ROSTOV–ON–DON, July 7, (RIA Novosti) – The staff of the Novoshakhtinsk checkpoint in Russia’s southern Rostov Region had to evacuate Monday due to shelling at the adjoining Ukrainian Dolzhansky border crossing, Russia’s Southern Customs Administration said Monday.
“Novoshakhtinsk checkpoint officials were evacuated at 3:00 a.m. Moscow time (11:00 GMT) on Monday, due to intensive shelling in the area of the adjoining [Ukrainian] Dolzhansky border crossing,” the statement says.
Russian customs officials were able to return to their working places three hours later.
According to the Southern Customs Administration, the shelling could also be heard in the vicinity of the Gukovo and Donetsk border crossings.
Novoshakhtinsk officials already had to evacuate on July 3, when the shelling of the Dolzhansky border crossing resulted in ammunition exploding at Novoshakhtinsk, damaging the bus station and one of the customs terminals.
Currently, the Kuibyshevo border crossing is closed due to the halt of operations at Ukraine’s adjoining Marinivka checkpoint. Kuibyshevo’s employees are working locally and ready to transmit individuals and transport across the border.
The fighting between the Ukarainian Army and independence supporters in the southeast of the country intensified dramatically after Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko announced his decision not to extend the ten-day ceasefire on July 1.
Russia has repeatedly condemned Kiev’s actions and urged for peaceful dialogue with representatives of Ukraine’s southeastern regions.
