A United Nations representative denounces the assault that resulted in the deaths of humanitarian workers in Ukraine.
The United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, Denise Brown, expressed strong disapproval on Friday towards an attack on aid workers in southern Ukraine that occurred on Thursday, resulting in the death of two individuals and injuries to three others.
On Thursday, the Swiss aid organization HEKS/EPER stated that two of its workers were attacked while conducting a field evaluation in southeastern Ukraine.
Authorities from Ukraine later confirmed that the two individuals providing assistance were French citizens who were fatally injured in a drone strike in the town of Beryslav, located in the Kherson region.
The identities of the aid workers have not been disclosed.
Brown expressed deep sadness over the passing of the two aid workers and extended her condolences to their loved ones and coworkers during this tragic period.
The coordinator for humanitarian efforts expressed her surprise upon learning that aid workers’ vehicles were attacked in a way that mirrored a tragic event that occurred just a week ago in Chasiv Yar Town, located in eastern Ukraine. During that incident, a humanitarian vehicle was struck and an aid worker was injured.
According to Brown, there is a law in place that forbids attacks on humanitarian workers. He also expressed concern about the seriousness of these repeated violations for the global community.
On February 2, 2024, the Ukrainian Emergency Service released a photograph of a rescuer standing outside a building that was damaged due to a Russian airstrike on the center of Kherson, Ukraine.
President of France, Emmanuel Macron, described the assaults on the French humanitarian workers as “a despicable and deplorable act.”
“He expressed his support for all the volunteers dedicating their time to aiding others,” he posted on the social networking site X, previously known as Twitter.
On X, French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne stated that Russia will be held accountable for its actions.
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, extended condolences and appreciation for the efforts of the French aid workers.
On X, he stated, “Russian terrorism does not discriminate based on borders or the nationality of its victims.” He also expressed gratitude for the courageous French aid workers who provided assistance to people in need.
Diplomats from Ukraine and Canada hold a meeting.
On Friday, Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Melanie Joly, visited Kyiv and held discussions with Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba.
During a joint press conference after their discussions, the two leading diplomats declared the formation of a new global alliance with the goal of repatriating Ukrainian minors who were unlawfully brought to Russia.
Kuleba has also mentioned that he is persistently working towards utilizing frozen Russian assets to contribute towards Ukraine’s reconstruction efforts in the aftermath of the war.
The assault caused a power outage.
On Friday, Ukrainian military officials reported that Russia had deployed twenty-four drones overnight, targeting critical infrastructure in the country. As a result, central and northeastern regions experienced power outages.
The Ukrainian energy company Ukrenergo announced on Friday that their facilities were damaged, causing a power outage in the city of Kryvyi Rih in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
Officials in northeastern Kharkiv reported to Agence France-Presse that approximately 64 towns and settlements lost power due to Russian shelling. Ukraine claims to have successfully targeted and destroyed 11 Russian drones with their forces.
The report contains data from the Associated Press, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse.
Source: voanews.com
