MOSCOW, August 22 (RIA Novosti) - The first group of trucks carrying Russian humanitarian aid to the population of violence-torn eastern Ukraine has arrived in the city of Luhansk, authorities of the self-proclaimed Luhansk republic said Friday.
Earlier in the day, Kiev authorities condemned the entry of at least 60 trucks from the Russian aid convoy into Ukraine allegedly without clearance by Ukrainian customs officials, which they described as a violation of international law.
Earlier on Friday, Russia accused authorities in Kiev of deliberately holding up for days the delivery of humanitarian aid to the trapped civilians in besieged Luhansk, and ordered the convoy to proceed without waiting for further permission from the government.
The head of the Russian Red Cross, Raisa Lukutsova, said the organization supported the decision to get the humanitarian convoy moving, adding that its personnel is ready to escort the convoy and has appealed to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for permission to do so.
The Russian Foreign Ministry also said it would welcome an escort by ICRC staff to facilitate the delivery of the essential items to Luhansk, but a Red Cross spokeswoman claimed ICRC personnel allegedly could not follow the convoy into Ukraine pending security guarantees.
The convoy is carrying about 2,000 tons of humanitarian aid, including 400 tons of grain, 100 tons of sugar and 54 tons of medication, along with other cargo.
