A Russian strike on a Red Cross aid site in eastern Ukraine resulted in the deaths of three International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) staff members, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported on Thursday.
The attack occurred in the village of Virolyubivka, near the Donetsk front line. The Red Cross team was preparing to distribute wood and coal briquettes to vulnerable households for winter when their vehicles were hit.
The ICRC confirmed the fatalities but did not specify the perpetrators of the shelling. The organization’s President, Mirjana Spoljaric, condemned the attack, emphasizing the unconscionability of targeting humanitarian aid operations.
Two other Red Cross staff members were wounded in the attack, but no residents were affected as the aid distribution had not yet commenced. Ukrainian parliamentary commissioner for human rights, Dmytro Lubinets, stated that the deceased staff members were Ukrainian citizens.
The ICRC stressed that its vehicles are clearly marked with the Red Cross emblem and operate regularly in the Donetsk region. The attack adds to a troubling trend, with a notable rise in humanitarian workers’ casualties globally.
The UN Humanitarian mission reported that 50 workers were killed or injured in Ukraine in 2023, with 11 fatalities in the line of duty. The UN humanitarian coordinator, Denise Brown, noted an intensification of attacks on humanitarian workers this year.
The ICRC has called for adherence to international humanitarian law and heightened protection for those engaged in humanitarian efforts. This incident occurred just days before ICRC President Spoljaric’s planned visit to Moscow to discuss critical issues related to international humanitarian law and protections for humanitarian workers.
No immediate response from Russia has been reported, with Russian officials maintaining that they target only military objectives.