Where there is light for three hours a day and +7 in the premises: Lubinets invited the ICRC leadership to Ukraine to see the consequences of Russian strikes

The Commissioner for Human Rights of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Dmytro Lubinets, met in Geneva with the President of the ICRC, Mirjana Spoljaric Egger. He expressed outrage at the statement of the organization's regional director regarding "strikes on Ukraine and the Russian Federation" and invited the ICRC leadership to visit Kyiv and see the consequences of Moscow's attacks with their own eyes, reports UNN.

First of all, I expressed fundamental disagreement and deep emotional indignation at the statement of the ICRC Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia. Formulations that equate the aggressor state and the defending state are unacceptable, and at such a level, they are also dangerous.

The Ombudsman added that Russia is waging war and deliberately striking Ukraine's energy infrastructure, leaving millions of people without heat, light, and water in severe frost. Our citizens, including children, are freezing in kindergartens, schools, on the streets, and at home.

Russia is striking educational institutions, hospitals, and residential buildings. For example, on January 9, a Russian drone hit the home of our colleague. As a result of the shelling, a medic who was saving lives after the attack died. The man fled from the Russians from temporarily occupied Nova Kakhovka but died a terrible death in Kyiv – under the rubble. This is not an abstract confrontation, but a deliberate tactic of terror against civilians.

In addition, Lubinets invited the ICRC leadership to visit Ukraine and see the consequences of Russian strikes with their own eyes.

For example, spend a day in our office – and understand how people work in such conditions. And how they live in homes where there is light for only 3 hours a day, where the temperature in the rooms is +7 – as it is now on the streets of Geneva. Perhaps then the words on paper will again correspond to reality.

Also, during the meeting, according to him, key issues were discussed:

 🔘the problem of ICRC access to Ukrainian prisoners of war and illegally detained civilians, as well as the organization's involvement in their verification;

 🔘building an effective system for searching for missing persons;

 🔘ICRC accompaniment of Ukrainian citizens who want to leave the temporarily occupied territories;

 🔘the issue of prisoner exchange, which was given a lot of time.

The ICRC needs access. But first and foremost – to Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians illegally held by Russia. This is the organization's mandate. And it is precisely the lack of systematic access to our people in captivity for years that undermines trust in the ICRC. I also drew the attention of the ICRC leadership to the fact that Ukraine expects the international organization to consistently implement its humanitarian mandate.

MFA summons head of ICRC delegation for explanations over shameful statements about strikes on Russian infrastructure15.01.26, 15:25 • 5558 views

Context

A statement appeared on the official ICRC page from the organization's regional director for Europe and Central Asia, Ariane Bauer, which refers to strikes "on critical infrastructure in Ukraine and Russia."

Recent strikes on critical infrastructure in Ukraine and Russia have left millions of people with little to no electricity, water, and heating amid sub-zero temperatures in Kyiv, Dnipro, Donetsk, Belgorod, and other areas.

In addition, Bauer notes that "attacks that cause disproportionate harm to civilians, including depriving them of access to essential services such as electricity and heating, which are necessary for survival now, are prohibited."