Several shells explode near Russia's Gukovo customs checkpoint; staff evacuated
ROSTOV-ON-DON. July 11 (Interfax) - Officials from the Gukovo customs checkpoint in the Rostov region have been evacuated because of shell explosions, the Southern Customs Directorate spokesman Rayan Farukshin told Interfax on Friday.
"Several shells blew up near the Gukovo customs point at approximately 2 p.m. on Friday. The fragments of the shells fell on the vehicle control line on Russian territory. Where exactly the munitions exploded - on Russian or Ukrainian territory - has yet to be established," Farukshin said.
No one was hurt in the incident, he said.
The Donetsk customs checkpoint has reopened after a temporary closure, Farukshin said. Furthermore, the staff of the Novoshakhtinsk customs checkpoint have returned to their workplaces but neither people, nor vehicles are let through because there is no activity at the Ukrainian customs checkpoint across the border.
It was established that the shells whose fragments hit the Russian territory blew up on the Ukrainian one, spokesman for the FSB Border Directorate for the Rostov region Vasily Malayev told Interfax.
"Shell explosions are occasionally audible near the Gukovo border checkpoint on the side of the neighboring state," Malayev said.
