Red Cross says it shares "frustration" about lack of access to prisoners of war in Ukraine

The International Committee of Red Cross shared their 'frustration regarding the lack of access to all prisoners of war', a day after being accused by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of not sending officials to the prison at Olenivka. 

Earlier, Zelensky accused the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) of inaction in upholding the rights of POWs in Ukraine and called them to visit a prison in Olenivka, Eastern Ukraine, where dozens of POWs in Ukraine died in an explosion and fire in July amid the Russia Ukraine War.

In his nightly address on Thursday, Zelenskyy said that Red Cross is "not a club with privileges where one receives a salary and enjoys life". "But it requires leadership," President Zelensky said in a subtle criticism of the Red Cross, adding, "The Red Cross can make it happen. But you have to try to make it happen."

In a statement released by the ICRC, it said, “We share the frustration regarding our lack of access to all prisoners of war (POWs) held in the international armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine. We have been working since February to obtain access to check on the conditions and treatment of POWs and keep their families informed about their loved ones. We have been able to visit hundreds of POWs but there are thousands more who we have not been able to see.”

‘We have been ready for months’: International Committee of Red Cross

In the official statement released by the ICRC, it also pointed out that the Third Geneva Convention obliges parties to an international armed conflict to grant the ICRC immediate access to all POWs, and the right to visit them wherever they are held.  

The ICRC added, “We want to stress that our teams are ready on the ground and have been ready for months, to visit the Olenivka penal facility and any other location where POWs are held. However, beyond being granted access by high levels of authority, this requires practical arrangements to materialise on the ground. We cannot access by force a place of detention or internment where we have not been admitted. All States have committed to respecting the Geneva Conventions. Giving the ICRC access to visit prisoners of war is a legal obligation. It also helps preserve humanity in an international armed conflict that has created an immeasurable loss for countless families."

It further said, "Our mission can only be achieved through coordinated efforts with parties to the conflict. And we ask them and the international community to support the role we have been given.”

The International Committee of Red Cross has been working in Ukraine since 2014

The ICRC has been working with a team of over 600 members in Ukraine since 2014. They have been working with the aid of their Red Cross Red Crescent Movement partners and the Ukrainian Red Cross Society. The ICRC operates in 100 countries, helping people affected by armed violence and conflict and promoting adherence to laws that protect POWs, states the official website.