Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sibyga has extended an invitation to The United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to visit the part of the Kursk region that is currently under the control of the Ukrainian forces, reports Agence France-Presse, quoted by BTA.
"Ukraine is ready to cooperate and facilitate the work of these organizations by demonstrating compliance with international humanitarian norms in this area," wrote Sibiga on the social network “X“ (formerly “Twitter“), quoted by news agencies.
At the beginning of August, the Ukrainian military launched a large-scale offensive in the Kursk region bordering Russia. Kiev claims that it already controls more than 1,000 square km of territory, as well as numerous settlements.
Ukrainian authorities seek to prove that their forces respect humanitarian law, do not mistreat the local Russian population and do not commit war crimes – accusations that are often leveled against Russian forces in Ukraine, according to AFP.
"Since the beginning of the operation in the Kursk region, Ukrainian forces have demonstrated strict compliance with international humanitarian laws, provided humanitarian aid and safe corridors for civilians," emphasized Sibiga.
According to Moscow, the offensive led to the evacuation of around 150,000 civilians.
Meanwhile, the chairperson of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Mirjana Spolaric, arrived today in Moscow on a planned visit. This comes just days after three Ukrainian ICRC officers were killed in shelling in Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine.
According to the ICRC, the dead were preparing to deliver wood and coal to a village near the front line when their vehicles were hit.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky blamed the Russian military for the attack and condemned the incident as "another war crime".