Ukraine accuses Russia of cynicism over convoy; death toll rises sharply

The Ukrainian government on Wednesday denounced Russia's dispatch of a humanitarian aid convoy toward the two countries’ border as an act of unbounded cynicism serving pro-Russian separatists. Separately, the United Nations said the death toll in fighting there has doubled in the last two weeks to over 2,000.

Kiev said the trucks would not be allowed into Ukraine.

"First they send tanks, Grad missiles and bandits who fire on Ukrainians, and then they send water and salt," Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk said at a government meeting.

The comments reflected suspicions in Kiev and Western capitals that passage of the convoy onto Ukrainian soil could turn into a covert military action to help pro-Russian separatists now losing ground to government forces.

The convoy of 280 heavy trucks rumbled out of Moscow region on Tuesday and traveled some 300 miles to the southwestern Russian town of Voronezh. There it stopped at an air base behind high fences, according to a Reuters reporter at the scene.

Several people who entered the air base and spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity said dozens of trucks were still parked at the base. It was not clear whether the Voronezh convoy was the only one traveling toward Ukraine.

"The journey isn't short of course," said one truck driver interviewed on Russian Rossiya-24 television. "How can I put it? It's pretty difficult. But how could we not help our Slavic brothers? We are all for it."

There was no discussion on Russian television of any military intervention, and Moscow has insisted throughout that it has enlisted Ukrainian cooperation for the operation.

The last few weeks have seen significant government successes against the rebels, who have abandoned a string of towns under heavy fire. Kiev says rebel leaders – some of whom are Russians and who portray the Kiev government as nationalist and seek union with Russia – are receiving arms from Russia, something Moscow denies.

U.N. human rights spokeswoman Cecile Pouilly said the estimated death toll in the conflict there had risen to 2,086 as of Aug. 10, from 1,129 on July 26. The figures included Ukrainian soldiers, rebel groups and civilians, and were "very conservative estimates."

"This corresponds to a clear escalating trend," Pouilly told Reuters in response to a query.

It was not clear to what extent the figures reflect escalation of the fighting, which erupted four months ago after a pro-Russian president was driven from office by protests.

State-controlled Russian television presented a picture of fierce battles around the rebel stronghold of Donetsk, and accused Ukraine’s military of indiscriminate shelling and rocket attacks on civilian buildings. Residents interviewed said they were being bombed every day and hiding in cellars.

The approach of the convoy may present Kiev with a dilemma.

Clearly, Ukraine fears the convoy could become the focus of tension and conflict once on its soil, and could provide pretext for a Russian armed incursion. At the same time it does not want to seem to be blocking aid and thereby reinforcing Moscow’s moral arguments.

"The level of Russian cynicism knows no bounds," Prime Minister Yatsenyuk said as he outlined the situation at a government meeting.

Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said on his Facebook page: "No Putin 'humanitarian convoy' will be allowed across the territory of Kharkiv region. The provocation by a cynical aggressor will not be allowed on our territory."

Yatseniuk reiterated that any kind of humanitarian aid from the outside had to be organized under the auspices of the International Committee of the Red Cross. Russia has said it would agree to this.

It was not immediately clear if Kiev was rejecting the Russian aid outright, or simply refusing to allow the Russian trucks onto Ukrainian territory.

Ukraine said on Tuesday that the cargo would have to be unloaded from Russian trucks at the border and transferred under the aegis of the International Red Cross onto other vehicles. The European Union said the contents would have to be scrutinized.

"We are currently waiting for an exact description of the goods which are there. This is a key moment to work out the options for delivery and distribution of aid. The final route is not known," a Ukrainian Red Cross spokesman said in Kiev.

Kiev accuses Russia of supporting and arming the rebels – who now appear to be on the verge of defeat by government forces – with tanks, missiles and other weapons. Moscow denies this.

Four months of fighting has produced a humanitarian crisis in parts of eastern Ukraine. People in the main cities of Donetsk and Luhansk, on the border with Russia, are suffering acute shortages of water, food and electricity.

Yatsenyuk said that the Kiev government had received $6 million from its Western partners, and that the funds would be used to alleviate conditions in distressed areas.

Reuters