BRUSSELS &ndash; For nine agonizing minutes, images of the victims of Russia&rsquo;s war in Ukraine flashed before the eyes of EU dignitaries in Brussels, the heart of Europe, on Sept. 5. The 6,400 photos, all verified by independent authorities, provide evidence of Russian war crimes committed against civilians in Ukraine.&nbsp;While the images, many graphic and disturbing, flashed across the screen, real intercepted phone calls of Russian soldiers gloating of their crimes played for all to hear. Russian wives give their husbands permission to rape, while soldiers gloat over looting, torture, and murder.&nbsp;&ldquo;<a href="https://epc.eu/en/events/Russian-war-crimes-in-Ukraine~4a0150">Russian War Crimes</a>,&rdquo; an exhibition organized by the Office of the President of Ukraine, alongside the Victor Pinchuk Foundation, tells the story of Russia&rsquo;s numerous atrocities committed in Ukraine and serves as a platform for talks on bringing Russian war criminals to justice.&nbsp;It is now available to the public and will run until Sept. 15.&nbsp;<h3 style="text-align: center;">Growing burden of evidence</h3>Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, during his first visit to Brussels for the Ukraine-EU Association Council discussion, opened the event before a packed room of international press. Earlier in the day, Shmyhal <a href="https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2022/09/05/joint-press-release-following-the-8th-association-council-meeting-between-the-eu-and-ukraine">had concluded several agreements with EU authorities</a> on trade liberalization and integration into the EU&rsquo;s Digital Single Market.&ldquo;This (exhibition) is painful evidence of the war crimes committed in Ukraine and forms the evidentiary base, the reality, of this bloody war which is aimed at, not only denying Ukrainian statehood, not only taking over Ukrainian lands, but to destroy Ukrainians as a people, as a nation,&rdquo; Shmyhal told visitors of the exhibition.&nbsp;In his address, the Prime Minister told of torture, looting, rape, mining the bodies of the deceased, and shelling of residential areas in cities such as Bucha, Irpin, Mariupol, and other places in Ukraine. &nbsp;&ldquo;This is an exhibition of many photographs taken all over Ukraine. This is just a snapshot of the war crimes committed by Russia,&rdquo; the official said. &ldquo;We need to disclose these crimes and all the perpetrators should be brought to justice, all murderers should be brought to justice.&rdquo;Speaking from the podium at the event, Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, stated that the photos on display at the event demonstrated the &ldquo;atrocities of war in Ukraine and the cruelty of Putin&rsquo;s regime.&rdquo; &nbsp;&ldquo;The destruction, civilian suffering, the deadening silence that follows the detonation of bombs, the mass killings in Bucha and other Ukrainian cities will leave no visitor indifferent. These photographs are testimony to the sacrifice of Ukrainians in the name of our collective freedom,&rdquo; Metsola said. &nbsp;<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oszVzEuFZ-A" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>Russia&rsquo;s war crimes in Ukraine are well documented and are now part of a rapidly growing case in the International Criminal Court (ICC). Forty-three member nations of the international judicial body have submitted evidence of Russia&rsquo;s crimes, however, the ICC lacks the jurisdiction to prosecute Russia&rsquo;s state-level aggression in Ukraine.&nbsp;<h3 style="text-align: center;">Special war crimes tribunal</h3>During the event, Ukrainian authorities once again called for the establishment of a new special war crimes tribunal to prosecute high-level Russian war criminals, outside of the structures of The Hague-based ICC.&nbsp;Ukraine&rsquo;s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba first called for the establishment of a special tribunal in July, stating that the ICC currently lacks the capacity to probe into crimes of &ldquo;aggression&rdquo; in Ukraine, rather than simply prosecuting individuals under the charge of war crimes.&nbsp;In the absence of concrete structures to try Russia for its aggression, Kuleba previously vowed to &ldquo;come back to the basics of international criminal justice to create such tools.&rdquo;&ldquo;The ICC in The Hague can prosecute genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. But it is also important for us to ensure the individual responsibility of the Russian leadership for the most serious initial crimes &mdash; the crime of aggression,&rdquo; said Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak, who appeared at the Sept. 5 event in Brussels by livestream. &nbsp;Yermak said that, since the start of Russia&rsquo;s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, officials had recorded over 45,000 crimes related to Russia&rsquo;s aggression, more than 31,000 of which are war crimes.&nbsp;&ldquo;This is only the data that we already know. Daily shelling of peaceful neighborhoods, mass murders, torture and rape, mass deportation to Russia &ndash; we still have an incomplete picture of Russian invaders&rsquo; crimes in the occupied territories,&rdquo; Yermak said.&nbsp;It is still not possible to accurately count the number of civilians killed by Russian forces during their assault on Ukraine&rsquo;s eastern city of Mariupol. The <a href="https://t.me/mariupolrada/9754">Mariupol City Council states</a> that the real number of victims during Russia&rsquo;s relentless bombing of the city may far exceed the previously estimated 22,000 civilian casualties.Yermak refused to talk about the civilian death toll from cities such as Bucha and Mariupol, saying that any figure he provided would &ldquo;greatly underestimate&rdquo; the true number. &ldquo;We are afraid that a new tragedy will become known. We are afraid that the world will have to learn new names, new words scarier than Bucha,&rdquo; he said. [embed-post url=/national/uncovering-the-scope-of-the-bucha-massacre title=Uncovering_the_scope_of_the_Bucha_massacre image=/storage/2022/04/GettyImages-1240074477-350x350.jpg id=28688 /]Individual crimes committed by soldiers and officers of the Russian army are described by Yermak as &ldquo;only the tip of the iceberg.&rdquo; The special tribunal that Ukraine wants to establish would seek to bring senior members of the Russian dictatorship to justice. &nbsp;&ldquo;The main culprits are those who have started this terrible war&hellip;our goal is a fair trial and legal retribution. Time will tell how it will happen, but justice cannot be stopped,&rdquo; Yermak said.<h3 style="text-align: center;">Russia&rsquo;s illegal war against Ukrainian people</h3>In March, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) called for the immediate suspension of Russia&rsquo;s military operations in Ukraine, rendering Russia&rsquo;s invasion illegal as per international law.&nbsp;Similarly, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) called on Moscow to stop its military attacks against civilians and medical infrastructure. Despite this, Russia has attempted to bypass the binding rulings of ICJ and has outright ignored the demands of the ECHR. In June, Russia voted to quit the ECHR, in an act Metsola described as &ldquo;cowardly.&rdquo; &nbsp;&nbsp;Ukrainian authorities say that the work of the new Special Tribunal would &ldquo;complement&rdquo; the work of the ICC and other criminal courts investigating reports of genocide. Seven countries have already officially recognized that Russia is committing genocide against the Ukrainian people in its invasion.European Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders, lent his support for the prosecution of Russian war crimes and stated that the European Commission was &ldquo;open to discussing&rdquo; the possibility of a special tribunal. &nbsp;&ldquo;It is important to try to use all the possible tools to have real accountability, which is our goal for the next days, weeks, months, and if it is needed, the next years,&rdquo; Reynders told the press.<grammarly-extension data-grammarly-shadow-root="true" style="position: absolute; top: 0px; left: 0px; pointer-events: none;" class="cGcvT"></grammarly-extension><grammarly-extension data-grammarly-shadow-root="true" style="position: absolute; top: 0px; left: 0px; pointer-events: none;" class="cGcvT"></grammarly-extension><img src="https://api.kyivindependent.com/storage/20220905-165843-1662468226IPbq5.jpg" style="width: auto;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="">Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, alongside European officials, looks at photos of Russia&rsquo;s war crimes in Ukraine captured by photojournalists from the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers at the &ldquo;Russian War Crimes&rdquo; exhibition in Brussels on Sept. 5, 2022. (Dylan Carter)Victor Pinchuk, a Ukrainian oligarch and founder of the Yalta European Strategy (YES) annual forum, first unveiled the &ldquo;Russian War Crimes&rdquo; exhibition to world leaders during the World Economic Forum in Davos in May, where Pinchuk rented &ldquo;Russia House,&#39;&#39; renaming it &ldquo;Russia&rsquo;s War Crimes House.&rdquo; Unveiling the pictures of war crimes again in Brussels, the oligarch lamented that the collection had grown.&nbsp;&ldquo;For me, it&rsquo;s very depressing to see that unfortunately, we have much more images, much more tragic, very powerful images compared to what was shown in May,&rdquo; Pinchuk said. &nbsp;Amid the mounting reports of Russian war crimes and an ever-growing burden of evidence, Metsola pledged the European Parliament&rsquo;s commitment to Ukraine.&ldquo;I want to assure you, we will not turn a blind eye to the horrific attacks on your country, on your people. We stand firmly with our Ukrainian friends and will do whatever it takes to bring the perpetrators of these crimes to justice,&rdquo; Metsola said.&nbsp;&ldquo;Russian War Crimes&rdquo; opened on Sept. 5 and will run until Sept. 15 at the Ukrainian Civil Society Hub, in the former Europe Station in front of the European Parliament building in Brussels, Belgium. Entry to the exhibition is free to the public.&nbsp;

BRUSSELS – For nine agonizing minutes, images of the victims of Russia’s war in Ukraine flashed before the eyes of EU dignitaries in Brussels, the heart of Europe,...

Ukrainian authorities in Brussels renew calls for special Russian war crimes tribunal

Membership in the European Union has long been Ukraine’s key aspiration. The EuroMaidan Revolution of 2013-2014 was spurred on by the popular desire to get closer to the...

Ukraine is set to receive EU candidate status, but when is membership coming?

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://api.kyivindependent.com/storage/2022/06/282568641_381610600675659_2851739963078059624_n-1024x768.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-38851"/><figcaption>The "Irpin. Invincible" exhibition that was displayed in Brussels on June 3-4, 2022, catalogs the extent of the damage inflicted on Irpin, a city northwest of Kyiv that suffered heavy hostilities during the Battle of Kyiv. (Mission of Ukraine to the EU)</figcaption></figure>



At the heart of the European Parliament in Brussels, a grand August Förster piano lies in pieces on the floor, blackened and burned. Now far from home, the instrument once stood proudly inside Irpin’s Central House of Culture, which was destroyed by shelling during the Russian army’s failed assault on the city.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Just several months prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the piano had been used as part of numerous performances by Ukrainian musicians. Now, along with much of the city’s cultural heritage, it lies in ruins.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



Ukrainian organization Institute for Global Transformation painstakingly shipped the relic, as well as other artifacts from the battle for the city just west of Kyiv, to Europe as part of the “Irpin. Invincible” exhibition, inaugurated by Irpin Mayor Oleksandr Markushyn on June 3.



The exhibition catalogs the extent of the damage inflicted on Irpin, which has now been designated a “Hero City” for its resistance against Russian invaders.&nbsp;



Damaged baby strollers, complete kitchens and bedrooms, and moving photos detail the extent of the destruction inflicted by Russian forces, highlighting the human cost of battle for the city.&nbsp;



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img src="https://api.kyivindependent.com/storage/2022/06/Image-from-iOS-8-768x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-38841"/><figcaption>Irpin Mayor Oleksandr Markushyn displays photos of the destroyed bridge near Romanivka during the opening of the exhibition "Irpin. Invincible" in Brussels on June 3, 2022. Irpin residents were forced to flee by foot across the remains of the bridge to escape the Russian attack on the city. (Dylan Carter)</figcaption></figure></div>



Irpin Investment Council Chairman Volodymyr Karpliuk said that Irpin “had suffered” to protect Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv.&nbsp;



“We didn't have a story like in other towns where there were huge losses in population,” however, Irpin took on some of the heaviest fighting in Kyiv Oblast, Karpliuk said. “Irpin accepted this fighting and did not allow the enemy to come further.”



The Irpin City Council launched the exhibition in an attempt to raise money for the reconstruction of the city. Since the start of Russia’s all-out war, over <a href="https://kyivindependent.com/uncategorized/71-of-buildings-in-irpin-destroyed/#:~:text=Mayor%20of%20Irpin%20Oleksandr%20Markushin,buildings%20were%20residential%20or%20civilian.">70% of Irpin’s buildings were damaged</a> as a result of the fighting, according to Markushyn.&nbsp;



“The shells damaged more than 8,000 sites to one degree or another. More than 2,000 sites — the private sector, apartment buildings, and social infrastructure — have been destroyed forever. Some 4,000 apartments and almost 2,000 private homes will never be rebuilt. We have entire neighborhoods that have been completely burned down by large-scale artillery shelling,” Karpliuk said.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://api.kyivindependent.com/storage/2022/06/Image-from-iOS-7-1024x768.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-38840"/><figcaption>A car door damaged by shrapnel displayed at the exhibition "Irpin. Invincible" in Brussels on June 3, 2022. (Dylan Carter)</figcaption></figure>



According to the council chairman, the exhibition is set to tour other European cities before moving to the U.S. The exhibition will move to Paris on June 8, under the name “Ruined but undefeated Irpin.”



Members of the European press and parliament were welcomed in Brussels by the Irpin mayor, who recounted the defense of the city to the event’s attendees.&nbsp;



On the first day of the assault on Irpin on Feb. 27, the city’s bridge was destroyed by the Ukrainian military in order to prevent its use by Russian invaders. In order to evacuate local citizens, the city’s authorities ferried residents by foot using improvised crossings.&nbsp;



Photos displayed at the exhibition showed Ukrainian civilians hiding underneath the destroyed crossing as Russian shelling threatened evacuees.&nbsp;



“The only route of evacuation from Iprin was across the bridge…We evacuated 40,000 of our inhabitants. Can you imagine, 40,000?,” Markushyn told members of the press. “Everything happened under attacks, shooting, bombing.”



As Russian forces pushed through the city of Bucha, Kyiv Oblast, committing arbitrary killings of Ukrainian residents, Irpin became a focal point of intense fighting, with Russian troops intending to encircle Kyiv. Around 50 Ukrainian soldiers and up to 300 civilians died during the battle, according to Markushyn.



“The most emotional and hardest moment for me was the killing of families. Sixty-meters ahead of me, there was a woman, two young children, and a volunteer. A bomb fell on them and killed all four. It was the worst thing I saw in my life,” Irpin’s mayor recalled.



<figure class="wp-block-gallery aligncenter columns-3 is-cropped"><ul class="blocks-gallery-grid"><li class="blocks-gallery-item"><figure><img src="https://api.kyivindependent.com/storage/2022/06/Image-from-iOS-9-768x1024.jpg" alt="" data-id="38842" data-full-url="https://kyivindependent.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Image-from-iOS-9-scaled.jpg" data-link="https://kyivindependent.com/image-from-ios-9-2/" class="wp-image-38842"/></figure></li><li class="blocks-gallery-item"><figure><img src="https://api.kyivindependent.com/storage/2022/06/Image-from-iOS-6-1024x768.jpg" alt="" data-id="38839" data-full-url="https://kyivindependent.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Image-from-iOS-6-scaled.jpg" data-link="https://kyivindependent.com/image-from-ios-6-3/" class="wp-image-38839"/></figure></li><li class="blocks-gallery-item"><figure><img src="https://api.kyivindependent.com/storage/2022/06/Image-from-iOS-10-768x1024.jpg" alt="" data-id="38843" data-full-url="https://kyivindependent.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Image-from-iOS-10-scaled.jpg" data-link="https://kyivindependent.com/image-from-ios-10/" class="wp-image-38843"/></figure></li></ul><figcaption class="blocks-gallery-caption">Destroyed kitchen appliances, discarded Russian equipment and children toys brought from the battle of Irpin displayed at the exhibition "Irpin. Invincible" in Brussels on June 3, 2022. (Dylan Carter)</figcaption></figure>







At the center of the EU building, a reconstructed child’s bedroom from the city, scorched and destroyed by enemy shelling, served as a reminder of the civilian cost of the war.&nbsp;



Photos and paintings also depicted the loss of the Irpin’s sporting, cultural, and historical heritage.



Though Russian forces have withdrawn from the north of Ukraine where Irpin is and focused on offensives in the east and south of the country, Irpin remains an important obstacle to further assaults on Kyiv in case Russia renews them.



According to Hanna Maliar, Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Defense, capturing Kyiv <a href="https://kyivindependent.com/uncategorized/deputy-defense-minister-kyiv-remains-kremlins-key-target/">remains</a> Russia’s main goal.



Ukrainian commander and politician Roman Kostenko has <a href="https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russian-invasion-kostenko-interview-kyiv/31883388.html">warned</a> that the chance of renewed attacks against Kyiv are still “high,” potentially spearheaded by troops from Belarus.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Ukrainian troops have been deployed along the length of the shared 1,080 kilometer border with Belarus in anticipation of possible escalation.



In a comment to the Kyiv Independent, Irpin’s mayor said that the city is prepared for this eventuality.&nbsp;



“There really are worries that there could be a second phase of the invasion of Kyiv. However, today we already have extra defenses that will ensure that (the Russians) will not even reach Irpin,” Markushyn said.



“Should there be an invasion from Belarus, our territorial defense will depart north to be able to fight back. There can't be a peaceful Irpin without a peaceful Bucha, Vorzel, Hostomel and other towns, so we are fighting for all of them,” Markushyn said.

At the heart of the European Parliament in Brussels, a grand August Förster piano lies in pieces on the floor, blackened and burned. Now far from home, the...

‘Irpin. Invincible’: Exhibition in Brussels highlights cost of Russia’s war

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://api.kyivindependent.com/storage/2022/04/operational_update_photo_1-1024x768.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-29558"/><figcaption>Humanitarian aid being unloaded from a truck. (International Commitee of the Red Cross)</figcaption></figure>



A March 24 letter to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), authored by influential Ukrainian civil society members and bearing over 3,800 signatures, criticized the humanitarian body for not doing enough to help Ukraine.



The <a href="https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/columns/2022/03/25/7334382/">appeal</a> accused the ICRC of prematurely pulling out of the encircled city of Mariupol, not working hard enough to reach hotspots and even taking Russia’s side.



Despite its wide circulation in Ukraine and abroad, the call for action went unanswered by the ICRC while at least one of their advisors <a href="https://www.facebook.com/100000041574145/posts/5314760681868598/?d=n">argued</a> on social media that the accusations were unfair.



The letter is the latest criticism leveled against the organization. Members of the Ukrainian government have repeatedly questioned the ICRC’s commitment to helping Ukrainian civilians, citing the aid organization’s close cooperation with Russian authorities and a lack of communication with Ukrainian ones.



In a televised interview, Ukrainian Ombudsman Lyudmyla Denisova stated that now she believed that the <a href="https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20220421-red-cross-denies-kyiv-s-accusation-of-working-in-concert-with-moscow">ICRC was working "in concert" with Russia</a> against Ukraine's interests, a claim the ICRC strongly refuted.



A complicated neutrality



According to the ICRC’s mandate, which is provided for by the Geneva Conventions, the organization is bound to complete impartiality while carrying out humanitarian support for civilians, wherever they may be. That's a difficult task, as members of the organization must often operate on both sides of fluid and fast changing frontlines.



“Our approach worldwide is to work based on the needs of people wherever they are… We do so in an impartial and neutral way. This means that our aid is not political support,” a spokesperson from the ICRC told the Kyiv Independent.



Purely apolitical humanitarian support, however, is rarely achieved.



In the organization’s nearly 160-year history, the principle of wartime neutrality has sometimes led it to turn a blind eye to crimes that contravene its founding principles. 



During the horrors of the Second World War, officials from the ICRC visited the Theresienstadt and Drancy concentration camps, “model ghettos” designed to fool international delegates into believing the Holocaust was not taking place. Upon seeing the “beautified” concentration camps, ICRC delegates wrote a favorable report about the camps.



As a result of the visits, ICRC officials attempted to “disprove” reports about the Holocaust and further inspections of camps were canceled, leading to the deaths of another 6,500 when other “model” camps were liquidated. The ICRC has <a href="https://www.icrc.org/en/document/icrc-wwii-holocaust">“publicly expressed its regret”</a> about this costly neutrality. 



Forced deportations



Now, the ICRC’s neutrality is under scrutiny again.



Ukraine has accused ICRC officials of effectively siding with Russia in its decision to open a new office in Rostov-on-Don, a city where “filtration camps” have been established to welcome Ukrainians who are being forcibly deported to Russia.



Accusations of Russian war crimes in Ukraine are beginning to be widely investigated. Both Latvia and Estonia have officially recognized the presence of a new genocide on European soil, committed by Russian troops against Ukrainian civilians.



Mykhailo Radutskyi, chairman of the public health committee in Ukraine's parliament, appealed to the ICRC to not “legitimize” forced deportations by opening its office across the border from Ukraine.



The ICRC spokesperson affirmed that their aid in Russia was “not justifying any act seen in conflict, or legitimizing any government or group.” The ICRC claims that it has not yet seen evidence of forced deportation, and would not publicly comment on these allegations.



<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/more-civilians-evacuated-around-azovstal-plant-reuters-photographer-2022-05-01/">Images</a> taken by Reuters on May 1 show ICRC staff assisting refugees from Mariupol into camps in the Russian-occupied village of Bezimenne, near Mariupol. 



The President of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and former member of the Editorial Board of the International Review of the Red Cross, Mykola Gnatovskyy, said that the ICRC is acting appropriately in these evacuations.



“Such situations are not unprecedented,” Gnatovskyy explained. “There is ample jurisprudence from the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) confirming that the involvement of a humanitarian organization such as the ICRC does not render the deportation lawful.”



Some, however, believe that the ICRC is falling back on its neutral status at the cost of Ukrainian lives.



Tetiana Lomakina, an advisor on humanitarian corridors to the President of Ukraine, noted that she had not seen evidence that the ICRC was providing any help for Ukrainians who had been forcibly deported.



The ICRC’s mandate provides for assistance in facilitating the return of forcibly displaced citizens and ensuring the rights of those who want to leave Russia.



“Based on their previous record, they are able to do (these things). As for their programs now, there are questions again. We hope that they will be looked into soon,” she said.



Accusations



The discourse between Ukrainian officials and members of the ICRC has soured over the course of the war.



In a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/3423671-red-cross-prohibits-use-of-its-emblem-on-humanitarian-vehicles-zelensky.html" rel="noreferrer noopener">video address</a>&nbsp;on March 8, President Volodymyr Zelensky complained publicly that the ICRC has forbidden the use of its symbols from Ukrainian vehicles carrying out critical humanitarian missions in Ukraine, especially during the evacuation of students from universities.



“I was told that the Red Cross, the International Red Cross, prohibits us from using the emblem on vehicles carrying out humanitarian missions,” Zelensky said.



By preventing Ukraine’s use of the easily recognizable red cross symbol, which are permitted to be used by humanitarian missions, Zelensky stated that the ICRC had endangered Ukrainians.



“The Red Cross prohibits this as if it is their property, and this is significant. That some people, very influential people, have decided to put a ‘cross’ on Ukrainians. But I shall not allow this, we shall not allow this,” he said.



The ICRC upheld this decision, having previously warned of Ukraine’s “<a target="_blank" href="https://www.icrc.org/en/doc/resources/documents/news-release/2014/05-10-ukraine-respect-red-cross-emblem.htm" rel="noreferrer noopener">misuse</a>” of its symbols following Russia’s illegal annexation of the Crimean Peninsula. In an&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/paskal-hundt-mkkk-pomogaet-prinuditelnoy-1648505243.html" rel="noreferrer noopener">interview</a>&nbsp;with RBK-Ukraine, Head of the ICRC’s delegation to Ukraine Pascal Hundt, in response to alleged misuse of the symbols by Ukrainian humanitarian teams, stated that the use of the symbol jeopardized its “protective function” when used by “warring parties and armed individuals.”



Later, the March 24 <a href="https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/columns/2022/03/25/7334382/">open letter</a> provoked a string of high profile arguments between its signatories and ICRC staff.



In an <a href="https://life.pravda.com.ua/society/2022/04/4/248097/">interview</a> with Ukrainskaya Pravda on April 4, representative of the ICRC in Kyiv Gerard Pontrandolfji stated that there have been “attempts on both sides to shift responsibility for human security to the ICRC and the Ukrainian Red Cross,” in reference to the letter.



The organization has also gone on the offensive, claiming to have been the <a href="https://www.icrc.org/en/document/ukraine-humanitarian-crisis-deepens-parties-urgently-need-agree-concrete-measures">victim</a> of “deliberate, targeted attacks using false narratives and disinformation to discredit the ICRC.”



This, Lomakina says, is testament to a lack of transparency on the part of the ICRC.



“We are negotiating to protect the lives of our citizens. The whole world is raising funds to help Ukrainians through the accounts of the ICRC,” the advisor explained.



The ICRC will spend over <a href="https://www.icrc.org/en/document/international-red-cross-crescent-movement-appeals-250-million-swiss-francs-assist">$260 million</a> on the Ukrainian humanitarian crisis this year, but has not said how much of that funding will be spent on projects in Russia. 



Many Ukrainians have called for a boycott of the ICRC after it funded the project in Russia. The ICRC spokesperson has confirmed that, despite international pressure, it has no intention of abandoning the project to open an office in Rostov-on-Don. 



“That is why we demand to discuss our needs with them — it is about inclusiveness. Instead of opening offices, they should be opening assistance programs for Ukrainians. It’s all about transparency,” Lomakina said.



Absence from war-torn cities



In areas where it is present, the ICRC has made a large impact. 



The organization didn't just provide vulnerable people with food, shelter, and medicine. It also supplied water utilities in eight cities with 1,000 tons of chlorine and fixed their damaged infrastructure. 



The ICRC has also offered cash support to 250,000 displaced and vulnerable Ukrainians living in areas affected by the war. 



“Some high quality work by the ICRC staff is being carried out in safe or liberated areas,” Lomakina wrote.



However, she and other Ukrainians have taken the organization to task for its notable absence from the worst-hit areas, including Mariupol, Kherson, Kharkiv, Izyum and Volnovakha. .



“Do convoys led by the ICRC vehicles go to these places?" she said. "Were there programs in Irpin and Bucha when they desperately needed it during the fighting there? You know the answers without me.” 



“We have never met the ICRC along the way,” said Ulyana Tokareva from the Council of Women of the Donetsk Oblast, who stepped in to support evacuations and food deliveries in Mariupol in lieu of the UN and the ICRC.



ICRC staff <a href="https://twitter.com/ICRC_ua/status/1504090062505578497?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">fled Mariupol on March</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ICRC_ua/status/1504090062505578497?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">15</a>, citing a lack of supplies. Since then, the ICRC has been unable to organize regular humanitarian corridors to the city.



The ICRC, Pontrandolfji says, is only able to operate when both sides respect humanitarian law. Russia has repeatedly broken ceasefire agreements and refused to stop shelling.



It is not clear how the ICRC intends to help citizens when Russia repeatedly breaks international law.



After the failed evacuations of early March, Mariupol residents reportedly stopped receiving information from the ICRC. Tokareva’s team was able to organize self-evacuations when the aid organizations disappeared.



“Humanitarian convoys are heading to besieged towns and villages accompanied by representatives of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine. In accordance with international standards of work in combat zones, there must be ICRC personnel, their vehicles, their humanitarian aid,” Lomakina said. 



On May 1, the first joint UN-ICRC convoy managed to evacuate around 100 civilians trapped in the bunkers beneath Mariupol's Azovstal factory area, the last Ukrainian-controlled part of Mariupol. Further evacuations, however, were frustrated by Russian shelling.



A spokesperson for the ICRC said that they are “ready to do much more,” but could not risk the lives of civilians when there are no security guarantees in place.



<a href="https://reliefweb.int/report/ukraine/un-urges-immediate-pause-fighting-situation-mariupol-deteriorates-sharply">According to the United Nations</a>, the humanitarian situation in Mariupol has deteriorated significantly in recent days. Ukrainian authorities have suggested that up to 22,000 residents have been killed and up to 100,000 still remain in the city, including about 1,000 at the encircled Azovstal.



“We hardly see (ICRC support) in the humanitarian corridors of Ukraine. There is no ICRC whatsoever in Mariupol,” Lomakina said.

A March 24 letter to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), authored by influential Ukrainian civil society members and bearing over 3,800 signatures, criticized the humanitarian...

Red Cross criticized for not doing more in Ukraine

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://api.kyivindependent.com/storage/2022/03/20220324_173742-1024x768.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-21366"/><figcaption>An estimated 1,000 protesters gathered outside the Council of Europe on the occasion of U.S President Joe Biden's visit to Brussels. (Dylan Carter)</figcaption></figure>



A large demonstration took place in Brussels on March 24, with protesters gathering to demand tougher sanctions against Russia on the occasion of U.S President Joe Biden’s visit to Brussels for a summit on Ukraine.



The event, organized by Ukrainian-led advocacy group Promote Ukraine, took place in front of the Council of the European Union, where Joe Biden was concluding a summit with European leaders.



The protesters, including the sizable Belgian-Ukrainian community and recently arrived refugees, shouted their demands towards the European institutions. Volunteer organizers called on Western leaders to provide Ukraine with air defenses, reduce Europe’s reliance on Russian oil and gas, and supply Ukraine with more weapons.



After the refusal of the NATO alliance to create a no-fly zone over Ukrainian airspace, the organizers are now demanding that Ukraine’s Western allies supply anti-air defenses and fighter jets.



“NATO, EU, it is enough to give promises, it is time to deliver help now!” the organizers wrote on Facebook.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://api.kyivindependent.com/storage/2022/03/20220324_160913-1024x768.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-21367"/><figcaption>The NATO alliance has so far refused to implement a no-fly zone over Ukraine. Activists are now calling on Ukraine's western allies to provide it with fighter jets and anti-air missile systems to protect from Russian fighter jet. (Dylan Carter) </figcaption></figure>



Olena Kuzhym, a volunteer organizer for the event, stated that the demonstration had set clear demands for Biden and other leaders.



“First, to close or shelter the sky, if not by the intervention of NATO, then by providing layered air defenses,” Kuzhym said. “Also, protection from nuclear weapons, anti-biological and chemical protection weapons.”



As the crowd gathered to listen to activists, chants increasingly called for the European Union to cut off imports of Russian gas and oil. Kuzhym said that this was an important part of Promote Ukraine’s demands.



“And a second big part is economic sanctions…we have to act as fast as possible,” she said.



The European Union still imports up to 40% of its natural gas from Russia. Banners at the protests decried that Russian gas money was being used to subsidize Russia’s war against Ukraine.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://api.kyivindependent.com/storage/2022/03/IMG-20220324-WA0032.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-21368"/><figcaption>Russia's war in Ukraine has cost the lives of 115 children, injuring a further 148, according to data from the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office. (Promote Ukraine)</figcaption></figure>



“We demand that the European Union completely cuts economic ties with the Russian Federation,” the organizers wrote on Facebook. “Every euro that goes into the Kremlin’s pocket is used to kill Ukrainian women, men and children!”



As part of the protest, nearly 1,000 protestors in attendance lay on the ground to represent the 997 officially confirmed civilian casualties of the war so far. The flashmob lay silent on the ground to commiserate the deaths of innocent Ukrainian citizens.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://api.kyivindependent.com/storage/2022/03/IMG-20220324-WA0030.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-21369"/><figcaption>Official UN statistics acknowledge 977 civilian casualties in the war so far, however the Ukrainian government claims that it is now over 4,000. (Promote Ukraine)</figcaption></figure>



Kuzhym states that the protests in Brussels were important, not only because they were seen by leading lawmakers in Europe, but because they sent a clear sign of solidarity to Ukrainians across the world.



“These protests are definitely not only for the politicians, not only for local media, they are also for those in Ukraine, so they can see that Ukrainians and ordinary people are still protesting and haven’t forgotten about the war.”



Promote Ukraine has planned a week of protest action to attract attention to the Ukrainian cause.



On March 25, the NGO will organize a demonstration on Brussel’s iconic Place du Luxembourg, replicating an earlier protest in Lviv. Empty baby strollers will be left symbolically on the square to represent the 115 children killed and 148 injured by Russian forces so far.



Promote Ukraine is advocating for further sanctions in harmony with the actions of European institutions.



On March 16, the European Parliament inaugurated a new Ukrainian Civil Society Hub, a space donated to Promote Ukraine to host press events and welcome members of the European Parliament.

A large demonstration took place in Brussels on March 24, with protesters gathering to demand tougher sanctions against Russia on the occasion of U.S President Joe Biden’s visit...

Ukrainian refugees, diaspora rally in Brussels during NATO summit, demand more Western support for Ukraine

Major Ukrainian cities threatened by early morning offensive.

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://api.kyivindependent.com/storage/2021/12/100967116_3287225071296029_5433760260873519104_n-1-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-5057"/><figcaption>According to Ukrainska Pravda, from Feb. 14 international insurers will suspend their protection of flights entering and leaving Ukraine. This will likely cause great disruption to commerical aviaiton in Ukraine, closing most air routes into and out of the country. (Boryspil International Airport/Facebook) </figcaption></figure>



Aircraft traveling through Ukrainian airspace will no longer be insured by international insurance companies from Feb. 14, forcing flights to be grounded or canceled, <a href="https://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2022/02/13/7323821/">according</a> to Ukrainian publication Ukrainska Pravda.&nbsp;



The outlet quoted information from unnamed sources in the aviation industry. 



Anatoliy Ivantsiv, head of Ukrainian insurance firm Expo, told Interfax that British reinsurance giant Lloyds announced it would temporarily cease all conflict risk insurance over Ukrainian airspace from Feb. 14.



Ukraine's infrastructure ministry announced on Feb. 13 that it would provide "additional financial guarantees" to carriers to ensure the continuation of international routes.



"In case of a need (to do so), the government will ensure the return of all Ukrainians from abroad," the ministry announced.



The revocation of insurance policies will likely mean that Ukrainian airlines, who lease almost all of their planes, will not be able to fly most of their fleets above Ukraine. 



Dutch airline KLM cancelled all flights to Kyiv on Feb. 12, while on the same day Ukrainian carrier SkyUp was forced to divert a flight to Moldova as the leasing company which owned the plane refused to let it enter Ukrainian airspace.



This comes on the back of growing tensions along Ukraine’s borders with Russia and Belarus. Russia has stationed around <a href="https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-defense/3399738-reznikov-140000-russian-troops-already-deployed-near-ukraines-border.html">140,000 troops</a> along Ukraine's eastern, southern, and northern borders, with the United States government now <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/ukraine-russia-european-union-diplomats-leave/">warning</a> that an invasion threat is “imminent.”



During a <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/press-briefings/2022/02/11/press-briefing-by-press-secretary-jen-psaki-and-national-security-advisor-jake-sullivan-february-11-2022/">press conference</a> on Feb. 11, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan warned that an invasion of Ukraine could begin at any time, and would likely start with “aerial bombing and missile attacks” which threatened to “kill civilians without regard to their nationality.”



International fears of a large-scale Russian invasion now risk closing transport routes out of Ukraine. Avianews <a href="https://www.avianews.com/ukraine/2022/02/13/ukrainian_airlines_without_planes_due_to_insurance/">warned</a> that Ukraine could soon become a “no-fly zone” due to the cancellation of commercial flights in Ukraine.



According to the publication, unless an agreement is made between the Ukrainian Ministry of Infrastructure and international insurers and airlines, Ukraine will gradually be closed to air traffic.&nbsp;



The Ukrainian government still insists that it sees no reason to close Ukrainian airspace to commercial traffic. Advisor to Ukraine’s president’s chief of staff Mykhailo Podolyak <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-sees-no-point-closing-its-airspace-presidential-adviser-says-2022-02-13/">told</a> Reuters on Sunday that closing Ukraine’s airspace was “nonsense” and akin to a “partial blockade.”



However, on Feb. 13, the Ukrainian State Air Traffic Services Enterprise warned airlines against flying over the Black Sea. The state company labelled the area as “potentially dangerous” and advises aircraft not to fly over the sea’s open waters on Feb. 14-19.

Aircraft traveling through Ukrainian airspace will no longer be insured by international insurance companies from Feb. 14, forcing flights to be grounded or canceled, according to Ukrainian publication...

Ukrainska Pravda: Mass cancellation of Ukraine flights from Feb. 14

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://api.kyivindependent.com/storage/2022/02/e4b0198a700611b04d325d75bdf688c8_1643732054-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-8669"/><figcaption>President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) meets U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson in Kyiv on Feb. 1. (president.gov.ua)</figcaption></figure>



Ukraine is set to receive an additional $120 million in foreign aid from the United Kingdom in support of the country's “stable governance” and “energy independence,” <a target="_blank" href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/prime-minister-travelling-to-kyiv-in-demonstration-of-support-to-ukraine" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a> to a Feb. 1 statement by the British government.



The announcement comes amid U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s visit to Kyiv, where he is scheduled to talk face-to-face with President Volodymyr Zelensky and other top government officials.



The financial aid is part of the U.K’s “Good Governance Fund,” which is intended to build stability, reduce poverty, and increase prosperity in Ukraine and other eastern and central European nations.



This fresh funding for Ukraine comes amidst the backdrop of Russian military escalation. Since November, Russia has amassed over 120,000 troops along Ukraine’s eastern border, threatening Ukraine’s territorial integrity. It now demands that Ukraine be refused NATO membership, as well as for a reduced NATO presence in Eastern Europe.&nbsp;



The official U.K. press release notes that the British government has “long been a staunch supporter of Ukrainian sovereignty.” The funding is intended to reduce Ukraine's dependence on Russian fuel and strengthen anti-corruption infrastructure, as well as help “resist malign and anti-democratic” influences from Russia.&nbsp;



Over the last several months, the U.K. has significantly supported Ukraine in its economic development, as well as the defensive and offensive capabilities of the country's military.&nbsp;



In response to the growing Russian escalation, Britain has stepped up its naval cooperation with Ukraine. Ukraine will now receive a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kyivindependent.com/national/ukraine-ratifies-deal-with-uk-to-boost-navy/" rel="noreferrer noopener">loan</a>&nbsp;of $2.3 billion from the United Kingdom in order to procure new warships and improve key naval infrastructure.&nbsp;



The U.K. also&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kyivindependent.com/national/what-we-know-about-british-tank-killers-likely-sent-to-ukraine/" rel="noreferrer noopener">provided</a>&nbsp;Ukraine with 2,000 NLAW systems, the short-range anti-tank missile launchers, as part of the U.K.’s updated assistance package.



Over the last seven years, the U.K has also committed its forces to train and advise over 22,000 Ukrainian soldiers.&nbsp;



There are around 100 British soldiers in Ukraine currently engaged in training and advisory roles, as well as 30 elite special forces troops, and surveillance aircraft. This, however, could further expand as Johnson has&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/1/30/uk-offers-major-nato-deployment-amid-ukraine-crisis" rel="noreferrer noopener">warned</a>&nbsp;of a potential major NATO deployment in solidarity with Ukraine.&nbsp;



The European Union has also increased its economic support for Ukraine in response to Russian aggression. In a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/vonderleyen/status/1488466968852279299" rel="noreferrer noopener">post</a>&nbsp;on Twitter on Feb. 1, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that the EU had approved the allocation of an additional $1.3 billion in financial assistance to Ukraine, adding that "the EU stands by Ukraine."



The funds will be made available to Ukraine on the condition that it continues its cooperation with the International Monetary Fund.



On Feb. 1, Boris Johnson will sit down for further talks with Zelensky. They are expected to discuss the tensions on Ukraine’s borders and measures to deter Russian aggression.

Ukraine is set to receive an additional $120 million in foreign aid from the United Kingdom in support of the country's “stable governance” and “energy independence,” according to...

UK provides Ukraine with $120 million in financial aid

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://api.kyivindependent.com/storage/2022/01/imgbig-1-1024x677.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-8578"/><figcaption>Kyiv City Administration Deputy Head Petro Panteleyev is accused of failing to decontaminate the site of the former "Radikal" plant in Kyiv's Lisova district. (kyivcity.gov.ua)</figcaption></figure>



The Kyiv Prosecutor’s Office charged Petro Panteleyev, deputy head of the Kyiv City Administration, with negligence on Jan. 31. He is a long-standing ally of Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko.



Panteleyev is accused of failing to decontaminate the site of Kyiv’s former chemical plant Radikal, which according to prosecutors, led to severe environmental damage. Prosecutors allege that a failure to enact environmental measures at the plant, as well as the lasting effects of pollution in Kyiv's left-bank Lisova district, have caused damage worth over $1.4 billion (Hr 40 billion).



The Kyiv Prosecutor’s Office said during a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/kyiv.gp.gov.ua/videos/479925143743023" rel="noreferrer noopener">briefing</a>&nbsp;that concentrations of mercury at the site far exceeded legal limits. Soil concentrations were between 5.8 to 35.4 times higher than acceptable. Air concentrations of mercury near the plant were also between 2.1 to 145 times higher than legal limits.



Meanwhile, the Kyiv City Administration, in a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kyivcity.gov.ua/news/zastupniku_golovi_kmda_petru_panteleyevu_vruchili_pidozru_u_spravi_privatnogo_zavodu_radikal_popri_te_scho_misto_initsiyuvalo_proekt_bezpechno_utilizatsi_vidkhodiv_tsogo_pidpriyemstva/" rel="noreferrer noopener">post</a>&nbsp;on their official website, has dismissed this criminal case as “just another attempt at political pressure on the city authorities.”



Dangerous plant



The Radikal plant, which was abandoned in 1996, is heavily polluted with mercury, which has soaked into the surrounding ground. According to a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/kyiv.gp.gov.ua/photos/a.1069664709711557/5357871717557480" rel="noreferrer noopener">statement</a>&nbsp;posted by the Kyiv Prosecutor’s Office, over 200,000 tons of contaminated materials remain at the site.



Since 2003, the Kyiv authorities have been working to decontaminate the site. The government’s original plan was to remove around 130,000 tons of mercury-contaminated waste from the site, most of which will be buried elsewhere in Ukraine.&nbsp;



The city administration states that it has already removed over 300,000 tons of harmful materials from the Radikal plant and sponsored a project for the safe disposal of waste from the site.&nbsp;



City officials also allege that they had been denied funding by the central government to decontaminate the site. The city administration cited a 2020 decision by the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine which denied the Department of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Kyiv City Administration funds to finance the decontamination of the site.&nbsp;



The private company OJSC Radikal, owners of the site, went bankrupt in 2000 and began liquidation procedures. The company has yet to be fully liquidated, while the city inherited the contaminated land from the private owners, whom city officials alleged have not undertaken any of the responsibility.&nbsp;



The city administration stated that it was the state’s responsibility to fully liquidate the company. In a statement, the city officials alleged they have appealed to the state for meetings and support but were denied.



Tug of war



During Klitschko’s eight-year reign, the mayor and his allies came under fire for impoverished infrastructure, a lack of proper public transport, deteriorating historic buildings, haphazard construction, poor utility services, alleged embezzlement and corruption.



On Jan. 25, First Deputy Head of the Kyiv City Administration Mykola Povoroznyk was <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ukrinform.ua/rubric-kyiv/3393665-persij-zastupnik-golovi-kmda-povoroznik-vidmovivsa-svidciti-prokuratura.html" rel="noreferrer noopener">accused</a> of misappropriating a land plot that was intended to be used for apartment buildings and car parking facilities. 



He denied wrongdoing.



Since May 2021, the State Fiscal Service and the Kyiv Prosecutor’s Office conducted over 80 searches alleging corruption, tax evasion, abuse of office, embezzlement, and fraud among Kyiv city officials.



A total of 13 people were charged, most of whom were incumbent officials connected to Klitschko. Criminal proceedings have now been opened against Panteleyev, who is accused of failing to undertake measures to eliminate the effects of pollution and decontaminate the area.



Yet, some critics have viewed these prosecutions as the government attempting to put political pressure on the Kyiv Administration.



Klitschko has been embroiled in a power struggle with President Volodymyr Zelensky since Zelensky took office in May 2019.



Zelensky’s office unsuccessfully tried to deprive Klitschko of his powers in Kyiv in late 2019 accusing the mayor of turning a blind eye on corruption.

The Kyiv Prosecutor’s Office charged Petro Panteleyev, deputy head of the Kyiv City Administration, with negligence on Jan. 31. He is a long-standing ally of Kyiv Mayor Vitali...

Top Kyiv official Panteleyev charged with negligence over environmental damage

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://api.kyivindependent.com/storage/2022/01/Clip-1-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-7941"/><figcaption>The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv. (Courtesy)</figcaption></figure>



A Sword of Damocles once again hangs over Ukraine. 



Since November, Russia has been amassing troops along Ukraine's eastern border, demanding sweeping concessions from the NATO alliance and threatening to plunge Ukraine back into Russia's sphere of influence once again. 



Many Western experts and governments now fear military incursion by Russian forces into Ukraine, with the Washington Post&nbsp;now <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/russia-ukraine-invasion/2021/12/03/98a3760e-546b-11ec-8769-2f4ecdf7a2ad_story.html">estimating</a>&nbsp;that as many as 175,000 combat personnel are poised to invade Ukraine in early 2022, citing U.S. intelligence documents. On Jan. 28, U.S. President Joe Biden <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-crisis-live-updates-1b213930aeced003b990adb474ef722b">stated</a> that it was a "distinct possibility" that Russia will invade Ukraine sometime in February. 



Against this backdrop, the mood on the streets of Kyiv, for now, remains relatively calm. Daily life continues as normal, yet many foreigners are uncertain whether to remain or leave the country.



As the war of words grows over Ukraine, diplomatic pressure has increased on countries around the world to clarify their own contingency plans for their citizens living within Ukraine.&nbsp;



The situation in Ukraine is evolving quickly and advice issued by embassies can change within a day's notice.&nbsp;



Some nations, already fearing the worst, have already begun removing their embassy staff, drawing up evacuation plans, and making registers of their citizens. Others have taken a more relaxed approach, issuing advisory guidelines and words of warning.&nbsp;



Foreign citizens living in Ukraine should keep up to date with the latest information issued by their respective embassies. Here is a non-exhaustive list. 



United States of America



The United States has so far issued the strictest guidance to its citizens, provoking anger from the Ukrainian government. On Jan. 23, the U.S embassy began to remove its non-essential embassy staff from Ukraine, and later <a href="https://ua.usembassy.gov/message-to-us-citizens%E2%80%AF%E2%80%AFcommercial-air-availability-from-ukraine%E2%80%AF%E2%80%AF/">advised</a> citizens to leave the country.



The U.S. government advises American citizens to use available private transportation to leave the country, even offering repatriation loans and consular services to help facilitate their citizens' departure.&nbsp;



The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the decision to remove embassy staff as “an instance of excessive caution.”&nbsp;



In a <a href="https://ua.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-virtual-town-hall-on-january-25-2022/">virtual town hall</a> meeting organized by the U.S. embassy in Kyiv on Jan. 25, American expats were advised that Poland would not be accepting U.S. citizens via land crossings, ruling out their departure by buses or rail.&nbsp;



The U.S. position has changed radically compared to advice offered a few weeks ago.&nbsp;



A now deleted tweet by the U.S. embassy in Kyiv in December said that the U.S. government was “not currently considering evacuations of U.S. government personnel or American citizens from Ukraine,” instead just preparing basic contingency plans.&nbsp;



Ukraine is now <a href="https://ua.usembassy.gov/ukraine-level-4-do-not-travel-2/">classed</a> by the U.S. Department of State as a level 4 (do not travel) destination. This assessment invalidates most traditional travel insurance policies issued outside of Ukraine.



All U.S. citizens, regardless of their intentions to remain or leave the country, are advised to fill out an online <a href="https://cacms.state.gov/s/crisis-intake">form</a> in order to remain in contact with the U.S. embassy.&nbsp;



Emergency contact number (U.S. citizens only): <a href="tel:380445215566" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">+380445215566</a> (working hours) <a href="tel:380445215000" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">+380445215000</a> (after hours)



Address: A.I. Sikorsky St 4, 04112 Kyiv (Near Beresteiska metro)



United Kingdom&nbsp;



On Jan 24, the United Kingdom, following the lead of its American partners, also began to withdraw its non-essential embassy staff from Kyiv.&nbsp;



The British Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) now advises against “all but essential travel” to Ukraine, which also invalidates many British travel insurance policies.&nbsp;



The U.K embassy is now encouraging British citizens in Ukraine to “register their presence” in Ukraine via an <a href="https://www.register.service.csd.fcdo.gov.uk/ukraine-20220121/register-your-presence-in-ukraine-with-fcdo">online form</a>, in order to help the embassy keep in contact in the event of further escalation.&nbsp;



As of yet, the U.K has not issued any further guidance advising its citizens to leave the country. The U.K warns citizens that they should be able to change their plans quickly and remain vigilant in Ukraine.&nbsp;



Emergency contact number (U.K citizens only): <a href="tel:+380444903660">+380444903660</a>



Address: Desyatynna St 9, 01001, Kyiv (Near Maidan Nezalezhnosti metro)



France



As of the time of publication, France has signaled that it intends to follow the policy of other European Union members. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrel has stated that the EU does not intend to “dramatize” the situation in Ukraine, telling reporters in Brussels that he didn’t know of any “specific reasons” for the withdrawal of embassy staff or citizens from Ukraine.&nbsp;



In an email received by French citizens in Ukraine, which can be accessed by <a href="https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/services-aux-francais/s-inscrire-au-registre-des-francais-etablis-hors-de-france/">signing up</a> to the “Registre des Français établis hors de France” (Register of French citizens resident outside of France), the French ambassador stated that the safety of French citizens is a priority for the embassy.&nbsp;



“I can assure you…that your situation is at the heart of thoughts and preoccupations,” the statement reads. “With the help of our Parisian colleagues from the crisis centre at the Quai D’Orsay, we have carried out various exercises so that our prevention and management tools are working perfectly in the case that we need to activate them.”



The email also advises citizens to register to email alerts from the embassy and to keep their French passports with them, as well as warm clothing and reserves of water and food.&nbsp;



Furthermore, the email encourages citizens to sign up to the Ariane <a href="https://pastel.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fildariane/dyn/public/login.html">portal</a>, which allows French citizens to receive SMS communications, as well as numbers to call in times of crisis.&nbsp;



The French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs reminds French citizens to remain vigilant and keep up to date with the latest advice offered by the French embassy and government.&nbsp;



Emergency contact number (French citizens only): <a href="tel:+380444903660">+380503576584</a>



Address: Reitarska St 39, 01901, Kyiv (Near Zoloti Vorota metro)



India



Each year, Ukraine’s universities attract thousands of Indian students. According to <a href="https://studyinukraine.gov.ua/zhittya-v-ukraini/inozemni-studenti-v-ukraini/">statistics</a> from the Ukrainian State Center for International Education, in 2020 there were 76,548 foreign students in Ukraine, 18,095 of whom were from India.&nbsp;



The Indian embassy in Kyiv has not yet issued any concrete advice about the situation in Ukraine, however it has encouraged Indians in Ukraine to fill out a <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSchsyDFjbdNPSy5ykoGSp7bvIxxBAKxpwz04czWFVw5k2Zhvg/viewform">Google Form</a>, where they can leave their contact information in order to be contacted by the embassy in the event of an escalation.



Foreign students, irrespective of their nationality, should keep in touch with their host universities. These institutions should be able to provide support to their students, including helping to organise emergency flights out of Ukraine, and assisting in contacting local embassies.



Emergency contact number (Indian citizens only): <a href="tel:+380933559958">+380933559958</a>



Address: Maxima Berlinskogo St 20-B, 04060, Kyiv&nbsp;(Near Syrets metro)



Netherlands



The government of the Netherlands currently classifies Ukraine (except the occupied territories of Donbas and Crimea) as “orange”. This means that the government officially advises against all travel to the region and encourages Dutch citizens to leave the country if they're there for non-essential reasons.&nbsp;



Dutch citizens are advised to <a href="https://informatieservice.nederlandwereldwijd.nl/">register</a> their stay in Ukraine with the Information Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. This will allow the embassy to send travel information and updates to their citizens.&nbsp;



In an FAQ posted to the website of the government of the Netherlands, the government has stated that its embassy is closely following the situation. Most significantly, the government warns that “the Ministry of Foreign Affairs cannot, or probably cannot, help (Dutch citizens)” if they get into trouble.&nbsp;



The advice of the Dutch government is likely to change on the basis of future recommendations from the European Union.&nbsp;



Emergency contact number (Dutch citizens only): <a href="tel:+380444908200">+380444908200</a>



Address: Kontraktova Ploshcha 7, 01901, Kyiv (Near Kontraktova Ploshcha metro) 



Germany



German advice for travel to Ukraine has so far remained minimal. The German Ministry of Foreign Affairs only advises its citizens to reschedule unnecessary travel to Ukraine.



The German government asks Germans currently in Ukraine to sign up to the Federal Foreign Office’s “Crisis Prevention List”, which can be accessed <a href="https://krisenvorsorgeliste.diplo.de/">here</a>.&nbsp;



The advice of the German government is likely to change on the basis of future recommendations from the European Union.&nbsp;



Emergency contact number (German citizens only): <a href="tel:+380442811100">+380442811100</a>



Address: Bohdan Khmelnytsky&nbsp;25, 01901, Kyiv



Australia



Similarly to the U.S, the Australian government is now advising its citizens to leave Ukraine, regardless of their status in the country. In a <a href="https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/europe/ukraine?fbclid=IwAR1bRQlWNeSoa40LfyVfUX_F0ZMaNwEIM-yujMV41cTCz2H6qUOU-GK-5aM">statement</a> published to the Australian government Smartraveller website on Jan. 24, Australians were asked to “leave now by commercial means if it's safe to do so.”



Australian citizens can register the presence in Ukraine with <a href="https://crisis.dfat.gov.au/crisisportal/s/?fbclid=IwAR1qlb9BPYKEFFu4fBv7cKKeWHt6ec31YYSzFpxsfYRn0OEG5TnnGemU0v8">DFAT</a>, an online crisis management program run by the Australian government.&nbsp;



A Jan. 21 <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AUinUA/">post</a> on the Australian embassy’s Facebook page states that Australians should have plans in place to depart the country as quickly as possible, citing rapidly changing security conditions.&nbsp;



Australia has issued a “Do not travel” advisory for Ukraine, meaning that travel to the country can pose an “extreme risk” to health and safety. Official Australian advice <a href="https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/consular-services/travel-advice-explained#level4">states</a> that Australians in “Do not travel” areas “could die”, and urges them to have an up-to-date will and power of attorney.&nbsp;



Emergency contact number (Australian citizens only): <a href="tel:+380444908200">+61262613305</a>



Address: Kostelna St 13A, 01901, Kyiv (Near Maidan Nezalezhnosti metro) 



Canada



Unlike its southern neighbor, Canada has not yet begun to withdraw embassy staff or formally request that its citizens leave the country. Canada’s latest travel advice states that Canadians in Ukraine should evaluate whether their presence in the country is essential and avoid all-non essential travel to the region.&nbsp;



The Embassy of Canada to Ukraine has requested that Canadian expats and travelers sign up with the Registration of Canadians Abroad <a href="https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/registration">portal</a> on the Canadian government website, so it can contact its citizens during an emergency.&nbsp;



Canada has issued advice for citizens who intend to remain in Ukraine. It urges Canadians to set up personal security plans, stay up to date with the latest news from the region from reputable new sources, locate nearest shelters and keep their travel documents up-to-date.



Emergency contact number (Canadian citizens only): <a href="tel:+380444908200">+380445903100</a> 



Address: Kostelna St 13A, 01901, Kyiv (Near Maidan Nezalezhnosti metro)

A Sword of Damocles once again hangs over Ukraine. Since November, Russia has been amassing troops along Ukraine's eastern border, demanding sweeping concessions from the NATO alliance and...

Embassy advice guide for foreign nationals in Ukraine

Dylan Carter is a staff writer at the Kyiv Independent. He studied modern languages at the University College of London and Paris Sorbonne IV. He worked as an assistant lecturer at the Kyiv School of Economics and at Ukrinform before joining the Kyiv Post in June 2021.

Team

Articles