Ukraine Says Russia Violated Its Border

Pentagon Calls On Russia to Remove Convoy Immediately

U.S. and Western military leaders condemned Russia for sending a convoy of trucks believed to be carrying humanitarian aid into eastern Ukraine without Kiev's permission, calling it a violation of Ukraine's sovereignty that could spark an international response.

"We strongly condemn this action and any actions that Russian forces take that increase tensions in the region," said Rear Adm. John Kirby, the Pentagon press secretary, on Friday. "Russia should not send vehicles, persons or cargo of any kind into Ukraine, whether under the guise of humanitarian convoys or any other pretext, without Kiev's express permission."

Ukraine charged Russia with violating its borders by driving dozens of trucks into the rebel-held eastern portion of the country Friday, a sharp escalation in tensions after an extended standoff over delivering aid.

Russia's foreign ministry said it sent in the trucks unilaterally because Kiev was deliberately halting the delivery. Ukrainian officials countered that the Russian trucks had entered Ukraine without being accompanied by the International Committee of the Red Cross, violating a previous agreement.

Adm. Kirby said the U.S. doesn't know what is in the convoy trucks. "Russia must remove its vehicles and its personnel from the territory of Ukraine immediately," he said. "Failure to do so will result in additional costs and isolation."

Part of the Russian humanitarian convoy crosses the Ukrainian border at the Izvarino custom control checkpoint on Friday. Agence France-Presse/Getty Images

The trucks' crossing after a week stalled at the border threatens to bring Ukraine and Russia into more direct conflict. While Ukraine and the West have accused Russia of aiding pro-Russian separatists fighting Ukrainian forces, Russia has steadfastly denied playing any role. The entry of the convoy creates an official Russian presence in rebel-held eastern Ukraine, providing a new flashpoint for tensions as Kiev presses its military efforts to rout separatists.

Ukraine's foreign ministry issued a blunt statement calling the move a grievous violation of international law that showed "evidence of the premeditated and aggressive course of action of the Russian side."

Ukrainian Security Service chief Valentyn Nalyvaichenko said the move amounted to a "direct invasion," according to the Interfax news agency, arguing that the trucks were carrying aid for the rebels and could be used to transport weapons and military equipment.

But Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko signaled a desire to calm the situation, saying Russia had sent more than 100 vehicles across the border and that Kiev would do everything possible to avoid "more serious consequences."

In a meeting with Lithuania's foreign minister, Mr. Poroshenko said Ukraine's foreign minister and head of the presidential administration had called their Russian counterparts to express concern and call on Moscow to "return the situation into the field of international law," according to a statement on the presidential website.

Russian television showed the white trucks crossing the border into Ukraine and said more than 130 of the nearly 300 trucks Russia sent had already crossed. The Red Cross said on Twitter TWTR +1.22% that the aid convoy was moving into Ukraine, but that the organization wasn't accompanying it because of the "volatile security situation."

Ukrainian officials said they didn't plan to use force to stop the convoy, but said Russia was responsible for its security and warned that separatists were firing mortars along its expected route.

Sending the convoy to the border has allowed Moscow to put pressure on Kiev to end its military campaign while highlighting the plight of civilians caught in the fighting. On Friday, Russia's foreign ministry accused Kiev of trying to stall the crossing in an attempt to clear the rebels out of their strongholds of Luhansk and Donetsk by Ukraine's Independence Day on Sunday and ahead of a meeting scheduled for Tuesday between the countries' presidents.

"It is impossible to further tolerate such lawlessness, obvious lies and inability to achieve any kind of agreement," the Russian ministry said. "Our humanitarian convoy is beginning to head toward Luhansk," it added.

The tension over the convoy had appeared to be receding Thursday as Ukrainian officials began inspecting its contents.

Russia says the trucks are full of humanitarian aid for stricken civilians in Luhansk. Kiev forces have tightened their encirclement of the city in recent days, and analysts said Russia may have dispatched the convoy to try to halt Kiev's advance.

Ukraine and Russia had agreed that the Red Cross, which was helping coordinate the deliveries, would accompany the trucks into rebel-held territory. But on Friday the Red Cross said it was staying behind because it wasn't safe.

"We've not received sufficient security guarantees from the fighting parties," the organization said on its Twitter account.

A spokesman for the European Union's diplomatic service said the EU "deplores" Russia's decision to send the convoy into Ukraine without the approval of the Kiev authorities or the Red Cross.

"We deplore Russia's decision to enter the humanitarian consignment into Ukrainian territory, without ICRC's escort or the consent of the Ukrainian authorities," said Sebastien Brabant, a spokesman for the EU's External Action Service. "This is a clear violation of the Ukrainian border."

The EU also said the move violates an arrangement reached between Ukraine, Russia and the ICRC.

"We urge Russia to reverse its decision," Mr. Brabant said.

—William Mauldin and Dion Nissenbaum in Washington and Naftali Bendavid in Brussels contributed to this article.

Write to James, Marson at james.marson@wsj.com, Anton Troianovski at anton.troianovski@wsj.com and Olga Razumovskaya at olga.razumovskaya@wsj.com

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