As Alexander Borodai, chairman of the board of the Union of Donbass Volunteers, told RT, volunteers periodically turn to him with complaints about the delay in humanitarian supplies at the border.

According to him, in this regard, he sent an official request to the head of the FCS, in which he reported on significant problems related to the delivery of goods to the republics of Donbass.

“Why are medicines and quadrocopters being delayed, which are now saving the lives of fighters?

he explains.

— I understand that it is necessary to follow the people who come to us across the border.

Together with the refugees, saboteurs are trying to penetrate.

But who is threatened by humanitarian supplies heading to the LDNR?”

“On the one hand, bound by norms”

Alexander Osorgin (name changed), who participated in the hostilities in the Donbass from 2014 to 2019, told RT that there had been problems with the delivery of dual-use goods necessary for military operations before.

“People at customs, on the one hand, are bound by regulations, according to which we often could not import at a time, for example, more than a few high-quality bulletproof vests, secure electronics, and even uniform kits.

This is already a commercial party.

And on the other hand, the “watchman syndrome” was constantly on, recalls the militia.

The coordinating center for assistance to Novorossia (KCPN) also notes problems with the clearance of humanitarian cargo.

Representatives of the KCPN stated that they had sent a collective letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“We know for sure that the people of Russia and our supporters from abroad want to support those who fight on our side and those who suffer from the fighting.

We are trying to collect this aid and deliver it to the front.

Non-standard civilian UAVs, communications equipment, computer systems, optics, medicines and personal armor protection save the lives of people's militia fighters and the Russian army and help them perform combat missions, ”the appeal says.

As noted in the letter, the organization cannot significantly increase the flow of assistance, since the cargo cannot pass customs without hindrance.

“The existing regimes for processing and delivering humanitarian cargo on the territory of the DPR, LPR and the territory of Ukraine liberated from the Nazis do not correspond to the situation of the ongoing special military operation,” the organization noted.

They proposed “introducing the most favored nation regime, up to the abolition of customs control, in relation to goods exported from the territory of the Russian Federation to the territory of the DPR and LPR and obviously intended to assist in conducting a special operation on the territory of Ukraine.”

Earlier, the commander of the Vostok battalion of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Donetsk People's Republic, Alexander Khodakovsky, also noted in an interview with RT that humanitarian supplies were delayed at the border.

“We have cargo that has been lying near the border for more than a month, but we cannot pick it up.

For example, they do not allow plates for body armor to be brought in.

These are not weapons, not special equipment, just two pieces of iron for each body armor, but they save someone's life, ”he explained.

Also on russian.rt.com “We can’t leave people”: DPR battalion commander Alexander Khodakovsky on the liberation of Mariupol and helping civilians

"Work is underway"

In turn, the FCS told RT that the information that customs officers make it difficult to transport humanitarian aid is not true.

“Together with the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia, operational cooperation has been organized to carry out priority customs operations in relation to humanitarian convoys.

The work is carried out in an enhanced mode of service.

The most experienced employees were attracted and additionally seconded to the places requiring strengthening.

To the maximum extent, all available control lanes are used to carry out customs operations in relation to persons, goods and vehicles crossing the customs border of the EAEU.

In emergency cases, a reverse traffic scheme is organized, in accordance with which oncoming traffic lanes are additionally used, ”the department noted.

According to the Federal Customs Service, since the beginning of the formation of humanitarian convoys and registration of humanitarian aid in the region of the department’s activities, more than 11.5 thousand tons of humanitarian cargo have been issued, which were sent to residents of the LPR, DPR and certain regions of Ukraine.

As noted in the department, the Crimean and Rostov customs carry out clearance of goods following humanitarian convoys as soon as possible.

The average time is 20-25 minutes.

In the 24/7 mode, coordination of the processing of humanitarian aid, the movement of humanitarian convoys through automobile checkpoints is carried out, their exit and return are monitored.

The FCS clarifies that customs officers are bound by existing rules: according to the law, there are goods prohibited for import, including some medical products.

And the simplified import procedure can only be used with the participation of the Ministry of Emergency Situations or the Ministry of Health.

Member of the Public Chamber of Russia, Director of the Foundation for the Study of Democracy Problems Maxim Grigoryev says that there is a bureaucratic problem that needs to be quickly resolved.

In his opinion, the customs officers just literally follow the regulations, which must be replaced as soon as possible for these sections of the border so that the goods do not stand idle.