The Russian military has fired artillery at Ukrainian forces from inside Ukraine said a spokesperson for NATO earlier on Friday.
“Russian artillery support — both cross-border and from within Ukraine — is being employed against the Ukrainian armed forces,” said Oana Lungescu.
NATO’s Secretary General criticised the recent incursion of a Russian aid envoy into Ukraine whilst highlighting heightening Russian military activity in Ukrainian territory, reports the New York Times.
“I condemn the entry of a Russian so-called humanitarian convoy into Ukrainian territory without the consent of the Ukrainian authorities and without any involvement of the International Committee of the Red Cross. These developments are even more worrying as they coincide with a major escalation in Russian military involvement in Eastern Ukraine since mid-August, including the use of Russian forces,” said Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
The Ukrainian President accused Russia of a flagrant violation of international law, reports the BBC.
Petro Poroshenko said,
"a column of more than 100 vehicles entered Ukrainian territory without a customs inspection, without border control or International Red Cross escort, which is a flagrant violation of international law."
Ukraine’s security chief called Russia’s actions a direct invasion in Ukraine, and said no force would be used against the envoy, which reports suggest, is being escorted by separatist militants.
Ukraine warns that at least 260 lorries have crossed the border and are headed for the separatist held regions of Luhansk and Donetsk.
The Russian foreign ministry said the "purely humanitarian mission" had been prepared in an atmosphere of full transparency with Ukraine and the ICRC. Foreign journalists were allowed to look into Russian lorries and found humanitarian aid items in the lorries they were permitted to observe.
Ukraine’s Prime Minister said that the move was an attempt to distract the international community from the shooting of a Malaysian Passenger aircraft using Russian weapons last month.