Russian Shelling Claims Lives of Three Red Cross Workers in Eastern Ukraine, According to Reuters

Russian shelling on Thursday resulted in the deaths of three individuals working for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and left two others injured in a frontline village located in the Donetsk region, according to Ukrainian officials.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy condemned the attack on social media, describing it as “another Russian war crime,” emphasizing that Russian forces targeted vehicles of the ICRC’s humanitarian mission in the Donetsk area.

The village of Viroliubivka was struck by shelling, with regional governor Vadym Filashkin confirming the casualties via a messaging app.

ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric issued a strong condemnation of the attacks on humanitarian personnel, stating that it is “unconscionable” for shelling to hit an aid distribution site. She noted that ICRC teams frequently operate in the Donetsk region, with their vehicles clearly marked by the Red Cross emblem.

The Prosecutor General’s Office reported that the ICRC employees were in the process of delivering fuel briquettes to local residents for winter heating when the attack occurred. During the incident, two employees were hospitalized, one of whom is in serious condition.

The Donetsk region, partially occupied by Russian forces, regularly experiences shelling and airstrikes. Moscow continues to assert that it does not target civilians or civilian infrastructure, despite the high number of casualties resulting from its military actions in Ukraine.