Some Russian trucks in a massive aid convoy have begun to clear customs at a rebel-held border crossing in eastern Ukraine, the Ukrainian border guard service said on Thursday.
An Associated Press journalist saw two Red Cross jeeps heading to an unknown destination in Ukraine on Thursday after passing through the rebel-held Izvaryne border post with Russia.
Russia has been hoping to send a massive aid convoy of over 200 trucks to help civilians in the hard-hit city of Luhansk, but Ukraine fears the move is a ploy to aid pro-Russian separatists who have been fighting government troops.
Ukraine has accused Russia of arming and supporting the separatists since fighting began in mid-April, a charge Russia has always denied. AP journalists have seen a significant number of Russian fighters among the rebels, but Moscow says they are individuals who chose to go fight on their own.
Ukrainian troops have made significant advances into rebel-held territory this week in a conflict that has already claimed more than 2,000 lives and forced over 340,000 people to flee their homes. Ukraine celebrates Independence Day on Sunday and reports are rife that the government is aiming to achieve a breakthrough by that date.
Five troops were killed and two civilians died in the past 24 hours in rebel-held areas of eastern Ukraine as government troops pressed to recapture more territory from pro-Russian separatists.
Andriy Lysenko, spokesman for the Ukrainian National Security Council, told reporters on Thursday that government troops were still fighting separatists in and around Ilovaysk, a town near the rebel-held city of Donetsk, even though he said Ilovaysk was under government control.
