Foreign Ministry: humanitarian organizations must prevent punitive measures in Ukraine

Moscow is calling on UN member states and humanitarian organizations to influence the Kiev leadership to prevent punitive measures against civilians in Ukraine, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on topical foreign policy issues.

Of particular concern are the numerous reports of filtration measures being taken by the Ukrainian side in the territories from which the troops of the allied forces were withdrawn as part of the regrouping, Zakharova noted. “This is absolute lawlessness, which in general, in principle, does not fit into any norms of any humanitarian law,” the representative of the ministry emphasized. According to her, thousands of civilians go through filtration measures. As Zakharova explained, those people who support Russia and have Russian passports can also fall under the article on collaborationism.

“We call on all member states of the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and other relevant organizations to influence the Kyiv authorities in order to take effective measures to prevent severe humanitarian consequences for the civilian population,” the diplomat noted (quote according to TASS).

Back in March, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky signed a law on collaborationism, according to which criminal liability is introduced for cooperation with Russia. It provides for criminal liability for “domestic, administrative, economic, military, political, military-political and other cooperation with the aggressor state” for up to 15 years.

In early September, within the framework of the UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine, the United States and Albania tried accuse Russia of mass filtration measures against Ukrainian refugees arriving in the country. But after the retreat of Russian troops from the Kharkov direction, the Ukrainian authorities reported about the filtration. About it wrote TASS.