PRESS RELEASE : Andriy Yermak – Ukraine gives the ICRC three days to send a mission to the colony in Olenivka, where Ukrainian prisoners of war are held

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 13 October 2022.

Head of the President’s Office Andriy Yermak made a demand without alternatives to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC): in the coming days, send a mission to the colony in Olenivka in the temporarily occupied territory of the Donetsk region, where Ukrainian prisoners of war are held and where at the end of July, as a result of terrorist shelling by the Russian occupiers, more than 50 defenders of Ukraine were killed.

He said this during a video call with representatives of the ICRC and other international organizations. The call was also attended by: Deputy Heads of the Office of the President Andriy Sybiha and Ihor Zhovkva, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba, Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense Kyrylo Budanov, Acting Head of the Security Service of Ukraine Vasyl Maliuk, representatives of the Prosecutor General’s Office, commissioner of the Verkhovna Rada for human rights Dmytro Lubinets, head of the NGO “Civil Liberties Center” Oleksandra Matviychuk, people’s deputies and ambassadors of Ukraine’s partner states.

Andriy Yermak emphasized that the question of the conditions under which Ukrainian prisoners are held and what they face in places of detention in the Russian Federation and in the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine is extremely important today.

“Today, in the center of Europe, unfortunately, terrible things are happening every minute and every hour, there are concentration camps again, and it is impossible to remain silent about this,” he said.

The Head of the President’s Office noted that he does not understand why the Red Cross mission has not yet arrived in Olenivka. He emphasized that there is no time to wait, as it is about human lives.

“Therefore, I call for the Red Cross mission with international media representatives to arrive in Ukraine no later than in three days, even if you do not receive confirmation from Russia by this time. And we are sure that Russia is not interested in the truth being known. We call to send a mission that will be on the frontline until Russia issues these permits,” he said.

Andriy Yermak urged to resolve this issue and send the ICRC mission by October 17. The Head of the President’s Office assured that Ukraine will facilitate this mission in every possible way.

“We are ready to join it. Our people’s deputies are ready to go there. Our esteemed partners – representatives of the countries that are with us today, I am sure, are also ready to help so that the leading channels and other mass media arrive. As it happens, for example, when the IAEA mission arrives,” Andriy Yermak said.

The Head of the President’s Office stated that otherwise Ukraine will use all possible information and diplomatic means to move this issue from stalemate.

According to him, the Ukrainian state, together with its partners, will find a way to form an expert group and find people who will be willing to carry out the mission that the Red Cross has to carry out.

“But we won’t wait any longer. Every hour, every day is the life of our people. And today  war is a test for every person, in particular a test for international organizations. If there is a desire, there is always a way to realize it,” summed up Andriy Yermak.