The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has confirmed that three of its staff members were killed, and two others injured in a strike in eastern Ukraine. The incident occurred during a planned aid distribution in the frontline region of Donetsk, though no residents were affected as the distribution had not yet begun.
While the ICRC did not specify who was behind the attack, it condemned the incident as “unconscionable” and emphasized that its vehicles, clearly marked with the Red Cross logo, operate regularly in the area. “Our hearts are broken today as we mourn the loss of our colleagues and care for the injured,” said ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric, denouncing the attack.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky blamed Russia for the shelling, calling it “another Russian war crime.” He posted an image of a burning Red Cross truck and urged the ICRC to attribute the attack to Moscow. However, the ICRC reiterated its neutrality, stating it is an “impartial and independent organization with an exclusively humanitarian mandate.”
This attack adds to the growing toll of humanitarian workers killed or injured in the conflict, as both the ICRC and the United Nations have warned about the rising dangers for aid workers in war zones.