Thu Sep 12 07:51:48 UTC 2024: ## Red Cross Staff Killed in Shelling, Ukraine Accuses Russia

**Donetsk, Ukraine** – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) confirmed the deaths of three staff members on Thursday after shelling struck a planned aid distribution site in the Donetsk region. Two more ICRC staff members were injured in the incident.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy swiftly condemned the attack, accusing Russia of being responsible. However, the ICRC’s statement did not assign blame to any specific party, stating that the aid distribution had not yet begun and no civilians were affected.

The ICRC president, Mirjana Spoljaric, expressed profound sadness, stating: “I condemn attacks on Red Cross personnel in the strongest terms. It’s unconscionable that shelling would hit an aid distribution site. Our hearts are broken today as we mourn the loss of our colleagues and care for the injured.”

The ICRC team was preparing to distribute wood and coal briquettes to vulnerable households in Viroliubivka village, north of Donetsk city, when their vehicles were hit. The ICRC emphasized that their teams are regularly present in the Donetsk region and their vehicles are clearly marked with the Red Cross emblem.

The incident comes amidst a concerning rise in the number of humanitarian workers killed worldwide over the past two years. The ICRC is urging all parties to respect international humanitarian law, ensuring that those involved in humanitarian work are not targeted or caught in hostilities.

Russia has not yet commented on the attack.

**Other Developments:**

* Russia claims to have recaptured 10 settlements in the Kursk border region following a Ukrainian incursion last month.
* Ukrainian President Zelenskyy continues to call for the use of long-range weapons against targets inside Russia, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterating US commitment to providing support for Ukraine’s defense.
* The key eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk remains without drinking water or natural gas after recent fighting damaged infrastructure.
* China’s President Xi Jinping will attend the Brics summit in Russia next month.
* Iran summoned British, French, German, and Dutch ambassadors after accusations of missile transfers to Russia and new sanctions imposed.

The ongoing conflict continues to have devastating consequences for civilians, with the humanitarian situation in eastern Ukraine particularly dire.

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