MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The convoy includes 100 vehicles that are carrying over 1,100 metric tons of aid for residents of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions. The humanitarian cargo consists of food, medicine, items of first necessity, firefighting equipment and school supplies.
"The convoy left the Donskoy rescue center of the Russian Emergencies Ministry in the Rostov region at 04:00 Moscow time [01:00 GMT] and is headed for the state border," the spokesperson told journalists.
In November 2014, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko ordered to impose an economic blockade on Donbass, withdrawing all state-funded health, educational and social protections from the region.
Overall, Russia has sent more than 49,000 metric tons of humanitarian aid to Donbas since August 2014.
According to the Emergencies Ministry, Russia plans to send humanitarian convoys to Donbass weekly till the end of 2015.
