Spot report by OSCE Observer Mission: Seventeenth Russian convoy crossed into Ukraine and returned back through Donetsk Border Crossing Point

SUMMARY

On 04 March 2015 at 07:21hrs (Moscow time), a Russian convoy arrived at the Donetsk Border Crossing Point (BCP). A total of 83 vehicles were checked by the Russian border guard and customs services. All the vehicles had crossed back into the Russian Federation by 17:18hrs on 04 March.

DETAIL

Leaving the Russian Federation

On 04 March 2015 at 07:21hrs, the Observer Mission (OM) observed the arrival of a Russian convoy at the gate of the Donetsk BCP. The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations team was in charge of the convoy and led the process of its movement. The convoy consisted of 55 cargo trucks, 21 fuel trucks, 4 escort vehicles, 1 towing truck and 2 support vehicles. All trucks bore the inscription “Humanitarian help from the Russian Federation”. On the dashboards of a few cargo trucks the OM observed flags of the so-called “Novorossiya”, “LPR” or “DPR”.

The vehicles stopped at the customs control area in three lines, backdoors of the cargo trucks were opened and visually checked by Russian border guards and customs officers from outside. The Russian border guards used a dog to check some of the cargo trucks. Ukrainian officers – 7 border guards and 4 customs officers – were present on site and divided in three teams on each of the aforementioned lines. They performed visual observation of the opened trucks from the outside. By 08:19hrs all vehicles had left the BCP towards Ukraine.

Returning to the Russian Federation

At 16:06hrs on 04 March, the convoy arrived and lined up at the customs area. The backdoors of the trucks were open and both Russian and Ukrainian officers quickly checked the trailers. By 17:18hrs all 83 vehicles had returned and crossed back into the Russian Federation.