"Early in the morning, we entered Ukraine to bring aid to Luhansk," said Yury Stepanov, a Russian who was overseeing the convoy. "We came in around 215 vehicles," he added, as workers unloaded boxes into a local warehouse.
The much-needed aid arrived as fighting flared up again between pro-Russian rebels and government forces, further imperiling an already fragile cease-fire in the region.
Today, Ukraine's military operation in the east said it had successfully repelled a rebel attack on the government-held airport of Donetsk, which came under artillery fire from rebel positions late yesterday.
Continuous rocket fire could be heard overnight in Donetsk. A statement posted on the city council website said that shells hit residential buildings near the airport, although no casualties were reported.
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A column of three GRAD rocket launchers all its rockets still in place was seen moving freely through the rebel-held city this morning.
In the other regional capital of Luhansk, one of the worst-hit cities where tens of thousands have been without water, electricity, or phone connections for weeks, the streets were calm as Russian drivers unloaded packages of aid into local warehouses.
The deliveries were in closed boxes, small enough to be easily carried by one person, but rice was seen spilling from a broken bag.
Inside the warehouse, an Associated Press journalist saw water bottles carrying the logo of Russia's LDPR party, led by virulent nationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky.
While dozens of local workers unloaded boxes, several carloads of armed militiamen in camouflage arrived to inspect the scene.
Stepanov said his team was responsible only for delivery, and distribution will be handled by local authorities which for now means the separatist leaders of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic.