KIEV, August 18 (RIA Novosti) – Experts of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) plan to inspect the Russian humanitarian convoy on Monday or Tuesday, a spokesman for the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine said.
“According to OSCE representative Paul Ricard, this organization will probably inspect the humanitarian cargo on August 18 or 19,” spokesman Andriy Lysenko said. “After being examined, the cargo will be handed over to official representatives of the Red Cross for further convoy.”
In light of the worsening humanitarian situation in Ukraine's eastern regions Russia proposed to the UN Security Council in early August to send an international humanitarian mission with Russian humanitarian aid under the auspices of the ICRC to the troubled regions.
On August 12, 280 trucks carrying about 2,000 tons of humanitarian aid, with 400 tons of grain, 100 tons of sugar, 62 tons of baby food, 54 tons of medication, 12,000 sleeping bags and 69 mobile electrical generators set off from the Moscow Region heading toward Ukrainian conflict areas.
On August 17, the first 16 trucks of Russia’s humanitarian aid convoy arrived at the customs checkpoint at the Ukrainian border, with more expected to follow. The head of the ICRC delegation for Russia, Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine, Pascal Cuttat, examined the trucks Sunday and said he was satisfied with their condition, Russia’s Emergencies Ministry stated.
All 280 trucks will now also be scanned by a special Federal Customs Service detector at the border in order to determine whether they contain any substances aside from humanitarian aid.
