ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric has strongly denounced a Russian shelling that claimed the lives of three International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) workers.

It injured two others in the frontline village of Viroliubivka in Ukraine's Donetsk region, according to Ukrainian authorities.

PHOTO | COURTESY Red Cross workers

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy condemned the attack on X, labeling it "another Russian war crime" after Russian forces targeted ICRC humanitarian vehicles. Regional governor Vadym Filashkin confirmed the casualties via Telegram.

Spoljaric denounced the assault, emphasizing that hitting aid workers is unacceptable. ICRC teams are frequently active in the Donetsk region, where their vehicles are marked with the Red Cross emblem.

PHOTO | COURTESY Red Cross workers

According to the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office, the ICRC staff had been distributing fuel briquettes to locals preparing for the upcoming winter. The attack occurred as they were unloading supplies. Two workers were hospitalized, with one in critical condition.

The Donetsk region, partially occupied by Russian forces, has been under regular shelling and airstrikes. Moscow continues to deny targeting civilians, despite widespread evidence and numerous casualties resulting from its ongoing invasion of Ukraine.