Kursk region: Ukraine appeals to the UN and Red Cross to join humanitarian response

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has called on the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross to join the humanitarian response in Russia’s Kursk region.

This was stated in an official announcement by the Ministry.

The statement emphasizes that Ukraine «strictly complies» with its obligations under international humanitarian law.  This includes the protection of civilians during hostilities.

The Ministry also noted that from the outset of the Kursk operation, the Ukrainian Defence Forces have demonstrated «high professionalism» and «full compliance with the principles of international humanitarian law.»

It was mentioned that civilians in the Kursk region are receiving humanitarian. They also have the opportunity to leave the areas affected by the fighting.

In light of the «humanitarian situation,» Ukraine has submitted a note to the UN, requesting the organization’s involvement in the humanitarian response in the region.

Additionally, the International Committee of the Red Cross has received a similar request. Ukraine asks the organization to monitor compliance with international humanitarian law, in accordance with the Geneva Convention.

Operation in the Kursk Region

As a reminder, the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ offensive in Russia’s Kursk region has been ongoing since 6 August. Ukraine first officially commented on these events on 12 August. Oleksandr Syrsky then stated that Ukrainian forces had taken control of 24 settlements in the Kursk region.

That same evening, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy explained that the offensive’s purpose was to protect Ukraine’s Sumy Region. According to him, since the beginning of June alone, Russian forces stationed in the Kursk region have fired more than 2,100 times at Sumy.

Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stressed that Ukraine has no territorial interest in the Kursk region. The offensive was described as a necessary measure, as Ukraine is unable to use Western-supplied weapons to expel Russian forces from its own border areas.

By 19 August, Ukraine had gained control of over 1,000 square kilometers of Russian territory. Additionally, on 15 August, Ukraine established its first military commandant’s office in the Kursk region.

As previously reported by The Sunday Times, the UK government has decided to be more transparent about the use of weapons supplied to Ukraine during the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ offensive in the Kursk region. This includes the use of Challenger 2 tanks.

On 4 September, during an interview with Hromadske Radio, Russian-Ukrainian war veteran and military-political expert Yevhen Dykyi said that the entry of Ukrainian forces into the Kursk region surprised both the global community and Russia.

“No one expected us to just cross the border. And more than that, we succeeded. We crossed it calmly and started advancing further into Russia», — he said.

Dykyi added that, prior to the start of the Kursk operation, Western media had become increasingly pessimistic about Ukraine’s chances. Many doubted that Russia could be defeated in the war.

“We were being ‘buried,’ and it was widely accepted, without much debate, that Russia was unbeatable. This led to conclusions that we should negotiate – and on Putin’s terms», — Dykyi recalled.