Kherson: The UN on Tuesday accused Russia of attacking a humanitarian convoy belonging to it in Ukraine's southern Kherson region.
According to Anadolu Agency, the UN in Ukraine stated in a press release that an inter-agency convoy made up of four trucks came under attack by Russia while delivering aid to the settlement of Bilozerka. The strike was described as 'utterly unacceptable.'
The press release highlighted that humanitarian workers from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Ukraine and the World Health Organization (WHO) in Ukraine were on a mission to provide aid to a heavily war-impacted community that had not received assistance for months. Although no injuries or fatalities occurred during the attack, two trucks in the convoy were damaged and set on fire.
The UN emphasized that targeting humanitarians and humanitarian assets violates international humanitarian law and may constitute a war crime. The organization called for all measures to be taken to protect civilians and humanitarian workers, urging respect for international humanitarian law.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha condemned the attack in a statement on X, urging UN member states to denounce the strike and increase pressure on Moscow. This call was supported by the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry in a separate statement on X, reporting that one of the four trucks was completely burned, while another was seriously damaged. The remaining two trucks managed to escape.
Russian authorities have not immediately commented on the UN's accusation. This accusation follows a statement by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who reported that 57 people were injured in Kharkiv during an overnight Russian airstrike, describing it as an 'utterly terrorist, cynical attack.'
Zelenskyy called for additional air defense systems from partners and urged the international community to push Russia towards 'genuine negotiations,' asserting that 'only peace through strength can bring results.'
Ukraine's Air Force claimed that air defenses shot down 69 of 96 drones launched by Russia overnight, according to a morning statement on Telegram. Moscow has not yet responded to this claim.
In recent weeks, Moscow and Kyiv have frequently accused each other of targeting energy facilities as the winter months draw near.