Ukraine invites UN and ICRC to Russia's Kursk region

People work in a humanitarian aid distribution center for residents, who were evacuated from the Kursk region following an incursion of Ukrainian troops in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict, located in the building of a local circus in Kursk, Russia August 28, 2024. REUTERS

Ukraine said on Monday it had asked the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to join humanitarian efforts in Russia's Kursk region following a cross-border incursion by Ukrainian forces.

Ukraine's army remains in the Kursk region more than a month after launching the assault, in which President Volodymyr Zelensky says Kyiv has taken control of about 100 settlements. Russia's Defence Ministry said on Monday its forces had regained control of two more villages.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said he had instructed his ministry to invite the UN and ICRC to work in the Kursk region on Sunday. The ministry confirmed that it had issued the requests.

"Ukraine is ready to facilitate their work and prove its adherence to international humanitarian law," Sybiha said on X after visiting the Sumy region, from where Ukrainian forces launched the cross-borer attack.

He said the Ukrainian army was ensuring humanitarian assistance and safe passage to civilians in the Kursk region.

The Foreign Ministry said the invitations had been sent to the ICRC and UN, "taking into account the humanitarian situation and the need to properly ensure basic human rights in the territory of the Kursk region."

It said it had asked the ICRC to monitor Ukraine's compliance with the principles of international humanitarian law.

It was not immediately clear how or whether the UN or ICRC had responded.

Russia's state-run TASS news agency quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying such statements were "provocative". He made clear Moscow, which began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, expected the UN and ICRC not to accept the invitations.

A Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said the Kremlin's reaction showed a disregard for the humanitarian needs of its own people and a fear of letting international observers see the situation in Kursk.

Russia's state-run RIA news agency said ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric had arrived on a visit to Moscow and planned to meet Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Last week, Russian shelling killed three Ukrainians working for the ICRC and wounded two others in a village in the frontline Donetsk region, Ukrainian officials said. Spoljaric has condemned the attacks.