Russia is trying to legitimize the occupation of Ukraine through the International Committee of the Red Cross – ISW

Russian officials, through their interaction with the International Committee of the Red Cross, are trying to legitimize the occupation of Ukraine and promote narratives about alleged human rights violations in our country. The ICRC functions as a propaganda tool for the Kremlin in occupied Ukraine.

This is stated in the analysis of the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW). They noted that on September 17, ICRC President Mirjana Spoliaric met with Russian officials in Moscow, including Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Kremlin Commissioner for Children's Rights Maria Lvova-Belova, Kremlin-appointed Human Rights Commissioner Tatiana Moskalkova, and Russian Red Cross President Pavel Savchuk.

During the talks, Spoliarich emphasized that states must comply with international humanitarian law, in particular by granting the ICRC access to prisoners of war. She also emphasized the need to protect humanitarian workers after the recent deaths of three ICRC staff members as a result of shelling on the front line in Donetsk region.

The Russian Foreign Ministry reported that the Russian delegation at the meeting spoke about alleged human rights violations in Ukraine, in particular regarding the treatment of prisoners of war and civilians.

"The ISW observed widespread reports of Russian forces torturing and executing Ukrainian prisoners of war, and reported in detail on Russia's illegal occupation of Ukraine, including the illegal deportation of Ukrainian civilians and children to Russia," the analysts noted.

They noted that Russia has not fully opened its prisoner-of-war facilities to ICRC inspectors, while Ukraine regularly opens its main camp. In July 2024, Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets reported that most Ukrainian prisoners of war who returned home from Russian captivity said that they had not seen or communicated with ICRC representatives while in captivity.

"The Kremlin is probably trying to use the ICRC president's participation in the meeting on September 17 to legitimize its illegal activities in occupied Ukraine. Russian officials have similarly used meetings with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to legitimize Russia's occupation of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) and Zaporizhzhia region and to promote false narratives about the Ukrainian threat to the ZNPP and Kursk Nuclear Power Plant," ISW emphasized.

As reported by OBOZ.UA:

- The UN has responded to Ukraine's invitation to participate in the humanitarian response in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation. The organization stated that it was ready to arrive in the territory of Kursk region controlled by Ukraine, but it needed Russia's permission.

- Lubinets criticized the work of the ICRC, noting that after the tragic shelling of the humanitarian convoy by the Russian army, the committee's leadership did not mention who carried out the attack. In addition, the ICRC was also in no hurry to respond to the death of three Ukrainians who were employees of the organization.

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