10:42 | 14:56 | 01:38 |
| No. 030С Moscow Kazansky railway station - Rostov-Glavny | 15:34 | 15 h. 3 m. | 05:33 |
| No. 109B Moscow Kursk railway station - Rostov-Glavny | 19:58 | 1 day 2 hours 36 minutes | 22:34 |
| No. 061Ch Moscow Paveletsky railway station - Rostov-Glavny | 21:42 | 23h 59m | 21:41 |
| No. 034С Moscow Kazansky railway station - Rostov-Glavny | 21:50 | 21:58 | 19:48 |
| No. 049A Moscow Kursk railway station - Rostov-Glavny | 22:11 | 1 day 46 m. | 22:57 |
| No. 028Ch Moscow Kazansky railway station - Rostov-Glavny | 23:45 | 18:25 | 18:10 |
Reference! In August 2021, the DPR authorities announced their readiness to restore direct railway connections with major cities of the Russian Federation, including the two capitals. Therefore, with a high probability, it will soon be possible to travel by train from Moscow to Donetsk without transfers.
By bus
One of the most common methods. During the day, about 14-15 buses depart from various capital bus stations and travel to Donetsk.
The travel time ranges from 16 to 26 hours, and the ticket price varies from 2,300 to 3,000 rubles.
| Route | Departure time | Travel time | Arrival time |
| Moscow Shchelkovsky AB - Donetsk, Donetsk | 09:50 | 22:10 | 08:00 |
| Moscow, Novoyasenevsky AB - Donetsk, Yuzhny railway station | 10:00 | 22 hours | 08:00 |
| Moscow, Novoyasenevsky AB - Donetsk, Yuzhny railway station | 10:30 | 22 hours | 08:30 |
| Moscow, Novoyasenevsky AB - Donetsk, Donetsk | 10:30 (Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat) | 21:40 | 8:10 |
| Moscow, Novoyasenevsky AB - Donetsk, Yuzhny AB | 12:00 (daily except Sat) | 25 hours | 13:00 |
| Moscow, Novoyasenevsky AB - Donetsk, Yuzhny | 13:00 | 22 hours | 11:00 |
| Moscow, Novoyasenevsky AB - Donetsk, Yuzhny AB | 15:00 (Wed, Sat) | 21:40 | 12:40 |
| Moscow, AV Krasnogvardeisky - Donetsk, AV Yuzhny | 16:00 | 22:15 | 14:15 |
| Moscow, AV Novoyasenevsky - Donetsk, Yuzhny railway station | 16:00 | 23:15 | 15:15 |
| Moscow, AB South Gate - Donetsk, Donetsk | 17:00 | 22:05 | 15:05 |
| Moscow, AB Novoyasenevsky - Donetsk, AB Yuzhny | 18:00 (Mon, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun) | 22 hours | 16:00 |
| Moscow, AV Krasnogvardeisky—Donetsk, Donetsk | 18:00 | 21:05 | 15:05 |
| Moscow, AB South Gate - Donetsk, Donetsk | 21:00 (Wed, Fri, Sun) | 23:05 | 20:05 |
| Moscow, AB Krasnogvardeisky - Donetsk, Donetsk | 22:00 | 22:05 | 20:05 |
From Saint-Petersburg
The distance between St. Petersburg and Donetsk is 1,700 km.
By your car
The route from the northern capital of the DPR will go through the M-11, E-105, M-2 highways and the Crimea highway. At an average speed of 80-100 km/h, the travel time will be 22-23 hours.
The easiest option would be to get to the Rostov region and cross the nearest checkpoint.
By train
The route is the same as from Moscow:
- Get to Rostov-on-Don by train. Every day, about 3-5 trains depart from different stations in St. Petersburg and pass through Rostov. Ticket prices: reserved seat - from 2,500 rubles, coupe - from 3,000 rubles. Travel time from 27 to 35 hours
- Next get to Uspenskaya station
- Take the train to Yasinovataya
Just like from Moscow, there is no direct train to the DPR from St. Petersburg.
| Route | Departure time | Travel time | Arrival time |
| No. 049A St. Petersburg-Glavny — Rostov-Glavny | 13:32 | 1 day 9 a.m. 25 p.m. | 22:57 |
| No. 007A St. Petersburg-Glavny — Rostov-Glavny | 14:00 | 1 day 4 hours | 18:00 |
| No. 135A St. Petersburg-Glavny — Rostov-Glavny | 16:32 | 1 day 16:29 | 05:01 |
| No. 035A St. Petersburg-Glavny — Rostov-Glavny | 20:16 | 1 day 3 hours 5 minutes | 23:21 |
By bus Every day from St. Petersburg at different times, from 5 to 8 buses leave for Donetsk. Ticket prices start from 3,500 rubles. Travel time is 27-35 hours.
| Route | Departure time | Travel time | Arrival time |
| St. Petersburg, train station No. 2 - Donetsk, AB Yuzhny | 07:00 (Tue, Sun) | 28 h. 5 m. | 11:05 |
| St. Petersburg, AB No. 2 - Donetsk, Donetsk | 08:00 | 32 h. 50 m. | 16:50 |
| St. Petersburg, AB No. 2 — Donetsk, AB Yuzhny | 08:30 (daily except Mon) | 30 hours | 14:30 |
| St. Petersburg, AB No. 2 - Donetsk, Donetsk | 08:30 | 28 h. 30 m. | 13:00 |
| St. Petersburg, st. m. Zvezdnaya - Donetsk, AB Yuzhny | 09:00 | 30 h. 50 m. | 15:50 |
| St. Petersburg, AB No. 2 - Donetsk, Donetsk | 10:00 | 27h 55m | 13:55 |
From Rostov-on-Don
The distance between Rostov and Donetsk is 167 km.
By your car
The route will pass through highways E-58 or A-280 and T0507. With an average speed of 80-100 km/h, you can overcome it in 2-2.5 hours without taking into account the checkpoint.
By bus
Up to 12 buses leave from Rostov to Donetsk per day at different times of the day. Travel time varies from 5 to 8 hours, and ticket prices range from 700 to 900 rubles.
| Route | Departure time | Travel time | Arrival time |
| Rostov-on-Don, AB Main - Donetsk, AB Yuzhny | 00:55 | 07:40 | 08:35 |
| Rostov-on-Don, AB Main - Donetsk, AB Yuzhny | 04:00 | 6 hours | 10:00 |
| Rostov-on-Don, AB Main - Donetsk, AB Yuzhny | 06:00 | 5 hours 54 minutes | 11:54 |
| Rostov-on-Don, AB Main - Donetsk, AB Yuzhny | 07:00 | 7:30 a.m. | 14:30 |
| Rostov-on-Don, AB Main - Donetsk, AB Yuzhny | 09:00 | 5 hours 40 minutes | 14:40 |
| Rostov-on-Don, AB Main - Donetsk, Indoor Market | 10:20 | 6:20 a.m. | 16:40 |
| Rostov-on-Don, AB Main - Donetsk, Indoor Market | 11:30 | 7 hours 50 minutes | 19:20 |
| Rostov-on-Don, AB Main - Donetsk, Indoor Market | 12:20 | 6:30 a.m. | 18:50 |
| Rostov-on-Don, AB Main - Donetsk, Yuzhny railway station | 13:30 | 4 hours 30 minutes | 18:00 |
| Rostov-on-Don, AB Main - Donetsk, Indoor Market | 16:00 | 6 hours 12 minutes | 22:12 |
From Belgorod
The distance from Belgorod to Donetsk is 388 km. The easiest way to travel from Belgorod to Donetsk is by bus or your own car.
There are 6 flights departing on this route. The travel time is 12-16 hours, and the ticket price varies from 1,700 to 2,200 rubles.
| Route | Departure time | Travel time | Arrival time |
| Belgorod, shopping center "RIO" - Donetsk, AV Yuzhny | 17:40 (Wed and Sat) | 16 hours | 09:40 |
| Belgorod, shopping center "Fregat" - Donetsk, Indoor market | 17:00 (Sun) | 2 p.m. | 07:00 |
| Belgorod, shopping center "Fregat" - Donetsk, st. Artema, 1 | 17:00 (Every 3, 6, 8, 11, 13, 16, 18, 21, 23, 26, 28, 31(1) Day of the Month | 12 o'clock | 05:00 |
| Belgorod, shopping center "Fregat" - Donetsk, Indoor market | 17:00 (Sun) | 15:00 | 08:00 |
| Belgorod, Bus station - Donetsk, AB Yuzhny | 20:00 (Mon, Thu) | 16 hours | 12:00 |
| Belgorod, ost. "st. Kutuzov" - Donetsk, Indoor Market | 18:00 (Wed, Sat) | 13 o'clock | 07:00 |
You can get there by your own car in about 5-6 hours along the E-40 or M-03 highway.
From Nizhny Novgorod
Between Nizhny Novgorod and Donetsk 1,380 km. By car they can be covered in an average of 18.5 hours, and the route will pass along the E-115 or M-4 highway.
There is only one bus from Nizhny to Donetsk. The ticket costs 3,500 rubles, and the travel time is 16-18 hours.
| Route | Departure time | Travel time | Arrival time |
| Nizhny Novgorod, Bus Station - Donetsk, magician. "Present" | 06:00 (Sun) | 30 hours | 12:00 |
By rail
The train is the most punctual and cheapest option to get to Donetsk. True, you will have to change from one to another and then take another bus. It’s seven in the morning, and this means that at the Suburban Station of Rostov-on-Don, in exactly seven minutes, the doors of the brand new electric train will softly close, heading to the Uspenskaya border station. 245 rubles for a ticket, three and a half hours of contemplating the landscapes outside the window - and we are at the border.
This is where our passport came in handy: to get off the train at Uspenskaya, you need to prove your identity. At the station square, taxi drivers are waiting for those in a hurry: you can get to the automobile border crossing and the local checkpoint in ten minutes and fifty rubles per person. There is no reason for us to rush, so for us the main problem is how to while away a couple of hours before boarding another train - to Yasinovataya.
The village of Avilo-Uspenka, in which the Uspenskaya station is located, from where the train departs, is a border zone, and therefore, you should not move beyond the station square and a couple of neighboring blocks. Two shops, a cafe - that’s the whole range of places to hang out. Not much. By the way, if you forgot to withdraw money from your card, no one is to blame: banking services are available only in the regional center; for a round trip taxi ride there you will have to pay at least a thousand rubles. Alas, border areas are not known for their cheap transport: if there is demand, prices will skyrocket.
A very unique “indicator” of the arrival of a train from Yasinovataya is the length of the queue for the toilet: between the border stations Kvashino and Uspenskaya there is a sanitary zone, the cars are not equipped with vacuum systems, so you have to wait a couple of hours... In principle, for the convenience of passengers, it would be possible to erect a structure with greater capacity: the surrounding area clearly demonstrates that during peak hours the available capacity is clearly insufficient.
Around half past twelve in the afternoon, boarding for the Uspenskaya – Yasinovataya train begins. We show our passport when exiting the platform, put our things on the introscope tape and go to the carriage. The border guard and the usher are already waiting for us there. The new coloring of the squad looks very interesting: it is almost no different from the Russian one, and only the circle with the abbreviation “DZhD” indicates its affiliation.
The fact that Donbass needs passenger rail connections with Russia has been noted more than once: buses alone are no longer enough. There is something to transport: a significant part of the former carriage and locomotive fleets in the DPR and LPR were preserved, and recently half a dozen AC electric locomotives arrived in Ilovaisk from Russia in addition to the existing ones. Border stations will also have to be prepared for increased passenger traffic. But the main problem is different: Ukraine has not renounced its claims to the rolling stock remaining in Crimea and Donbass, so now a search is underway for ways to circumvent these machinations of Kyiv. With the same train that will take us towards Donetsk, there are no such problems: arriving at a checkpoint without further going deeper into the territory is not considered a border crossing.
The prices of the Donetsk Railway will pleasantly surprise the Russian: a ticket from Uspenskaya to Makeevka will cost only 52 rubles. Such a low cost is explained by the fact that in the DPR it is strictly forbidden to increase prices for the socially important segment of housing and communal services, communications and transport.
At the Kvashino station, after documents are checked by border guards and DPR customs, the train turns into an impromptu market. Residents of the surrounding villages specially come with dairy products for his arrival: passengers most often have money, prices for goods are one and a half times lower than in Donetsk, so trade is brisk and ends quickly.
Possible problems
Russians should not have any problems when entering the DPR from the Russian Federation. The main thing is to have the necessary documents with you, the requirements for which are not so many. Especially if a legally competent adult citizen crosses the border.
For citizens of other countries with which Russia has a visa regime, you need to be more careful. A Russian visa must be multiple entry. Otherwise, a difficult situation may arise: the person may not be allowed back into the Russian Federation, as well as into Ukraine.
For Ukrainians, when crossing the border, even from Russia, they need a special permit, without which they may not be allowed through.
In addition, you need to be careful about imported goods: it is advisable not to violate the quantity allowed for transportation and pay attention to items and products prohibited for transportation.
Crossing borders from Ukraine
Entry into the territory of the DPR from Ukraine is prohibited without prior permission. For official Ukraine, Donbass and Lugansk are an ATO zone where an anti-terrorist operation is being carried out to suppress separatism. The two unrecognized Republics are considered temporarily occupied. The current government of the territories is recognized as criminal.
All those entering the conflict zone, regardless of their nationality, Ukrainians, Russians and citizens of any other country, must have special permits that ensure both entry and exit from the DPR.
Types of passes to the ATO zone
There are two options for entry passes: multiple and single entry. The permit is issued only to adults. No permits are required for a child to leave Ukraine for the ATO.
Five years ago, when the conflict first began, obtaining a special permit required an official justification for travel. Today, entry rules do not require foreigners and Ukrainians to submit any other documents other than a passport.
In order to obtain a permit, you need to go to the official website of the Security Service of Ukraine and request permission online. You must first register and consent to the processing of your personal data.
The Ukrainian side does not charge applicants fees for issuing permission to enter the DPR.
After completing the procedure for obtaining a pass, you need to wait for approval and then print the document in A4 format. It will contain the following data:
- FULL NAME;
- birth details (date and place);
- purpose of the trip;
- permit number;
- travel sector.
There are 6 road checkpoints and 7 railway checkpoints on the line of contact between Ukraine and the ATO zone.
It is important to take into account that by taking permission to travel to the DPR, you did not receive a guarantee that you would actually get to the city you wanted. The final decision always remains with the military at the checkpoint, who can let you through or impose a ban on leaving the territory of Ukraine.
Citizens of the two unrecognized republics can travel to the territory of Ukraine in a similar way, having received permission on the SBU website.
