Dear Editor,
It was with deep sadness and indignation that we received the news that on October 2 Laurent DuPasquier was killed during the shelling of the residential area in Donetsk where the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has its office.
We noted the frantic reaction of the Kyiv authorities, who hastened to absolve themselves of responsibility for the death of an employee of this prestigious international humanitarian organisation. Kyiv refused to acknowledge the obvious: that part of Donetsk is controlled by self-defence fighters and was shelled from the Ukrainian forces’ positions.
We resolutely condemn such actions, which constitute a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and insist that the authorities conduct an unbiased and meticulous investigation into this killing and bring the culprits to justice.
For our part, we express our condolences to the ICRC and the family and friends of Laurent DuPasquier.
We believe it is imperative to strictly comply with the memorandum on the protocol adopted following the tripartite consultations of the Contact Group on joint steps aimed at carrying out the peace plan of the Ukrainian President and initiatives of the Russian President, which provide for a ceasefire.
Yours faithfully,
Alexander Lukashevich
Russian Foreign
Ministry Spokesman
