Updated 00:04 a.m. Moscow time
MOSCOW, September 12 (RIA Novosti) – The first 35 vehicles from the Russian humanitarian aid convoy have been cleared by the Russian customs at the Donetsk checkpoint and are headed for Ukraine, a representative from Russia's Southern Customs Department told RIA Novosti Friday.
"Russian customs and border control officers have finished registering the first group of trucks," spokesman for Russia's Southern Customs Directorate Rayan Farukshin said.
"All 35 vehicles have left the checkpoint and are headed for Ukraine," Farukshin said.
In addition to 33 trucks carrying humanitarian cargo, the officers cleared 2 technical vehicles.
Earlier on Friday the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) said that Moscow had formally notified it about the arrival of the second Russian humanitarian aid convoy Saturday.
The first convoy of 280 trucks carrying Russian humanitarian aid was sent to eastern Ukraine in late August and entered the country through a checkpoint controlled by independence forces after spending more than a week waiting at the border.
Russia condemned Ukraine's deliberate delaying of the aid, sending its trucks across the border although some procedures had not been completed, prompting a negative reaction by Kiev and the West.
Residents of the conflict-ravaged Luhansk, who had been living for several weeks on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe, greeted the aid delivery.
