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The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) ‘plays along with Russian aggression’. This is what Ukrainian ombudsman Dmitro Lubinets told The Kyiv Independent. The Russian branch of the aid organization (RRC) is said not to be neutral, stealing property from its Ukrainian counterpart and having ties to Russian re-education camps for Ukrainian children.

Previous research showed that the RRC is active in war zones in Ukraine. Only the international branch may do that, unless the country where an event, in this case a war, takes place, gives permission to other branches. Ukraine has not given this to the RRC, which means they violate the principles of neutrality according to Lubinets. In addition, the ICRC wrongly claims that the Russian branch is not present in the occupied regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia and does not say a word about the presence of the RRC in Crimea, where Ukrainian property was allegedly stolen by Russian aid workers.

Lubinets also criticizes the alleged ties between the RRC and ‘summer camp’ Artek, which the Russian government organizes on the aforementioned annexed peninsula. Artek is a patriotic re-education camp for Ukrainian children who return to their parents for a long time or not at all. The Ukrainian Ombudsman therefore accuses the Russian Red Cross of involvement in the deportation of Ukrainian children.

Abuse, fundraising and support for invasion

Previous research into the RRC showed that its employees insulted and abused Ukrainian prisoners of war. In addition, the RRC is led by Pavel Savchuk, a Kremlin loyalist who in the past held a position in the All-Russian Popular Front, a pro-Vladimir Putin political group. Savchuk reportedly worked with sanctioned organizations because they raised funds for the Russian military.

It doesn’t stop there: the RRC previously also awarded prizes for ‘humanitarian contributions’ to companies that made weapons that were and are still used in Ukraine. Consider rewards for ‘increasing the number of blood donations’ from employees of a weapons factory. Finally, RRC employees are said to have made public statements in support of the Russian invasion.

Loebinets said Kate Forbes, the new head of the ICRC, is willing to meet with him to discuss the allegations.