Russian humanitarian aid arrives in Luhansk, Donetsk

© RIA Novosti, Maksim Blinov

A Russian humanitarian aid convoy has reached the eastern Ukrainian city of Luhansk

Russian humanitarian aid convoys have reached the eastern Ukrainian cities of Luhansk and Donetsk, a RIA Novosti correspondent reported Friday.

The contents of the trucks are currently being unloaded into warehouses.

One hundred trucks, which were split into two convoys, carried about 1,000 tons of humanitarian aid including food, medication, construction materials and winter supplies.

On Monday, the day before the trucks departed for Ukraine, the Russian government announced it was discussing a request for humanitarian aid received from the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics. The request said that the region was on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe.

Russia previously sent three convoys to Donbas that carried about 6,000 tons of humanitarian cargo to the region, which endured months of violent clashes between the Ukrainian government and pro-independence forces. The conflict has left many citizens struggling without clean water, electricity and other essentials.