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Developments in eastern Ukraine

Russian humanitarian aid convoy sets off to Donbass

The 100-truck convoy carries about 1,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid, largely foodstuffs - canned food, cereals, pasta, flour, tea and butter - along with medicines and school textbooks

Russian humanitarian aid convoy to Ukraine Valery Matytsin/TASS

Russian humanitarian aid convoy to Ukraine

© Valery Matytsin/TASS

MOSCOW, July 30. /TASS/. The Russian Emergencies Ministry’s 34th convoy with humanitarian aid has set off to Donbass on Thursday morning, the ministry’s press office told TASS.

"At about 04.00 Moscow time (01.00 GMT) the convoy of the Russian Ministry for Emergency Situations has set off from the Donskoi rescue centre in the village of Kovalyovka in the Rostov region towards the Russian border," it said.

"Skilled drivers, who carried out dozens of relief operation all over the world, are at the wheels. Health workers ready to provide medical assistance and technical personnel ready for urgent maintenance works on the way are in the trucks as well," the ministry said.

Before the journey, all the trucks have undergone technical inspections, refuelling and maintenance works. The drivers listened to safety instructions and to tips on driving in extreme conditions, the ministry said.

On arriving at the border, the convoy will split into two parts, with the first making its way to Donetsk after having passed all the required procedures at the Matveyev Kurgan border checkpoints and the other - to Lugansk - through the Donetsk border checkpoint.

Since last August, Russia’s Emergency Ministry has dispatched 33 convoys with humanitarian aid to the Donetsk and Lugansk regions, supplying the war-damaged regions with over 41,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid in total.

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Eastern Ukraine

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