ICRC Offices in Kiev, Moscow Boost Cooperation to Give Aid in Impartial Manner - Spokesman

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) - The offices of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Kiev and Moscow have increased cooperation in order to better provide much needed humanitarian assistance in an impartial manner, ICRC Kiev office spokesperson Achille Despres told Sputnik.

"I would say that our collaboration with our colleagues based in Moscow has actually increased because we have to come to coordinate our work. We are working together on a number of issues and we're all part of the same organization. Our job is to provide humanitarian assistance and do that in a neutral, impartial manner," Despres said.

The ICRC is the only humanitarian organization based in both Ukraine and Russia, and this is why its functioning is critical to providing assistance, Despres said.

In the beginning of January, ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric announced her intention to visit Russia and meet with the country's authorities. During the previous month, Spoljaric arrived in Ukraine on a four-day visit to meet with civilians from the Nilkolaev and Kherson regions.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Moscow demanded that international organizations condemn the execution of Russian prisoners of war by the Ukrainian forces and conduct a thorough investigation. All those involved in the execution of Russian prisoners in Ukraine would be identified and no one will escape retribution, she added.

The ICRC has been working in Ukraine since 2014 and has provided humanitarian assistance, including food, water and other essential items, to the civilian population. The organization has significantly intensified its activities after Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine on February 24.