Ukraine appeals to Red Cross to help take bodies of dead Russian soldiers out of country

As Russia's military operation continues in Ukraine, the Ukrainian Defence Ministry has informed that the Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine Iryna Vereshchuk has called on the International Committee of the Red Cross to take the bodies of Russian troops who have been killed in the attack. The Ukrainian Defence Ministry in the social media post urged the Russian troops who are alive to leave Ukraine. 

The Ukrainian Defence Ministry in a social media post informed that they have urged the Red Cross to help take the bodies of dead Russian soldiers out of Ukraine. The Defence Ministry further mentioned that there are bodies of thousands of Russian troops in Ukraine and they called it a "humanitarian need." The Defence Ministry in the post further added, "Don’t be Putin’s cannon fodder!" Earlier, Sergiy Kyslystsya, Permanent Representative of Ukraine to UN stated Ukraine has appealed to the International Committee of the Red Cross to help in the repatriation of thousands of bodies of Russian troops" killed in the offensive in Ukraine. He took to his official Twitter handle to inform that they had made a similar appeal to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and added, "Parents in RU should have a chance to bury them with dignity. Don’t let Putin hide the scale of the tragedy."

"We ask the International Committee of the Red Cross to help take the bodies of the dead Russian soldiers out of Ukraine. These are thousands of bodies of invaders. It is a humanitarian need. We ask to take the bodies of Russian occupants to leave out Ukrainian land," Ukrainian Defence Ministry said in a  statement on social media.

Russia-Ukraine War

The tensions between Ukraine and Russia continue for the fourth consecutive day after Russian forces at once moved across the Ukrainian border. Russian President Vladimir Putin on 24 February announced a military operation in Eastern Ukraine's Donbas region. In the latest development, street fighting broke out between troops of Russia and Ukraine in Kharkiv on Sunday, 27 February. Meanwhile, Russia had sent a delegation to Belarus to hold peace talks, however, the offer has been rejected by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. President Zelenskyy has stated that they are willing to hold talks in other locations and not in Belarus due to its role in the invasion. The Russian troops had until Sunday remained on the outskirts of Kharkiv as Ukraine continues to put up resistance. Explosions were reported in Kyiv on Sunday and the residents took shelter in underground garages and subway stations in order to protect themselves. 

Inputs from AP

Image: AP