3rd Russian Humanitarian Aid Convoy Arrives in Donetsk
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - The third convoy of Russian humanitarian aid for eastern Ukraine arrived in the war-torn city of Donetsk. Earlier, Kiev and self-defense forces signed a memorandum aimed at effectively halting all fighting in eastern Ukraine after talks in Minsk.
The convoy of around 200 vehicles is carrying some 2,000 tons of cereals, canned food, generators, medicine, warm clothes, and bottled water.
Russian authorities said they had offered to allow the Ukrainian border guards to check the vehicles on the border on several occasions, but the guards declined without citing any particular reason.
The trucks have started unloading the aid in two of the city’s storehouses.
“We need humanitarian aid badly as there is almost no food in the shops. People aren’t receiving their pensions. Children are hungry. It’s high time,” a local resident, Vitaly, told RT.
According to another resident, people didn’t sleep last night as they waited for humanitarian aid.
“People are suffering now. We don’t have any products. Thank you, Russia,” he added.
On September 13, and on August 22 Russia delivered humanitarian aid to Lugansk in eastern Ukraine. All in all over 4,000 tons of aid has reached the crisis-stricken city.
On both occasions Kiev refused to clear the cargoes and accused Russia of invading Ukraine. Moscow on its part accused the Ukrainian authorities of deliberately stalling the relief missions.
The deputy head of Russia’s Emergency Service, Vladimir Stepanov, said on Wednesday that Russian authorities will continue delivering humanitarian help to cities in eastern Ukraine.
“In Russia [we] are continuing to collect humanitarian aid and form volunteers’ brigades,” he said.
Meanwhile, on Friday the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delivered 60 tons of food aid to Lugansk, supplementing supplies previously received from Russia.
