Obama: Russia triggering 'dangerous escalation' in region; NATO: Russian artillery units operate in Ukraine
Two civilians were killed Saturday, apparently by artillery fire in Donetsk, the main separatist stronghold in eastern Ukraine, an AFP reporter witnessed. Their bodies were seen covered with bloodied sheets in a street of central Donetsk after artillery explosions rocked the city around 6:00 am (0300 GMT).U S President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned Friday that Russia was triggering a "dangerous escalation" of the conflict in Ukraine due to its military presence and shelling there.
In a telephone call with Merkel, Obama said the conflict "has continued to deteriorate" since a Malaysian airliner was downed last month over rebel-held territory in Ukraine. The West accuses Russian-backed separatists of shooting down the plane, while Moscow blames Ukraine.
Russian artillery units have crossed the Ukraine border in recent days and have fired on Ukrainian military troops, a NATO statement revealed Friday.
This is the first direct accusation of Russia executing clandestine military operations on the territory of the neighboring country.
United States defense officials have long stated that Russia has fired artillery from across the border, but now the fire is seemingly originating from inside Ukrainian territory.
Separately, West rebuked Russia for sending scores of trucks Friday from a controversial aid convoy - presumed to be carrying arms, alongside regular aid to pro-Moscow separatists - to east Ukraine's rebel-held Lugansk in a move Kiev decried as an "invasion."
The European Union and the United States demanded that Russia immediately withdraw the convoy, amid fears the cargo could shore up pro-Moscow rebels fighting Kiev's forces.
Washington warned Russia it could face further sanctions, while the UN Security Council expressed concern that the move could lead to an escalation in the four-month conflict.
Some 280 trucks from the Russian convoy had been waiting at the border with Ukraine for a week as Moscow pressed for the aid to urgently be delivered to civilians in areas that have come under Ukrainian shelling.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said further delay would have been "unacceptable" as he justified the decision in a phone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who travels to Kiev Saturday for talks with Ukraine's leadership.
A first group of trucks reached Lugansk, which has been without water and power for weeks, after making its way along a perilous route from the border, a local official said.
Ukraine's security service head Valentyn Nalyvaychenko condemned the entry as "a direct invasion" but said Ukraine will not order air strikes on the trucks.
Ukraine and Russia both said the other side was responsible for the convoy's security between the border and rebel bastion Lugansk 63 kilometers (40 miles) away, and Russia's foreign ministry warned "against any attempts to disrupt a totally humanitarian mission."
"We are doing everything in our power for this not to result in more serious consequences," Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said.
The UN Security Council met for urgent consultations, at Lithuania's request, but Russia insisted the aid was desperately needed and accused Ukraine of using stalling tactics.
Baby food?
Russian Ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin provided a list of the aid, including electric generators, sugar, tea and baby food, and scoffed at suggestions that these could have military purposes.
Asked about whether the aid was intended to help the rebels, he responded: "With baby food?"
Analysts said Moscow is under pressure from the Russian public to show support for the Russian-speaking separatist regions, but that its unannounced convoy gambit was a big risk.
"Now the chances of direct military confrontation between Russian and Ukrainian soldiers is substantially higher," said independent Moscow-based analyst Maria Lipman.
Moscow said it was ready to have Red Cross officials accompany the convoy, but the organization backed out of the operation because of fierce fighting raging in the area where the trucks are heading.
"We are not part of the convoy in any way," Moscow-based Red Cross spokeswoman Victoria Zotikova told AFP, adding that the aid workers have not received "sufficient security guarantees."
NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen called Moscow's decision an escalation of the Ukraine crisis that "can only lead to Russia's further isolation."
The US called on Moscow to "immediately" withdraw the convoy. "Failure to do so will result in additional costs and isolation," Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby
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