Statement attributable to Richard Ragan, Humanitarian Coordinator (a.i.), on the latest attack against a humanitarian evacuation in the Donetsk region.
20 March 2026
An evacuation team from the national NGO Proliska Humanitarian Mission came under fire while conducting an evacuation of older civilians from the town of Oleksiievo-Druzhkivka.
The drone strike killed two women and injured two other evacuees who were seeking safety and fleeing intensified hostilities in the area. The van’s roof was clearly marked with the logo of the humanitarian organization.
This incident reflects unacceptable risks and threats posed by the Russian Federation's Armed Forces’ increasing and illegal use of first-person view drones against civilians and humanitarian workers operating near the front line.
International humanitarian law protects civilians and civilian objects— including humanitarian personnel and their vehicles. Civilians are not a target. Humanitarians are not a target.
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