Russian aid convoy reached Lugansk

Today, all the Russian trucks with humanitarian aid to Donbass people crossed the Ukrainian border and reached Lugansk city without waiting for further permission from the Ukrainian government. Before that Russian aid convoy were stuck at the Ukrainian border for a week.

"We call this a direct invasion for the first time under cynical cover of the International Red Cross," said Valentyn Nalyvaychenko, the head of Ukraine's security service.

Here is the answer from the Russian side. In Moscow’s view, Kiev authorities attempted to buy time and finish the military operation oppressing "their own people" in the area “where Russian humanitarian aid is being distributed." Russian official Kremlin reported that "further delay would have been unacceptable".

"We are confident that we are right. And we accuse Kiev and countries that support it that over and over again they have been placing their political – as a matter of fact anti-Russian – interests above established norms of humanism and compassion," said Sergey Ryabkov, Russia’s deputy Foreign Minister.

The international community hardly universally embraced Putin's version of events. The US accused Russia of "a violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity" and called on Moscow to withdraw its convoy.

"Russia must remove its vehicles and its personnel from the territory of Ukraine immediately," Pentagon spokesman Rear Adm. John Kirby told reporters. "Failure to do so will result in additional costs and isolation."