Russia waiting for Ukraine to clear 16 humanitarian convoy trucks
KAMENSK-SHAKHTINSKY, Rostov region /KYIV. Aug 21 (Interfax) - The first 16 trucks carrying Russia's humanitarian aid to southeastern Ukraine will cross the border as soon as they are cleared by the Ukrainian side, a source familiar with the situation told Interfax.
"The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Russian side have done everything in their power to achieve the cargo's clearance, including the submission of mandatory documents to the Ukrainians," he said.
"The ball is in the court of the Ukrainian officials," he added.
In turn, a representative of the transportation company which had committed to deliver the humanitarian cargo said the second group of 16 white-painted KamAZ trucks was due to head from the parking area to "the edge of the Donetsk-Izvaryne checkpoint" on the Russian-Ukrainian border.
The Ukrainian State Border Service said Ukrainian border guards and customs had not been clearing humanitarian cargo from Russia as of 7 a.m. local time (8 a.m. Moscow time) on Thursday.
"Not a single vehicle had been cleared by 7 a.m.," a source in the State Border Service told Interfax. He did not offer other comment.
Interfax learned that the Russian humanitarian convoy expected to cross the Ukrainian Izvaryne checkpoint for Luhansk at around 7-8 a.m. on Thursday under the aegis of the International Committee of the Red Cross. The Ukrainian humanitarian convoy was due to depart from Sievierodonetsk for Luhansk at approximately the same time.
There is no official confirmation of the Russian humanitarian aid's arrival in Ukraine so far.
Interfax has yet to obtain an ICRC comment on the issue.
As reported earlier, the first group of Russia's KamAZ humanitarian trucks entered the premises of the Russian Donetsk customs post in the evening of August 20. Southern Customs Department spokesman Rayan Farukshin told Interfax the customs had started to clear the humanitarian cargo.
Yet Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council information analysis center speaker Andriy Lysenko said on Wednesday the Ukrainian side had not been provided with Russian humanitarian cargo manifests and the clearing would most probably start on Thursday morning.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry underscored Ukrainian border guards and customs had not conducted any procedures towards the humanitarian cargo's clearance as of Wednesday night.
The ICRC's Andre Lersch said no trucks had crossed the Russian border into Ukraine by 9:30 p.m. on August 20.
