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Ukraine Says It Will Block Russian Aid Convoy

by Gabe Joselow August 12, 2014

Ukrainian officials said they will not allow Russian trucks to cross the border after Moscow said it was sending a convoy to deliver humanitarian aid to besieged residents in rebel-held eastern Ukraine.

Russia said Tuesday it was sending 280 truckloads of relief supplies to residents of eastern Ukraine, who are caught in the conflict between Ukrainian armed forces and pro-Russian separatists.

However, Ukrainian officials say the Russian trucks are not part of an agreement with the International Committee of the Red Cross to deliver aid to the region.

Convoy not certified

Later Tuesday, Russia's Foreign Ministry said Moscow had 'met the wishes' of Kyiv regarding the convoy's route and inspection of its cargo, adding that the two sides had agreed the aid would be delivered through a checkpoint on the border between Russia's Belgorod and Ukraine's Kharkiv regions.

The ministry said Russia expects 'maximum assistance' from Ukraine in safely delivering the aid to residents of eastern Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions. It expressed 'perplexity' over Kyiv's statements about, in the ministry's words, 'the alleged absence of agreement on the route of the convoy, and the fact that new logistic demands are being put forward all the time.'

In Kyiv, though, Ukrainian presidential adviser Valery Chaly said the aid convoy has not been certified, and that Ukraine will be forced to respond if Russia tries to include any military component in the aid mission.

​​​'If it will be a convoy of military operations or something else, it definitely will be considered and named as an act of aggression, so we will react in this manner,' Chaly said.

He said the Ukrainian government has agreed that the Red Cross will be responsible for accepting and distributing Russian aid, adding that no Russian military convoys would be able to accompany the aid deliveries.

Russian news agency ITAR-TASS quoted a Russian Emergencies Ministry spokesman as saying 2,000 tons of supplies - including baby food, medicine and drinking water - left Moscow early Tuesday for the Ukrainian border.

The news agency said the destination for the aid will be decided by Red Cross and Ukrainian officials.

On an official Twitter feed, the Red Cross said it had been told by Russian authorities about the aid heading to the border and added "we're not in charge of this convoy at the moment."

​​​​The Red Cross said it needs to clarify details about the delivery, including the type and amount of aid, and that it is working with Russian and Ukrainian authorities on this issue.

Ukraine blasts Russia on aid to rebels

Officials in Kyiv said Russia continues to supply rebels in the east.

Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Danylo Lubkivsky told reporters that Russia can improve the situation in the east by stopping its support of rebel groups.

"Stop the aggression, stop the Russian terrorists, stop the shelling, stop your cynical propaganda and there will be no need for any humanitarian aid,' Lubkivsky said.

Russia has repeatedly denied that it is aiding the rebels.

In a phone call Monday, U.S. President Barack Obama and Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko agreed that any unapproved Russian intervention in Ukraine would be considered a violation of international law.

Fight for Donetsk

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military said it is closing in on the remaining separatist strongholds of Donetsk and Luhansk.

Security council spokesman Andriy Lysenko told Reuters news agency that government forces had already cut off Donetsk from neighboring Luhansk, but would move to retake Donetsk first because, in his words, 'it is more important.'

Lysenko warned civilians in Donetsk and Luhansk to leave the areas 'temporarily' to avoid the coming assault.

Early Tuesday, residents of Donetsk combed through the rubble of their belongings and recalled a night of shelling, during a break in fighting.

Others ventured out to buy food and stand in long queues for cash.

U.N. agencies said well over 1,000 people have been killed, including government forces, rebels and civilians, in the conflict in which a Malaysian airliner was downed on July 17 with the deaths of all 298 people on board.

Some information for this report provided by Reuters.