Spot Report by OSCE Observer Mission: A thirty-ninth Russian convoy of 53 vehicles crossed into Ukraine and returned back through Donetsk Border Crossing Point

Please note that this report is for media and the general public

SUMMARY

On 30 September 2015 at 06:45hrs (Moscow time), a Russian convoy arrived at the Donetsk Border Crossing Point (BCP). A total of 53 vehicles were checked by the Russian border guard and customs services. All the vehicles had crossed back into the Russian Federation by 15:35hrs on 30 September.

DETAIL

Leaving the Russian Federation

On 30 September 2015 at 06:45hrs, 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 46 cargo trucks and 7 support vehicles. All cargo trucks displayed the Russian Federation national flag and bore the inscription ‘’Humanitarian help from the Russian Federation’’.

At 06:45hrs the vehicles entered the customs control area and lined up in three lines. The cargo trucks were visually checked by Russian border guards and customs officers from the outside and only some of them from the back side of the cargo space. Three service dogs were present on site, one Ukrainian and two Russian, and were used to check some of the cargo trucks from the outside. Ukrainian representatives – three border guards and one customs officer – were present during the check. They performed superficial visual observation of the opened trucks from the outside. By 07:45hrs all vehicles had left the BCP towards Ukraine.

Returning to the Russian Federation

At 15:05hrs on 30 September, the convoy arrived and lined up in four lines at the customs area. The tailgates and tarpaulin of all of the trucks were opened and Russian border guards and customs officers visually checked the returning convoy from the outside. Ukrainian representatives – three border guards and two customs officers – performed superficial visual observation of the returning convoy from the outside. One service dog was present on site and was used to check some of the vehicles. By 15:35hrs all 53 vehicles had returned and crossed back into the Russian Federation.

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