MOSCOW, August 22 (RIA Novosti) – Russia’s Red Cross is prepared to participate in the delivery of Russian aid to the southeastern Ukrainian city of Luhansk, the humanitarian organization's head Raisa Lukuttsova told RIA Novosti on Friday.
“We are ready to participate. I'm contacting the International Red Cross right now," she said.
Earlier on Friday, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said it was expecting International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) representatives to escort, deliver and distribute Russian humanitarian aid.
The ICRC has repeatedly stated that security guarantees were the absolute prerequisite for the delivery of humanitarian aid. Earlier this week, ICRC president Peter Maurer discussed the situation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and said that Russia and southeastern Ukraine independence supporters fulfilled their duty concerning the safety of the humanitarian convoy, while “the Ukrainian side failed to provide the required guarantees for the convoy’s safe passage and subsequent aid distribution," a Russian Foreign Ministry statement said.
Since mid-April, Ukrainian authorities have been conducting a military operation against independence supporters in eastern regions of the country. The conflict has involved armored vehicles, heavy artillery and fighter jets and has claimed hundreds civilian lives.
