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Version 4 Version 5
Border Inspection of Russian Convoy Begins, Ukrainian Military Says Convoy of Russian Trucks Remains Stalled Near Border
(about 1 hour later)
KAMENSK-SHAKHTINSKY, Russia — The Ukrainian military announced Friday that border guards had begun checking the contents of a convoy of more than 250 Russian trucks said to be carrying humanitarian supplies, but other officials said the trucks had not moved from a Russian military base where they were parked and inspections had not yet begun. KAMENSK-SHAKHTINSKY, Russia — A convoy of more than 260 trucks that Russia says are filled with food and other aid for civilians caught up in fighting in eastern Ukraine remained stalled inside Russia on Friday amid confusion over when inspections would start. Ukraine and its Western allies want to ensure that the cargo contains only relief supplies and not items that could help pro-Russian fighters battling to survive a Ukrainian offensive.
In a statement posted on the military’s Facebook page, officials said that 59 customs officers would inspect the trucks on the Russian side of the border before the convoy would be allowed to proceed to the eastern Ukrainian city of Luhansk, currently controlled by pro-Russian separatists and suffering from shortages of food, water and electricity. A statement early Friday by the Ukrainian military said border guards had started examining the trucks, but the military’s spokesman, Andriy Lysenko, later denied this and said inspections could not begin until the Ukrainian authorities received documents detailing the trucks’ contents.
The statement said the inspectors included 41 representatives of Ukraine’s border control service and another 18 from customs. Mr. Lysenko said Ukraine had sent border guards and customs officials to a Russian border town to examine the trucks but was still waiting for the necessary documentation from the International Committee of the Red Cross. The Red Cross, for its part, said Russia had yet to provide a detailed inventory and called for a speedy resolution of the problem.
But other Ukrainian officials said that the trucks had not moved from the Russian Army post to the border town where inspections were set to take place. The officials said that Ukraine was waiting for documents from the International Committee of the Red Cross, which was in turn awaiting documents from Moscow. In the interim, Red Cross staff members, representatives from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and more than 50 Ukrainian border guards already on site had nothing to do.
At the camp where the trucks spent the night, Russian officials and a contingent of young men dressed identically in beige hats, T-shirts and shorts allowed journalists to inspect trucks of their choice for a second straight day. None could say definitively when they would leave. In a statement issued in Geneva, the Red Cross said swift action was need to allow “confirmation of the strictly humanitarian nature of the cargo.”
“As and when agreement is reached, we plan to deliver this humanitarian aid to people affected by conflict in eastern Ukraine, health facilities and other welfare organizations,” Laurent Corbaz, the Red Cross’s head of operations for Europe and Central Asia, said during a visit to the Ukrainian capital, Kiev. “People are struggling to cope with limited access to basic services such as water and electricity, so speed is of the essence.”
At the camp where the trucks were parked overnight, Russian officials and a contingent of young men dressed identically in beige hats, T-shirts and shorts allowed journalists to inspect trucks of their choice for a second straight day. None could say definitively when they would leave.
“A day, two days, two weeks, a month,” said Boris Pashenko, a border service representative.“A day, two days, two weeks, a month,” said Boris Pashenko, a border service representative.
The trucks were parked in a border zone close to several military bases, where columns of armored military vehicles driving in the direction of the Ukrainian border are a common sight. Two Western journalists reported seeing 23 armored vehicles crossing a border post into Ukraine on Thursday evening. The trucks were in a border zone close to several military bases, where columns of armored military vehicles driving in the direction of the Ukrainian border are a common sight. Two Western journalists reported seeing 23 armored vehicles crossing a border post into Ukraine on Thursday evening.
Ukraine and the United States have accused Russia of covertly arming pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine. Russian news agencies quoted an unidentified spokesman for the border guard service as saying that the service, run by the F.S.B. — the successor agency to the K.G.B. — had deployed more mobile teams near the border. The spokesman said this was a response to increased infiltration by Ukrainian servicemen into Russia and more frequent shelling across the border. He denied that any vehicles had crossed the border, calling such reports “completely untrue.” Ukraine and the United States have accused Russia of covertly arming pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine.
Sergey Karavaytsev of Russia’s Ministry for Emergency Situations denied that the trucks in the convoy were from the military and said they were hired through private businesses. Masked guards who said they were military police officers also appeared at the camp site late Thursday evening. Members of the International Committee of the Red Cross were also at the convoy’s field camp on Friday, Mr. Karavaytsev said. Russian news agencies quoted an unidentified spokesman for the border guard service as saying that the service, run by the F.S.B. — the successor agency to the K.G.B. — had deployed more mobile teams near the border. The spokesman said this was a response to increased infiltration by Ukrainian servicemen into Russia and more frequent shelling across the border. He denied that any vehicles had crossed the border, calling such reports “completely untrue.”
In Kiev, the Ukrainian capital, a military spokesman said that an agreement had been reached to allow the inspection of the convoy but complained that the government had not received the documents it needed to start inspections of the trucks. Sergey Karavaytsev of Russia’s Ministry for Emergency Situations denied that the trucks in the convoy were from the military and said they were hired through private businesses. Masked guards who said they were military police officers also appeared at the camp site late Thursday evening. Members of the Red Cross were also at the convoy’s field camp on Friday, Mr. Karavaytsev said.
“Help is needed and we accepted it,” the spokesman, Andriy Lysenko, told a briefing in Kiev, adding that Ukrainian inspectors had already traveled to Donetsk, a small Russian town that has the same name as a separatist stronghold in eastern Ukraine, to begin their work. “But we can’t start the procedure because we don’t have documents.” In Kiev, Mr. Lysenko said that an agreement had been reached to allow the inspection of the convoy, and the searches would start once the dispute over paperwork was resolved. “Help is needed and we accepted it,” he said, adding that Ukrainian inspectors had already traveled to Donetsk, a small Russian town that has the same name as a separatist stronghold in eastern Ukraine, to begin their work. “But we can’t start the procedure because we don’t have documents.”
Mr. Lysenko said the documents needed to start inspections should be provided by the International Committee of the Red Cross, but the relief organization said it was still waiting for Russia to turn over detailed information about the exact contents of the trucks. “We are still waiting for the information we need,” said Andre Loersch, a spokesman for the Red Cross in Kiev.
While backing away from the angry denunciations that characterized Ukraine’s initial response to Moscow’s relief effort, Mr. Lysenko repeated earlier Ukrainian accusations that Russia was sending military assistance across the border to pro-Russian rebels. He said unspecified military equipment had been moved into Ukraine from Russia through a border area controlled by the pro-Russian separatists.While backing away from the angry denunciations that characterized Ukraine’s initial response to Moscow’s relief effort, Mr. Lysenko repeated earlier Ukrainian accusations that Russia was sending military assistance across the border to pro-Russian rebels. He said unspecified military equipment had been moved into Ukraine from Russia through a border area controlled by the pro-Russian separatists.
Stung by accusations that it is stalling the delivery of Russian relief supplies to Luhansk and is not doing enough to improve the plight of residents caught up in the fighting, Ukraine is sending its own aid convoys to the besieged city. Mr. Lysenko said 71 Ukrainian trucks had been sent to the conflict zone with food, water, tea, soap and other supplies. He said 390 tons of Ukrainian aid had already arrived in Luhansk. Stung by accusations that it is stalling the delivery of Russian relief supplies to the eastern city of Luhansk and is not doing enough to improve the plight of residents caught up in the fighting, Ukraine is sending its own aid convoys to the besieged city. Mr. Lysenko said 71 Ukrainian trucks had been sent to the conflict zone with food, water, tea, soap and other supplies. He said 390 tons of Ukrainian aid had already arrived in Luhansk.
He denied rebel claims that Ukrainian forces were responsible for the shelling on Thursday of downtown Donetsk. He blamed rebels for the shelling, accusing them of firing into the city from positions near the Donetsk train station. He did not explain why the rebels would fire into a city they control. He denied rebel claims that Ukrainian forces were responsible for the shelling on Thursday of downtown Donetsk. Mr. Lysenko blamed rebels for the shelling, accusing them of firing into the city from positions near the Donetsk train station, but did not explain why the rebels would fire into a city they control.
Russia announced that Sergey V. Lavrov, the foreign minister, had consulted by telephone with his German counterpart, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, about speeding the passage of the convoy. Aside from the urgent need to get the supplies across the border, the two men also agreed to work toward establishing a cease-fire while the aid is delivered, the Foreign Ministry statement said. Russia announced that Sergey V. Lavrov, the foreign minister, had spoken by telephone with his German counterpart, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, about speeding the passage of the convoy. Aside from the urgent need to get the supplies across the border, the two men also agreed to work toward establishing a cease-fire while the aid is delivered, the Foreign Ministry statement said.