KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday that a Russian missile struck an Egypt-bound cargo ship in the Black Sea and also confirmed a Russian assault on International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) vehicles in eastern Ukraine, resulting in casualties.
Zelensky condemned the missile strike on the civilian cargo ship, which was transporting wheat to Egypt. “A Russian missile targeted a wheat cargo bound for Egypt,” Zelensky said in a social media post. “The attack occurred on an ordinary civilian vessel in the Black Sea shortly after it left Ukrainian territorial waters.”
Zelensky said that Russian artillery had also struck ICRC vehicles in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine. The shelling killed three Ukrainian staff members working for the humanitarian organization and injured two others. The attack took place in the village of Virolyubivka, located just a few kilometers from the front line.
Ukrainian parliamentary commissioner for human rights, Dmytro Lubinets, confirmed the casualties and described the assault as a severe breach of humanitarian protocols. There was no immediate response from Russian officials.
The UN Humanitarian mission to Ukraine reported earlier this year that 50 aid workers had been killed or injured in Ukraine in 2023, with 11 of those fatalities occurring while on duty. Denise Brown, the UN humanitarian coordinator, said that attacks on humanitarian workers have intensified in recent months.
The ICRC, which has been active in providing aid amid the conflict, confirmed the death of its three staff members. “I condemn attacks on Red Cross personnel in the strongest terms,” said ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric.
“It is unconscionable that shelling would hit an aid distribution site.” Spoljaric expressed deep sorrow for the loss of the organization’s colleagues and pledged support for the injured. “Our hearts are broken today as we mourn the loss of our colleagues and care for the injured.”
