Preparing for humanitarian operation in Kostiantynivka could take months, - Lubinets
Dmytro Lubinets, the Verkhovna Rada’s Human Rights Commissioner, stated that he was unaware of any preparations for a humanitarian mission in Kostiantynivka and had not discussed it with the Russian side.
He stated this during a meeting of the Temporary Investigation Commission, according to Censor.NET.
Details
"At this time, I am not aware of any plans for a humanitarian mission of this kind. Like all Ukrainian citizens, I first heard about this initiative from the media following the meeting between the President of the Russian Federation and special representatives from the United States," he said.
The ombudsman noted that he had not discussed Kostiantynivka with the Russian side.
"Although we do have a preliminary list of settlements, we have focused our attention first and foremost on the Kherson region, specifically the temporarily occupied territory of the Kherson region," Lubinets added.
According to him, a humanitarian crisis of this kind is currently unfolding not only in Oleshky, but also in other towns and villages in the Kherson region.
The Situation in Kostiantynivka
Lubinec said that there is information indicating that Ukrainian civilians are in the city.
Russia has stated that there are still about 400–500 civilians in Kostiantynivka.
"But we do not know exactly how many there are, because it is effectively impossible for our staff to gain physical access to that area. We are receiving information from the Regional State Administration; according to our data, the number of civilians is smaller," the ombudsman replied.
Assessing the humanitarian situation in Kostiantynivka, Lubinets said that the Defense Forces are in control of Kostiantynivka—if not the entire city, then certainly part of it.
"As far as I know, humanitarian aid is being delivered to the territory under the control of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and it is possible to deliver it directly to the civilians who remain there," he said.
Dictator Putin stated that Russia needs five days to clear the areas of mines in order to facilitate a humanitarian operation in Kostiantynivka.
"This area is heavily mined. Active mining takes place almost every day, and Russian military personnel are actively involved in it. Therefore, any humanitarian mission can begin only after a ceasefire has been established and demining operations have been carried out.
"But I don't think five days is enough time to theoretically get anything done, even in Kostiantynivka. I believe it will take much longer," he added.
Lubinec added that preparations for the humanitarian mission could take several weeks or several months.
What led up to this?
- As a reminder, on November 12, during a meeting with special representatives of the U.S. president, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed organizing a "humanitarian mission" in Kostiantynivka, where fighting is ongoing. He stated that the mission to evacuate people from the city should be modeled after the one that took place in Oleshky in the Kherson region.
- The dictator claimed that Russia allegedly controls the city—although Ukraine and independent observers noted that Ukrainian units maintain a presence there—and proposed involving the ombudsmen of Ukraine and the Russian Federation in organizing the mission.
- According to him, it will take five days to clear the area near the city of mines. He also noted the "positive experience of humanitarian cooperation" with Ukraine regarding Oleshky.
