Spot report by the OSCE Observer Mission at the Russian Checkpoints Gukovo and Donetsk, 23 August 2014: Russian convoy returned from Ukraine and crossed into the Russian Federation at the Donetsk Border Crossing Point

This update is for media and the general public.

SUMMARY

DONETSK CHECKPOINT, Russian Federation, 23 August 2014 - On 23 August, between 10:00 and 14:15 (local time), a total number of 220 vehicles of the Russian convoy returned from Ukraine and crossed to the Donetsk Border Crossing Point (BCP). Already seven vehicles of the convoy had returned to the BCP on the evening of 22 August. The OSCE Observer Mission (OM) concludes that all 227 vehicles of the aid convoy, which had crossed the Donetsk BCP towards Ukraine on 22 August (see Spot Reports of 22 August 2014), have returned to the Russian Federation (RF).

DETAIL

On 23 August, from 10:00 to 14:15, the OM observed the arrival of vehicles belonging to the Russian convoy returning from Ukraine. The crossing of the entire convoy took place in four groups:

A first group of 43 vehicles returned between 10:00 and 11:00.
A second group of 90 vehicles returned between 11:00 and 11:50.

A third group of 47 vehicles returned between 11:50 and 13:03.
A fourth and last group of 40 vehicles returned between 13:45 and 14:15.

The total number of trucks (including support vehicles) was 220.

On 22 August seven vehicles returned to the Donetsk BCP. In the afternoon, five fuel trucks and one ambulance returned to the BCP. In the evening a white trailer truck was towed back to the BCP by a dark green KAMAZ truck without number plates. Following repair works the trailer truck left the BCP towards the RF whereas the dark green KAMAZ remained in the BCP area.

The cargo trucks arrived with the rear cargo tailgate open. After the Russian authorities had quickly checked the trucks, the cargo tailgates were closed and afterwards the vehicles departed in groups of 10-12.