Red Cross gains access to Ukrainian PoWs

Last week, the International Committee of the Red Cross visited Russian-held Ukrainian prisoners of war [PoWs]; the next visit is scheduled for this week.

Source: the Red Cross press service; Russian service of BBC; Mirjana Spoliaric, President of the Red Cross, on Twitter

Quote from ICRC: "The ICRC last week carried out one two-day visit to Ukrainian prisoners of war, with another happening this week. During the same period, visits were also carried out to Russian prisoners of war, with more visits planned by the end of the month"

Details: The ICRC reported that their representatives checked the conditions of detention and treatment of PoWs and delivered personal hygiene products, blankets, warm clothes and books. The ICRC also contacted the families of the PoWs to convey news from their families.

The ICRC stressed that all prisoners of war are entitled to regular visits by the ICRC representatives. While recent visits are an important progress, the ICRC must be granted unimpeded access to all PoWs repeatedly, without guards wherever they are held.

BBC reports that earlier the Russian occupation administration in the captured territories in the east of Ukraine prevented access of international observers to places of detention of Ukrainian prisoners of war. It is not yet clear what made the Russian side start to cooperate. At the same time, BBC emphasises that Ukraine has never obstructed the work of international humanitarian organisations.

In addition, on 8 December, Mirjana Spoljaric, President of the Red Cross arrived in Ukraine on a four-day visit: "Today I’ll meet with people in Mykolaiv and Kherson Oblast who are facing a desperate winter – and meet the teams working to help".

Spoljaric called visits to prisoners of war an important step for "preserving humanity amid the brutality of international armed conflict". She expects that these visits will lead to more regular access to prisoners of war.

Background: 

• On 13 October, the President’s Office made a "non-alternative requirement" to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to send their mission to the PoW camp in Olenivka, where the Ukrainian prisoners of war were being held, within the course of three days.
• The Red Cross responded that it would not be able to "get through by force" to the Ukrainian PoWs illegally held by Russia, and it had no access to them.
• Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, has stressed many times that the ICRC must visit Olenivka where the Ukrainian PoWs are being held.

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