The Kolotilovka-Pokrovka checkpoint: why should you open a checkpoint at the border with the Russian Federation during the war?

On August 6, the Ministry of Reintegration announced the restoration of work closed after the Great War with Russia with the border crossing "Kolotilovka-Pokrivka" on the border of Belgorod and Sumy regions. Kolotilovka-Pokrovka is a passage point across the Ukrainian-Russian border. It is located on a minor highway, which connects the district center of Krasnopillya of Sumy region with the Russian village of Krasna Yaruga, Belgorod region.

Officials have specified that through the checkpoint the citizens of Ukraine, who are returning from temporarily occupied territories. It remains unclear how people will get there. Distance to the checkpoint from the areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions about 500 kilometers. From the southern regions to go even 1200 km. The Volunteer Humanitarian Center works at the checkpoint, who want to give free psychological, legal and humanitarian aid.

Those who arrive can spend the night and go there, they say in the ministry. The People's Deputy from "Euro Solodarity", a member of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy Mykola Knyazhitsky, says Focus that the decision to open a checkpoint at the border with the Russian Federation was surprised. According to him, the Poles and the Balts close the borders by transferring the units of PEC "Wagner" from the Russian Federation to Belarus.

At the same time, European countries are not in a state of hot war. "And we open [borders] during the war. The question arises who agreed with, which people will pass through the point. Obviously, in Russia many deported Ukrainians, they need to be returned. There may be humanitarian plans. The Russians say they have taken out. 700 thousand children, all of them have to be returned by international law, "he commented on the situation.

Those who remain in Russia and in the occupied territories return to Ukraine through the EU countries: Finland, the Baltic States and Poland. People are forced to overcome more than 1200 km, Knyazhitsky notes. The State Border Service of Ukraine (SPSU) says that the border crossing points with the Russian Federation are closed by the Cabinet's decision, but Ukrainians cannot be restricted in the opportunity to return home. "We need to understand the situation correctly.

First, border crossing points are closed, but Ukraine as a whole and border guards, in particular, are ready to secure the return of Ukrainians home to the Ukrainian border. Citizens were still able to return home, they were missed by the Russian side, " - explained the focus of the SPSU spokesman Andriy Demchenko. At the end of July, Ukrainian border guards noticed that Russia closed the possibility of crossing the border for Ukrainians.

Two days ago, the invaders again resumed passing for Ukrainians in this direction. The SSSU, he said, provides the pass of Ukrainians in their homeland. Since the beginning of the war, more than 18,000 Ukrainians have returned home across the border from the Russian Federation and Belarus. For the most part, people went through Sumy and Volyn regions, Demchenko summed up. It should be reminded that Poland has transferred to the mode of immediate response of units of combat helicopters.