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

SUMMARY

On 11 June 2015 at 06:55hrs (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 15:45hrs on 11 June.

***

DETAIL

Leaving the Russian Federation

On 11 June 2015 at 06:40hrs, 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 43 cargo trucks and 9 support vehicles. All cargo trucks displayed the Russian national flag and bore the inscription “Humanitarian help from the Russian Federation”. The last three vehicles arrived 15 minutes after the main body of the convoy. 

All the vehicles stopped at the customs control area and lined up in three lines, backdoors and/or tarpaulins of all of the cargo trucks were opened and visually checked from outside by Russian border guards and customs officers. One service dog was used by Russian border guard to check most of the cargo trucks. Ukrainian officers – 3 border guards and 2 customs officers – were present during the check. They performed visual observation of the opened trucks from the outside together with the Russian border guards. By 07:42hrs all vehicles had left the BCP towards Ukraine. There was an official photographer from the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations present and he took a number of photographs of the convoy.

Returning to the Russian Federation

At 14:30 hrs on 11 June, the convoy arrived and lined up at the customs area. The backdoors of the trucks were opened and the Russian border guards and customs officers visually checked the returning convoy. The Ukrainian Border Guard or Customs were not present on this occasion. One service dog was used to check some of the cargo trucks. By 15:45hrs on 11 June all 52 vehicles had returned and crossed back into the Russian Federation.