Spot Report by OSCE Observer Mission: A thirty-third Russian convoy of 52 vehicles crossed into Ukraine and returned back through Donetsk Border Crossing Point

SUMMARY

On 30 July 2015 at 07:05hrs (Moscow time), a Russian convoy arrived at the Donetsk Border Crossing Point (BCP). A total of 52 vehicles were checked by the Russian border guard and customs services. All the vehicles had crossed back into the Russian Federation by 15:58hrs on 30 July.

***

DETAIL

Leaving the Russian Federation

On 30 July 2015 at 07:05hrs, 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 six support vehicles. All but two of the 46 cargo trucks displayed the Russian national flag and bore the inscription “Humanitarian help from the Russian Federation”. One truck bore the inscription “Day of knowledge in Novorossiya” (Original Text: “День Знания в Новороссии”) and the other one (a refrigerated semi-trailer) had no inscription at all. In the cabin of at least one cargo truck, the OM observed flags of the so-called “Novorossiya” and the “Lugansk People’s Republic”.

All the vehicles stopped at the customs control area and lined up in three lines, the backdoors of all of the cargo trucks were opened and visually checked from the outside by Russian border guards and customs officers. In some cases, the OM observed Russian border guards climb into the trucks’ cargo space. Two service dogs – one from the Russian border guard and one from the Russian customs service – were used to check some of the cargo trucks. Ukrainian officers –­ three border guards and one customs officer – were present during the check. They performed visual observation of the opened trucks from the outside together with the Russian border guards. By 08:10hrs all vehicles had left the BCP towards Ukraine.

Returning to the Russian Federation

At 15:28hrs on 30 July, the convoy arrived and lined up in four lines at the customs area. The backdoors of all the trucks were opened and Russian border guards and customs officers visually checked the returning convoy. Ukrainian officers – three border guards and one customs officer ­– visually checked the returning convoy. One border guard service dog was used to check some of the cargo trucks. By 15:58hrs, all 52 vehicles had returned and crossed back into the Russian Federation.

***