Russia Aid to Ukraine in Limbo as Shells Hammer Donetsk

Russia Aid to Ukraine in Limbo as Shells Hammer Donetsk

A large Russian aid convoy is close to Ukraine’s borders as shells hammer in the eastern city of Donetsk. The convoy is allegedly filled with humanitarian aid to the war-torn east crossed into Ukraine.

So @RolandOliphant and I just saw a column of APCs and vehicles with official Russian military plates cross border into Ukraine.

— Shaun Walker (@shaunwalker7) August 14, 2014

Kiev demanded the Russian convoy pass through a Kharkiv checkpoint armed by the Ukrainian government. Russia claims the cargo contains water, baby food, and other basic supplies. However, Kiev does not trust Russia and will not allow any cargo cross the border without proper inspection. Kiev believes “the convoy could be a pretext for a Russian military invasion or further support for the pro-Russian rebels.” The trucks are headed towards rebel-held Luhansk, but the aid might not reach the city. The Ukrainian army captured Novosvitlivka, which is about 12 miles from Luhansk and the convoy needs to pass through the city to reach their destination.

“The cargo will all the same have to be looked at by Ukrainian border guards and transferred to representatives of the Red Cross,” said military spokesman Andriy Lysenko. “Ukrainian forces have closed the last possibility for road communications between Luhansk and other territories which are controlled by Russian mercenaries in particular Izvarine.”

Those white dots are about 100 convoy trucks in front of us. We seem to be stopping in Kamensk-Shakhtinsky pic.twitter.com/maWKdLFJYG

— Courtney Weaver (@courtneymoscow) August 14, 2014

So two of these babies just pulled up behind the convoy line pic.twitter.com/EVyACn40HQ

— Courtney Weaver (@courtneymoscow) August 14, 2014

Tan men told us we could open any truck we liked. This one had bags full of grechka (buckwheat) pic.twitter.com/nC3j02bcUs

— Courtney Weaver (@courtneymoscow) August 14, 2014

Erm ok so this isn’t humanitarian aid. Column of over 20 APCs, 10km from the Ukraine border, and heading closer pic.twitter.com/OMvJmHzsx1

— Shaun Walker (@shaunwalker7) August 14, 2014

Two helicopters accompanying the convoy, flying extremely low. Now sat in the fields alongside pic.twitter.com/yYTr7Vhp8C

— Shaun Walker (@shaunwalker7) August 14, 2014

In the distance, tents set up to house aid truckers and others pic.twitter.com/cNNlz3dFFm

— Andrew Roth (@ARothNYT) August 14, 2014

Military transports kept rolling by toward border… pic.twitter.com/VOV2IUudVi

— Andrew Roth (@ARothNYT) August 14, 2014

Spent a couple of hours with the Russian convoy which has stopped, possibly for some time. Field camp being set up pic.twitter.com/UN1NTJSsbX

— Shaun Walker (@shaunwalker7) August 14, 2014

Convoy pic.twitter.com/E2ibNBUNHy

— Roland Oliphant (@RolandOliphant) August 14, 2014

Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke in Yalta, Crimea on Thursday. He said Russia must do everything to stop the bloodshed in east Ukraine, but did not admit his country had a hand in the conflict.

“We will do all we can to end the conflict as soon as possible, to stop the bloodshed in Ukraine,” said Putin.

In June, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov admitted Russia helped the pro-Russian forces. He said Russia sent humanitarian aid, but did not specify the items sent to Ukraine. Yet, Igor Girkin, now-former defense minister of the Donetsk People’s Republic, said the aid contained military equipment.

“Humanitarian aid from Russia has finally reached Slovyansk yesterday,” Girkin wrote on social media. “Our special thanks for bulletproof helmets (see photo, green, brand new, gleaming) of a high degree of protection. This is exactly what our guys are missing when they crawl in the trenches under a sniper fire.”

Donetsk the city was shelled for the first time on Thursday. From Reuters:

Two shells landed 200 metres (660 feet) from the Park Inn Radisson, one of the city’s main hotels, shattering windows. The blasts opened up a yawning hole on the third floor of an apartment block and left a broad crater on the pavement.

Nearby, a body covered by a sheet lay stretched out on the blood-stained ground.

Lysecko said “nine Ukrainian servicemen” were killed in the last 24 hours. Other authorities said 15 people, including three children, “were killed by a shell which hit a public transport depot at Zurges, east of Donetsk.” No one can confirm if the Ukrainian army or pro-Russian forces fired the shells. One shell landed in a woman’s kitchen. Other witnesses told Reuters the shells hit residential areas and small shops were on fire.

Lilya, a nurse, was reading news online about where shelling was happening in #Donetsk when one blasted her kitchen. pic.twitter.com/rfU8yX7ltM

— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) August 14, 2014

At least 2 civilians killed when 7 or 8 shells exploded in central #Donetsk around 1pm today. Fired from NW. pic.twitter.com/DsWwd6M2kh

— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) August 14, 2014

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