By Peter Kenny
GENEVA (AA) – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Thursday reiterated its demand for access to prisoners of war of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
“We share the frustration that we have not yet had access to all prisoners of war (POWs). We know that behind it lies the anguish of families not knowing about the well-being of their loved ones,” the humanitarian organization said in a statement.
“We reiterate that we will never stop demanding access to all prisoners of war held in the international armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine until we can see them repeatedly wherever they are held.”
The statement follows an appeal by UN chief Antonio Guterres earlier this month, who called on Russia to give the ICRC “full access” to all POWs.
Ukrainian officials have urged the ICRC to visit the Olenivka prison in Donetsk, which has been controlled by Russian-backed authorities since 2014.
In response to Ukrainian criticism, the ICRC previously said its teams have been ready for months to visit the prison but have not received “guarantees on the ground and local authorization.”