Russia attacks Red Cross vehicles in Ukraine's Donetsk region, law enforcement confirms

Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office reported this.

Investigators found that Russian forces targeted Red Cross vehicles using 152-mm artillery shells and a Lancet drone. 

Prosecutor General Andrii Kostin explained, "The 152-mm shells were fired alongside a drone equipped with a laser rangefinder, which can autonomously locate and strike a target. This not only accounts for the wreckage of the Lancet UAV found at the scene but also indicates that the attack on the ICRC was intentional."

The investigation suggests that the artillery units likely operated from the temporarily occupied village of Yahidne in the Bakhmut district. The 1065th Artillery Regiment of the 98th Airborne Division and an artillery unit from the 200th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade are currently active in this area, both armed with 152-mm artillery and Lancet drones.

Law enforcement is treating the case as a violation of the laws and customs of war, as well as premeditated murder, under Article 438(2) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

To prevent similar incidents in the future, on September 18, the Donetsk Regional Defense Council banned charitable organizations from operating in frontline communities without prior approval from the military administration.

Attack on Red Cross mission on September 12

On September 12, Russian forces fired at ICRC vehicles in the village of Viroliubivka, Donetsk region. The attack resulted in the deaths of three men, while two of their colleagues suffered shrapnel wounds and injuries from the blast. One of the injured is currently in serious condition.

The ICRC staff were in the area to distribute fuel briquettes to local residents for heating their homes. At the time of the shelling, they were unloading the aid they had delivered.