Ukraine is adhering to humanitarian law, Zelensky stresses

Ukrainian troops are "strictly" adhering to international conventions and humanitarian law in their advance into the western Russian region of Kursk, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday.

This was discussed at a meeting of the Ukrainian leadership, Zelensky said on the social media platform X.

Humanitarian aid had been prepared for the civilian population of the occupied territories. Representatives of international organizations are to be allowed access to the areas.

Ukraine's stressing that humanitarian law will be respected goes back to atrocities committed by Russian troops during their advance on Kiev almost two and a half years ago.

At that time, numerous civilians were indiscriminately killed in the Kiev suburb of Bucha before the Russian military was forced to retreat from the area.

According to the Ukrainian agency Unian, it was decided at the government meeting to allow international organizations access to the occupied territories in western Russia. These included the International Committee of the Red Cross, the United Nations and other international organizations which provide humanitarian aid.