Spot Report by OSCE Observer Mission: the 54th Russian convoy of 33 vehicles crossed into Ukraine and returned through the Donetsk Border Crossing point
SUMMARY
On 22 September 2016 at 06:25hrs (Moscow time), a Russian convoy[1] arrived at the Donetsk Border Crossing Point (BCP). A total of 33 vehicles were checked by the Russian border guards and customs services prior to them crossing into Ukraine. All of the 33 vehicles had crossed back into the Russian Federation by 14:40hrs on 22 September.
DETAILLeaving the Russian Federation
On 22 September 2016 at 06:25hrs, 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 30 cargo trucks (among them three refrigerated trucks) and three support vehicles. All but three refrigerated trucks bore the inscription “Humanitarian help from the Russian Federation”.
At 06:40hrs the vehicles entered the customs control area and parked up in three lines. The cargo trucks were visually checked from the outside by Russian border guards and customs officers. A service dog was present on site during the convoy crossing and was used to check some of the cargo trucks from the outside. Ukrainian representatives – five border guards and a customs officer– were present during the check. They performed light visual checks of the opened trucks from the outside. By 07:18hrs the vehicles had left the BCP towards Ukraine.
Returning to the Russian Federation
At 14:15hrs on 22 September, the convoy arrived and parked up in three lines at the customs area. The tailgates and tarpaulins of the trucks were opened and Russian and Ukrainian border guards and customs officers visually checked the returning convoy from the outside. One service dog was present on site during the convoy crossing and was used to check some of the cargo trucks from the outside. By 14:40hrs all of the 33 vehicles had returned and crossed back into the Russian Federation.
[1] According to the statement of the Russian Federation officials, this convoy is considered as the fifty-sixth Russian convoy which was sent to Ukraine. As two of these convoys did not cross through the “Donetsk” or “Gukovo” border crossing points, the Observer Mission did not record them. Hence, based on the Observer Mission’s counting, this convoy is considered as the fifty-fourth convoy that has crossed into Ukraine.