KIEV, October 29 (RIA Novosti) – The escort of the Russian humanitarian convoy to southeastern Ukraine by Russia's Emergencies Ministry is absolutely the right step because the reason this Ministry was created is to help those in emergency situations, the head of the Russian Red Cross said Wednesday.
"This is absolutely right. Because the Emergencies Ministry was created exactly to help people in emergency situations," Raisa Lukutsova told journalists.
Earlier Lukutsova said that the Russian Red Cross would not escort the fourth Russian humanitarian convoy, carrying aid to the people of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. She emphasized that the Russian Red Cross can only accompany the humanitarian aid within the territory of Russia. Escorting the convoy while it crosses the border into Ukraine and moves further into Ukrainian territory is the prerogative of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
"I know that the convoy's movement through Russian territory is absolutely safe and such an escort would probably not be required… The Russian Red Cross is a national organization and according to the charter of international movement it has no right to operate in Ukraine," Lukutsova added.
Since August, Russia has sent three humanitarian convoys of trucks, carrying food, water, power generators, medication and warm clothes to eastern Ukraine. The fourth convoy, carrying 1,000 tons of humanitarian aid left the Moscow region for Ukraine on Tuesday.
