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Russian Emergencies Ministry starts preparing another aid convoy for Donbass region

MOSCOW, 8 March. /TASS/. Trucks of Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations from the 17th convoy that on March 4 delivered humanitarian aid to Ukraine’s war-torn Donbass region, have returned to their base - Noginsk rescue centre. The preparation of another convoys has started, head of the ministry’s Noginsk rescue centre Alexander Lekomtsev told reporters on Saturday.

Prior to this, the Emergencies Ministry’s convoy on February 27 delivered more than 1.8 tonnes of humanitarian aid to the Donbass region.

"Rescuers of the Noginsky rescue centre of Russia’s Emergencies Ministry after successful completion the two humanitarian missions arrived to their centre. However, despite the fact that we came back, our colleagues from the Rostov region at the instruction of the Russian president today have successfully completed an extraordinary humanitarian operation to provide targeted assistance to families and relatives of the Donetsk miners killed or injured in the Zasyadko mine," said Lekomtsev. He said that more than 200 tonnes of humanitarian aid - foodstuffs and medicines, have been delivered to the miners on Saturday.

On Wednesday morning a blast, supposedly caused by methane outburst, rocked the Zasyadko mine where 230 miners were underground at the moment, leaving 33 out of them dead. Another 15 injured were hospitalised. A search and rescue operation ended on Thursday night.

"Our return trip was without incidents, the vehicles are working, the drivers feel good. Today we begin the equipment maintenance and preparation for another humanitarian operation," said Lekomtsev, adding that the returned rescuers would stay home on March 8 will and congratulate their wives, mothers and daughters of the holiday - International Women’s Day.

Since last August, Russian Emergencies Ministry’s convoys have delivered more than 24,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid to the Donbass region in Ukraine’s southeast.