The Red Cross is defending itself against Kiev’s criticism that it has not yet visited many prisoners of war. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had recently requested immediate visits. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is morally obliged to do so. It said Sunday night: “Blaming the ICRC for the refusal of full and immediate entry does not help prisoners of war or their families.”
Eleven employees, including a doctor, are available for such visits in the Russian-occupied Donetsk region, but have not yet been authorized. This must come from the participating states. According to the Geneva Conventions, they are obliged to grant access to the ICRC. For almost eight months now, the ICRC has unsuccessfully demanded that all POW detention places, including the Olenivka detention camp, be visited regularly and unimpeded.
Red Cross: „Our determination is unbroken”
“Prisoners of war and their families deserve this glimmer of hope and humanity in the agony of armed conflict,” the ICRC said. “Our determination is unbroken. We will never stop demanding access to POWs until we can see them all not once but repeatedly, wherever they are held.”
On Friday, the ICRC reported that it had seen hundreds of POWs on both sides, but probably not thousands more. It called on both sides, Russia and Ukraine, to allow these visits.
Olenivka is located in the Russian-occupied area of Donetsk. It is not clear how many people are being held there. More than 50 inmates were killed in an explosion in July. Russia and Ukraine blame each other for this.
Kremlin spokesman sees NATO involved in conflict
About eight months after invading Ukraine, Russia plans to boldly pursue its war goals despite military setbacks. The military “operation” is coming to an end, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on state television on Sunday. This is complicated by the help of Western countries for Ukraine. But Russia has enough potential to continue the mission. He said NATO was already “de facto” involved in the conflict.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
