Red Cross weighs in on Russian aid convoy to Ukraine

KIEV, Ukraine, Aug. 12 (UPI) -- The International Committee of the Red Cross weighed in on the controversial convoy of 280 Russian trucks carrying humanitarian aid to Ukraine without the necessary approvals.

"We been told by Russian authorities that an aid convoy is heading to Ukraine border," the ICRC tweeted Tuesday, adding "We're not in charged of this convoy at the moment."

Russia unilaterally deployed 2,000 tons of humanitarian aid a day after Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko acknowledged that Russia would be part of an international humanitarian relief effort headed by the ICRC.

Moscow, however, didn't wait for approval and coordination before dispatching 280 military trucks.

According to the agreement, "the ICRC should receive without undue delay from the authorities of the Russian Federation all necessary details concerning the aid, including the volume and type of items, and requirements for transport and storage. All parties must also guarantee the security of ICRC staff and vehicles, for the entire duration of the operation, in view of the fact that the organization does not accept armed escorts."

The ICRC tweeted Tuesday that it was in touch with Ukrainian and Russian authorities regarding the Russian convoy, noting that "Important details still need to be clarified, like content and volume of aid."

Ukrainian officials said Tuesday that the Russian convoy would not be allowed to cross into Ukraine and that instead, both the Ukrainian branch of the Red Cross and personnel from Geneva would accept deliveries of aid at the border, process the aid through customs checkpoints and re-load the supplies onto other vehicles.