The International Committee of the" Red Cross" stated it "shares the frustration" of not having access to all prisoners of war held in Russian captivity.
The organization published its statement on October 14.
"We have been working since February to gain access to verify the conditions and treatment of prisoners of war and to inform families about their loved ones. We were able to visit hundreds of POWs [prisoners of war], but there are thousands more that we didnʼt get to see. We would like to emphasize that our teams are ready on the ground — and have been ready for several months — to visit the penal colony in Olenivka and any other place where prisoners of war are held. However, beyond the provision of access by higher authorities, this requires practical measures to be implemented on the ground. We cannot forcefully enter a place of detention or internment where we have not been admitted," the organization noted.
The Third Geneva Convention obliges parties to an international armed conflict to grant the International Committee of the Red Cross immediate access to all prisoners of war and the right to visit them wherever they are held.
- On October 13, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky criticized the work of the International Committee of the Red Cross due to the fact that they have not yet sent their mission to the Ukrainian prisoners of war in Olenivka. The head of the Presidentʼs Office, Andriy Yermak, issued an "ultimatum" to the Red Cross — to send a mission to Olenivka within three days.
- The Red Cross and the UN mission still havenʼt visited Olenivka after the terrorist attack by Russian troops, when at least 53 “Azov” captives died on the territory of the colonyʼs pre-trial detention center. The occupiers said that the colony was fired with HIMARS. The Ukrainian side considers this to be a planned mass murder, which could have been committed by the mercenaries of the PMC Wagner.