UN responds to shooting of humanitarian aid queue in Kherson region

Matthias Schmale, UN Resident Representative in Ukraine, publicly condemned the cynical attack on civilians by a Russian drone. He emphasized that the January 5 attack on people who came to receive humanitarian aid in Kherson region is an unacceptable act of violence against those who are already in a difficult situation.

He wrote about this on his own page in X.

According to the UN representative, the attack was carried out during the humanitarian mission of ADRA Ukraine, which delivered food from the World Food Program. "Civilians and civilian objects, including aid distribution sites, must be protected under international humanitarian law," Schmale emphasized. He added that for people who remain near the front line, such assistance is vital, and attacks on such locations only deepen the humanitarian catastrophe.

Earlier, the court found the former deputy head of the village military administration in Kherson region guilty of misappropriating humanitarian aid under martial law. He will serve his sentence on probation, as he voluntarily compensated for the damage and transferred funds to the needs of the Armed Forces.

According to the Beryslav District Prosecutor's Office, in 2023, the official illegally seized power tools transferred for the needs of the administration under martial law. The total value of the misappropriated property reached almost UAH 64 thousand.

At the same time, according to his official duties, he was responsible for organizing the work of humanitarian aid distribution points and its proper storage. For his actions, he faced 5 to 8 years in prison with disqualification to hold certain positions for up to three years.

The former official pleaded guilty, entered into a plea agreement with the investigation and fully compensated for the losses. In addition, he voluntarily transferred UAH 20 thousand for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Катерина Глушко