Spot Report by OSCE Observer Mission: A twenty second Russian convoy of 42 vehicles crossed into Ukraine and returned back through the Donetsk Border Crossing Point

This report is for media and the general public.

SUMMARY

On 02 April 2015 at 07:34hrs (Moscow time), a Russian convoy arrived at the Donetsk Border Crossing Point (BCP). A total of 42 vehicles were checked by the Russian border guard and customs services. All the vehicles had crossed back into the Russian Federation by 14:56hrs on 02 April.

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DETAIL

Leaving the Russian Federation

On 02 April 2015 at 07:34hrs, 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 38 cargo trucks and 4 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 “Novorossija.”

The vehicles stopped at the customs control area in three lines, backdoors of all of the cargo trucks were opened and visually checked by Russian border guards and customs officers from outside. Two service dogs were used to check some of the cargo trucks. Ukrainian officers – 6 border guards and 3 customs officers – were present on site during the check. They performed visual observation of the opened trucks from the outside. By 08:17hrs all vehicles had left the BCP towards Ukraine.

Returning to the Russian Federation

At 14:30hrs on 02 April, the convoy arrived and lined up at the customs area. The backdoors of the trucks were open and both Russian and Ukrainian border guards and customs officers visually checked the returning convoy. One service dog was present on site during the convoy crossing, however, was not used to check any of the vehicles. By 14:56hrs on 02 April all 42 vehicles had returned and crossed back into the Russian Federation.

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