12 Russian armored vehicles join aid convoy

A dozen Russian armored personnel carriers appeared Friday near a large aid convoy that was parked near the Ukrainian border, poised to cross into rebel-held territory.
     
Ukraine has expressed fears that Russia could use the aid shipment as cover for a military incursion in support of the separatists and threatened to use all means necessary to block the convoy if Ukrainian officials and the Red Cross were not allowed to inspect the cargo.
     
While the presence of the armored vehicles near the aid trucks, about 30 kilometers (18 miles) from the border, was certain to cause some alarm, there also were possible signs that Ukraine and Russia have taken steps to ease the mounting tensions over the convoy.
    
The Ukrainian border guard service said arrangements had been made to allow the cargo to enter the country through the Izvaryne crossing point under the control of Ukrainian officials, the Interfax Ukraine news agency reported. The report said the cargo would be inspected in the presence of representatives from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and would be received by the International Committee of the Red Cross.
     
It was unclear whether the roughly 200 Russian trucks would be allowed to enter Ukraine, a sticking point in the past.
     
In another effort to ease tensions, Russian emergency services officials allowed journalists covering the convoy to see the contents of trucks of their choosing. Among the supplies the journalists saw were bottles of water, sacks of buckwheat and portable generators.