Russian missile targets Swiss humanitarian demining organization FSD

That’s according to the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office, Ukrinform reports.

"The first site of the attack on Kharkiv on the morning on July 24 was the office of the Swiss Mine Action Fund (FSD). The Russian missile damaged the office building. The facade and ceilings on several floors were destroyed. In addition, as a result of the Russian missile strike, six FSD vehicles were damaged," the prosecutor's office said.

Consequences of the attack on Kharkiv / Photo: Vyacheslav Madievskyi. Ukrinform

As reported, on July 24, the Russians launched missiles and drones at Kharkiv's Nemyshlyanskyi district and Malodanylivska community in the Kharkiv district.

A fire broke out in the stables of Feldman Ecopark. Two employees were injured while rescuing the stranded animals.

It should be recalled that given Switzerland’s neutral status, dating back 1815 and enshrined by a treaty of 1907, Switzerland does not send weapons directly or indirectly to any parties in war. It also has a separate embargo in place on arms sales to Ukraine and Russia.

As Reuters reported last year, a pro-Ukraine shift in the public and political mood put pressure on the government to end a ban on exports of Swiss weapons to war zones.

“Buyers of Swiss arms are legally prevented from re-exporting them, a restriction that some representing the country's large weapons industry say is now hurting trade,” the report read.

According to SwissInfo, the Swiss government has been given more flexibility when it comes to approving the export of war material after both chambers of parliament in December 2023 have agreed to allow the government to deviate from previous restrictions on such exports in exceptional cases.

So far, Switzerland has been providing Ukraine with humanitarian assistance and playing a significant mediation role in finding a diplomatic way to end the Russian war in Ukraine, including by hosting the inaugural Summit on Peace in Ukraine on June 15-16, 2024.

In June, the upper house of the Swiss Parliament rejected a 5 billion Swiss franc ($5.58 billion) aid contribution for Ukraine. The aid package also envisaged 10.1 billion francs in additional funding for Switzerland's armed forces. Fifteen lawmakers supported the package while 28 voted against it.