Ukraine has formally invited the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to inspect areas of Russia’s Kursk region under Ukrainian control. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha announced on Monday that he instructed his ministry to extend these invitations. The move aims to demonstrate Ukraine’s commitment to international humanitarian law, particularly in light of the numerous atrocities committed by Russian forces since their invasion in February 2022.
On the social media platform X, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha announced that the Ukrainian army is providing “humanitarian assistance” and ensuring “safe passage” for civilians in the Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces have been present for over a month following a major cross-border offensive. Kyiv claims control over approximately 100 settlements in this southern Russian border region.
Sybiha stated that he instructed his ministry to extend invitations to the UN and ICRC after visiting Ukraine’s Sumy region, which was the launch site for the Ukrainian forces’ rapid raid in August.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed it had requested the ICRC to monitor Ukraine’s adherence to international humanitarian law under the Geneva Conventions, which protect individuals in armed conflicts.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the invitation as “pure provocation” and called for the UN and ICRC to provide a “sober assessment” of Ukraine’s request. The invitation coincides with ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric’s arrival in Moscow for a scheduled visit.
Spoljaric is set to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday, shortly after three Ukrainian ICRC employees were killed by shelling in the Donetsk region. Spoljaric has condemned the attack.
Ukraine aims to distinguish its actions from those of the Russian forces, which occupy about 20 percent of Ukrainian territory. Moscow has criticized Ukraine’s counteroffensive, noting it has led to the evacuation of around 150,000 Russian civilians.
