RUSSIA ran out of patience with Kiev’s intransigence over its aid convoy today and sent over 100 aid lorries across the border into eastern Ukraine without the government's approval.

The white-painted lorries are loaded with food, water, generators and sleeping bags sent from Moscow. 

They are intended for civilians in the city of Lugansk, where shelling has been ongoing for weeks, cutting off power, water and phone lines and leaving food supplies scarce.

Russian customs control spokesman Rayan Farukshin said 34 Russian vehicles had been approved for onward travel on Thursday. 

But at least 100 vehicles were reported to have crossed into Ukraine.

Russia’s foreign ministry blasted Kiev for “endless, concocted delays” in delivering the aid, which left Moscow early last week.

“The Russian side has decided to act,” said the ministry. “Our column with humanitarian aid is starting to move in the direction of Lugansk.”

Ukraine Security Service chief Valentyn Nalyvaichenko reacted hysterically, labelling the aid convoy a “direct invasion.”

Mr Nalyvaichenko claimed “the invasion happened for the first time under the cover of the Red Cross.”

However the International Committee of the Red Cross denied the allegation and said it had not received enough security guarantees to provide escort.

Mr Nalyvaichenko alleged that those driving the aid lorries were Russian military men trained to drive combat vehicles. 

He insisted the lorries would be used to transport weapons to the rebels and take the bodies of Russian fighters away from eastern Ukraine.

But foreign journalists had been allowed to look into the lorries earlier and found they contained supplies such as baby food and cereals.

The lorries had been stranded in a customs zone for over a week since reaching the border, as Kiev argued over where they should enter Ukraine.

The Russian foreign ministry accused the Kiev government of shelling residential areas that the convoy would have to pass through, making its onward travel impossible.

“There is increasingly a sense that the Ukrainian leaders are deliberately dragging out the delivery of the humanitarian load until there will no longer be anyone left to help,” it said.