Kyiv suspects that the Red Cross is Russia’s “partner” in the fate of refugees

boss Ukrainian Wednesday blamed International Committee of the Red Cross Not cooperating with his country on the fate of Ukrainian refugees in Russia, and suspecting him of being a “partner” in “deportations”, accusations that the ICRC vehemently rejected.

Serious accusations

Lyudmila Denisova, a human rights official in the Verkhovna Rada, called on Ukrainian television, “the ICRC is not fulfilling its mission” regarding people who, she said, were forcibly evacuated by the Russian army to Russia. “I doubt that they are complicit” with Russia, she said after speaking on Wednesday with an official at the Ukrainian branch of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

“I have been trying to meet with the president of the ICRC for a month to discuss the deportation of our citizens to the United States Russia. I am trying to do this after the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross said that the ICRC will open a representation in Rostov-on-Don and will encourage the reception of Ukrainians on the territory of the aggressor country,” said Ms. Denisova.

numbers to prove

Cited numbers fromUnited nationsAccording to this, there are 550,000 Ukrainian refugees in Russia, including 121,000 children. “Where are they? In filter camps? In temporary homes? We have testimonies of people who have been brought” to Russia, she said.

Denisova said she had asked her Russian counterpart, Tatyana Moskalkova, to provide her with the lists of Ukrainian refugees in Russia in order to work with the Red Cross to bring them back home: “There is no response from her and the International Committee of the Red Cross.”

The ICRC denies these accusations

The International Committee of the Red Cross “strongly rejected these false accusations”, reassured again that it was “not carrying out forced evictions”, and recalled that the organization “facilitated the voluntary safe crossing of civilians and wounded people to other cities of Ukrainians”.

The organization confirmed that it “discussed the possibility of opening an office in Rostov-on-Don” in order to “reduce the suffering of those affected by the armed conflict.” The ICRC stressed that “establishing and maintaining a dialogue with the parties to the conflict is essential to reach all those affected and to obtain the necessary security guarantees for our teams to provide vital assistance.”