The White House on Friday condemned the death of an International Committee of the Red Cross worker in Ukraine after the organization’s facility in Donetsk was caught in the crossfire of fighting between the Ukrainian military and insurgent forces.
Laurent DuPasquier, 38, was just one casualty in a bloody day of fighting Thursday in and around Donetsk. The Ukrainian military said many rebels were killed.
Each side reportedly blamed the other for the inadvertent shelling of the Red Cross facility, and the Obama administration said both sides must exercise restraint.
“We urge all parties to the conflict to respect international humanitarian law and ensure that its protections are afforded to the [Red Cross] and other humanitarian organizations, which are providing impartial and much-needed aid to civilians in Ukraine, just as these groups do in so many other conflicts worldwide,” National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said in a statement. “We call on all parties to the conflict to protect the civilians in their midst and hold accountable those who engage in the indiscriminate use of force.”
• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.
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