Disputed Russian Aid Convoy Arrives In Luhansk
Doug Stanglin and Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY 11:40 a.m. EDT August 22, 2014
Brushing off the Kiev government's charges of a "direct invasion," a Russian relief convoy 280 trucks crossed into Ukraine unauthorized Friday, with the first vehicles reaching the besieged city of Luhansk, a stronghold of Russian-backed rebels, in late afternoon.
The 280-truck convoy left Moscow Aug. 12 with 2,000 tons of humanitarian aid, including baby food, medicine, grain, sugar, sleeping bags and other items, Russia's government-run RIA Novosti reports. The vehicles, covered with white tarps, have been stuck at a border crossing in a dispute between Russia and Ukraine over inspection of the vehicles.
More than a dozen vehicles arrived Friday afternoon in Luhansk, a city of 400,000 people that has been without water and electricity for weeks, the Interfax news agency reports. Leaders of the self-proclaimed People's Republic of Lugansk also confirmed the arrival of the first trucks, RIA Novosti reports.
The city is largely surrounded by Ukrainian armed forces that have been battling Russian-back separatists since April.
The Russian foreign ministry, in a statement on its web site, said Russia took unilateral action to get the convoy moving and accused Ukraine of deliberately delaying the aid.
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http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/08/22/russia-ukraine-aid-convoy/14429029/
