Ukrainian forces create 'buffer zone' in Kursk region

The participants in a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky have discussed the access for representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross, the United Nations and other impartial international organizations to a "buffer zone" created by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Russia's Kursk region.

Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets said this in a post on Telegram, Ukrinform reports.

According to him, he "joined the meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, at which the issues of stabilization measures in the Kursk region were discussed."

The ombudsman said that while exercising its right to self-defense, in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter, Ukraine has the right not only to defend itself, but also to comply with all international conventions and requirements of international humanitarian law, "so our military for the purpose of self-defense formed a 'buffer (sanitary) zone' in the Kursk region."

The meeting participants discussed security guarantees in this area. This concerns Ukraine's compliance with international humanitarian law, the Hague Conventions of 1907 and the Geneva Conventions. The Ukrainian military fully complies with these obligations.

"The issue of access for representatives of the ICRC, the UN and other impartial international organizations in carrying out humanitarian measures was also discussed at the meeting. The supply of food, medicines and other items needed by the civilian population should be ensured in the 'buffer zone'," Lubinets said.

Following the meeting, Minister for Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories Iryna Vereshchuk posted on Facebook that there are Russian civilians under the protection of international humanitarian law in the created "security zone" in Russia. Accordingly, the Ukrainian Armed Forces plan to:

• conduct humanitarian operations to support civilians within the specified zone;
• open humanitarian corridors for the evacuation of civilians both towards Russia and Ukraine; and
• grant access to international humanitarian organizations for humanitarian response and monitoring of the humanitarian situation.

Photo credit: Office of the President of Ukraine