Ukraine's FM slams Red Cross for equating attacks on Ukraine and Russia

Sybiha commented on an ICRC post in which the organization expressed concern over attacks on critical infrastructure that left millions of people without electricity and heating.

In particular, the Red Cross message listed both Ukrainian cities — Kyiv and Dnipro — as well as Belgorod and Donetsk, a city currently under Russian occupation.

"Attacks causing disproportionate harm to civilians, including by depriving their access to essential services such as electricity and heating that are essential for survival right now, are prohibited," the statement says.

In response, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister called the statement "a disgrace." Sybiha stressed that drawing a false moral equivalence between the aggressor and the country defending itself is unacceptable.

"Unlike Russia, Ukraine acts within the international humanitarian law and our inherent right to self-defense," Sybiha stated.

According to the minister, the ICRC’s reputation is in crisis because of such statements, which whitewash Russian war crimes and further undermine trust in the organization, especially given its long-standing failure to secure systematic access to Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians illegally held by Russia.

"The Head of ICRC Delegation to Ukraine will be summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine for explanations. I also invite the people who wrote and authorized this statement to leave their warm offices, come to Ukraine, and spend a day in a freezing home. Perhaps they will regain their sense of reality," Sybiha emphasized.

The International Committee of the Red Cross has previously faced repeated criticism, particularly over its inability to ensure full protection for Ukrainians held in Russian captivity. According to a report by an OSCE mission, Russia still does not grant the organization full access to prisoners of war on its territory or in occupied areas.

Mission representatives are often shown only those detainees who appear to be in satisfactory condition, allegedly to conceal numerous violations of international law. According to Czech professor Veronika Bílková, while there has been some progress in the ICRC’s work, the situation remains far from meeting international standards. The committee’s main tasks continue to be regular visits to detention facilities and the collection of official information on the condition and place of stay of each defender.