ROSTOV-ON-DON. Aug 22 (Interfax) - The hostilities halted operations of the Ukrainian Novoazovsk checkpoint last night but customs officers of the adjacent Russian checkpoint, Veselo-Voznesenka, kept working, Southern Customs Department spokesman Rayan Farukshin told Interfax on Friday.
"The Novoazovsk checkpoint (Ukraine) again suspended operation from 4 p.m. on Thursday through 6:40 a.m. on Friday. Artillery and automatic gunfire was heard on Ukrainian territory, close to the state border," Farukshin said.
The Veselo-Voznesenka staff continued to clear goods and vehicles entering the Russian Federation, he added.
A bus with 30 passengers onboard was cleared to cross into Russia on Friday by the Kuibyshevo checkpoint of the Taganrog customs for the first time in the past three months, he added.
"Bus traffic has resumed between Torez (Ukraine) and Taganrog (Russia)," Farukshin said.
There is no admission of passengers and vehicles through the Voloshino post of the Millerovo customs because the adjacent Ukrainian checkpoint, Krasna Talivka, is not working. Voloshino staff members are on standby, they are prepared to clear passengers and vehicles through the border.
Other customs posts deployed in the Southern Customs Department zone of operation along the Russian-Ukrainian border are operating normally, the spokesman added.