The Commissioner of the Verkhovna Rada for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, sharply reacted to the attack by Russian troops on the trucks of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the Bilozerska community of the Kherson region on October 14. According to him, four vehicles marked with official symbols were transporting aid for the local population. As a result of the shelling, one of the vehicles was completely burned, and another sustained serious damage.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Condemnation of Russia’s Actions by Ukrainian Officials
“The destruction of humanitarian cargo by Russia is yet another deliberate terrorist act and a violation of international humanitarian law. The world must act decisively – such attacks cannot go unanswered,” Lubinets stated.
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha reported that these trucks were sent by the World Food Programme of the UN and were part of a convoy delivering food and “life-saving assistance” to the residents of the region. He emphasized the gross violation of international law by Russia, demonstrating complete disregard for civilian lives and the international obligations of the aggressor state. Sybiha called on UN member states to firmly condemn this latest attack on humanitarian workers and to increase international pressure on the Russian Federation.
Context of Attacks on Humanitarian Missions and Assessment by International Organizations
The head of the Kherson region, Oleksandr Prokudin, stated that on the morning of October 14, Russia launched an attack on the humanitarian mission in the region. UN mission representatives have not yet commented on the information regarding the shelling.
Recently, Russian troops have systematically used various types of weapons, including strike drones, missiles, guided aerial bombs, and multiple launch rocket systems to attack Ukrainian regions. At the same time, the Russian leadership denies the facts of targeted attacks on civilian infrastructure, claiming that the Russian army does not strike hospitals, schools, energy facilities, and water supply systems, although numerous cases of destruction of such facilities and civilian casualties are recorded by both Ukrainian authorities and international organizations.
Ukrainian officials and international organizations classify strikes on humanitarian missions and civilian objects as war crimes of the Russian Federation, emphasizing that such attacks are deliberate and systematic in nature.