The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has dismissed statements by the Russian Foreign Ministry that said the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) participated in the collection and distribution of Russian humanitarian aid in Ukraine.
The Interfax-Ukraine news agency quoted the spokesman of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Yevhen Perebyynis, at 16:46 Kyiv time on 9 October: “An official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry said that the so-called humanitarian convoys, which Russia was sending to Ukraine despite agreements and without control by responsible Ukrainian authorities, were allegedly sent in full accordance with the norms of international law and the collection and further distribution of aid was carried out with the participation of the International Committee of the Red Cross. I must say that both of these statements are not true.”
“The International Committee of the Red Cross did not escort convoys and did not participate in the distribution of humanitarian aid because Russia did not observe the key demand – control by Ukrainian customs officers and border guards. The Russian side did not involve them in controlling the cargo. Thus, Russia blatantly violated the sovereignty and borders of Ukraine. The Russian Foreign Ministry employs outright misinformation and we expect an appropriate reaction from the International Committee of the Red Cross,” Perebyynis was quoted as saying.
At the meeting with Ukrainian Deputy Defence Minister Petro Mekhed, the representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross said that the mission would continue its work in Ukraine despite the killing of the employee in Donetsk on 2 October, Interfax-Ukraine reported at 15:50 Kyiv time on 9 October, quoting the Defence Ministry’s press service.