Kremlin fears international exposure of humanitarian situation of Kursk region - Ukraine MFA spox

That’s according to the spokesman for the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Heorhii Tykhyi, who posted the statement on X, Ukrinform reports.

"The Kremlin’s reaction to Ukraine’s offer for the UN and ICRC to join humanitarian efforts in the Kursk region shows Russia’s disregard for its own people and their humanitarian needs, as well as fear of allowing international observers to see the real situation. Quite telling," the spokesman wrote.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine appealed to the United Nations and International Committee of the Red Cross to have both organizations join humanitarian response efforts in the areas of Kursk region controlled by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

The press secretary for the Russian president, Dmitry Peskov, decried the appeal as "provocation", adding that Moscow expects the addressees not to grant the appeal.