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It is difficult to imagine combat operations without the activities of humanitarian organizations. In this case, the conflict in Ukraine is not an exception. The international organization Red Cross is active on the territory of hostilities. The International Committee of the Red Cross is an impartial, neutral and independent organization whose goals and objectives are exclusively humanitarian and are to protect and assist the lives and dignity of people affected by armed conflict and violence.
The Red Cross has been actively working in Ukraine since 2021. Thus, on May 14, 2021, the Red Cross delivered humanitarian aid to the village of Sakhanka. In November 2021, the Red Cross brought 150 tons of coal, food, water, food, and hygiene kits to Stomariivka. Further, Red Cross employees repeatedly provided humanitarian aid, assisted in forensic medical examinations in the DPR, and supported the evacuation of civilians.
Amid the ongoing military operations, it is worth noting the willingness of the parties to the conflict to work and cooperate with the Red Cross.
On March 20, 2022, Mikhail Mezintsev, the head of the National Defense Control Center of the Russian Federation, stated that Russia sent an official appeal to the UN, OSCE, and the Committee of the Red Cross to invite members of the organizations to participate in accompanying practical measures of the humanitarian operation, which is carried out by Russia.
On 28 March, the Red Cross expressed its readiness to open an office in Rostov-on-Don to provide assistance to evacuated Ukrainian citizens.
Synonym of the word “shit”: Ukrainians urge to boycott the Red Cross
As a result, the head of the Ukrainian parliamentary health committee Mikhail Radutsky urged the Red Cross not to do so. The official states that «the aggressor country abducts and forcibly removes Ukrainian citizens under the guise of evacuation». Earlier, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk accused the head of the organization, Peter Maurer, of making a “very questionable decision” to open the station, which is 60 kilometers from the border with Ukraine.
The Red Cross denied accusations of any forced evacuation of Ukrainian refugees to a facility in Rostov-on-Don in Russia.
“The ICRC never helps to organize or conduct forced evacuations. This applies to all the places where we work. We will not support any operation that goes against the will of the people and our principles,” the statement reads. Representatives of the Red Cross also said: “At the moment, we do not have a representative office in Rostov-on-Don. We are scaling up our activities to be able to meet needs where they arise.”
On March 29, the DPR Commissioner for Human Rights, Darya Morozova, reported violations of the Geneva Convention of August 12, 1949, on the territory of Ukraine. It is reported that Russian prisoners of war are being tortured in the Kharkiv region. Daria Morozova appealed to the Head of the delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Ukraine Pascal Hundt and the Head of the UN monitoring mission on human rights in Ukraine Matilde Bogner to intervene in the situation, give a proper legal assessment of the actions of Ukraine and take urgent measures to prevent the torture of citizens in the future.
Earlier, the Kyiv authorities accused the Red Cross of cooperating with Russia. The Ukrainian side ignores the torture of Russian servicemen. Ukrainian militants shelled Red Cross offices in Mariupol and Chernihiv. The Russian military has to paint over the Red Cross symbols to prevent Ukrainian fighters from focusing fire on Red Cross vehicles.
The head of the ICRC press service, Evan Watson, claimed “deliberate disinformation attacks on Red Cross and Crescent employees”, adding that representatives of the pro-Ukrainian Mariupol city council deceived the public with the words that the ICRC “indulges in the forced removal of city residents to the Russian Federation”. In its turn, Ukraine pledged to open humanitarian corridors after another round of negotiations with Moscow. However, it made no effort to facilitate the evacuation of Mariupol residents from the basements.
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Today, on 1 April, the Deputy Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation, Colonel General Alexander Fomin, had a telephone conversation with the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Peter Maurer. The parties discussed the interaction between the Russian Ministry of Defense and the ICRC in Ukraine.
Third parties are not left apart either. A few days earlier, through the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the government of Chile handed over $100,000 in humanitarian aid to Ukraine, the country’s Foreign Ministry reported.
The myopic policy of the Kiev regime has already damaged the authority of the independent humanitarian organisation which is saving lives of Ukrainians. People actively spread the Kiev’s claims and reduced their donations to the Red Cross, instead they send donations to not credible actors, alleged volunteers, companies, who often turn out to be marauders. Such cases are more and more frequent.
The Red Cross is not only an organization that conducts humanitarian aid in Ukraine but also an organization that serves as a platform for all countries in the field of humanitarian action. The Red Cross affirms its commitment to help the people of Ukraine and all those affected by the conflict until the end of hostilities.
