Red Cross Worker Killed in Eastern Ukraine
A Swiss national working for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) was killed in Donetsk on Thursday as fighting continues between the Ukrainian military and pro-Russian separatist rebels.
“We are deeply shocked by this tragic loss,” said ICRC Director of Operations Dominik Stillhart. “We understand that there were other civilian casualties in Donetsk today. Indiscriminate shelling of residential areas is unacceptable and violates international humanitarian law.”
Moscow accused Kyiv of responsibility for the bombing of the local Red Cross office which killed the aid worker, located about 2 miles from the Donetsk airport where fighting rages on despite a cease-fire signed September 5.
“Kyiv is unwilling to admit an evident thing: that district of Donetsk was controlled by the self-defense forces and was shelled from positions held by Ukrainian troops,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “We categorically condemn such actions that are a blatant violation of the international humanitarian law. We insist on an unbiased and thorough investigation into the killing of the ICRC worker and on bringing those guilty to justice.”
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavel Klimkin denied responsibility for the shelling, blaming instead local separatist rebels.