Spot Report by OSCE Observer Mission:eighteenth Russian convoy of 24 vehicles crossed into Ukraine and returned back through the Donetsk Border Crossing Point

SUMMARY

On 13 March 2015 at 15:14hrs (Moscow time), a Russian convoy arrived at the Donetsk Border Crossing Point (BCP). A total of 24 vehicles were checked by the Russian border guard and customs services. The Observer Mission (OM) was not aware of this convoy coming as it was not announced in advance. All the vehicles had crossed back into the Russian Federation by 00:02hrs on 14 March.

DETAIL

Leaving the Russian Federation

On 13 March 2015 at 15:14hrs, the Observer Mission observed the arrival of a Russian convoy at the gate of the Donetsk BCP. The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations team led the process of the convoy movement. The convoy consisted of 11 cargo trucks, 11 fuel trucks and 2 support vehicles. All cargo trucks bore the inscription “Humanitarian help from the Russian Federation”. On the dashboards of a few cargo trucks the OM observed flags of the Russian Federation and the so-called “Luhansk People’s Republic” and “Donetsk People’s Republic.”

The vehicles stopped at the customs control area in three lines, backdoors of some of the cargo trucks were opened and visually checked by Russian border guards and customs officers from outside. The Russian border guards used a service dog to check some of the cargo trucks. The Ukrainian officers were neither present on site nor at the fence during the convoy crossing. By 15:39hrs all vehicles had left the BCP towards Ukraine.

Returning to the Russian Federation

At 23:45hrs on 13 March, the convoy arrived and lined up at the customs area. The backdoors of the trucks were open and Russian customs officers checked the returning convoy. A service dog was used to check the cargo trucks from outside. The Ukrainian officers were not on site during the convoy crossing. By 00:02hrs on 14 March all 24 vehicles had returned and crossed back into the Russian Federation.