Western sponsoring governments are demanding that the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) take action against the organization's russian branch because of its close ties to the russian military and propaganda, The Guardian writes.
In the package of Kremlin documents, which the Estonian publication Delfi handed over to the international media consortium, it is reported that the head of the Russian Red Cross (RRC), 29-year-old Pavel Savchuk, was a member of the central headquarters of the All-russian People's Front, created by vladimir putin.
In addition, Savchuk signed an agreement between the RRC and the Artek children's camp in Crimea, which is under Western sanctions due to participation in programs of "patriotic re-education" of Ukrainian children deported from the country. Savchuk refused to answer the publication's questions.
Other high-ranking officials of the RRC made a statement in support of the war in Ukraine. A few weeks after the invasion of russian troops, the head of the Tver regional branch of the RRC, Nikolai Dobilev, stated that the Ukrainian army was shooting civilians in the backs, while the russian troops fought with honor. The head of the Oryol city branch of the Red Cross Valery Burkovsky planted a tree at an event dedicated to the fallen russian occupiers in the war in Ukraine.
The Guardian provides photos that show that employees of the russian organization participate in military training for young people. In the "Children's Special Forces" camp in Khanty-Mansiysk, children were shown the techniques of hand-to-hand combat and knife handling, and Red Cross employees taught children first aid. During another event, members of the "Fighting Brotherhood" organization conducted initial training for young children. In one of the photos, they pose with submachine guns together with children and members of the RRC.
The documents emphasize that the Kremlin allocated RUB 115 million in 2024 to finance new branches of the russian Red Cross in four occupied regions of Ukraine. Working in these regions is a direct violation of the organization's charter.
According to the official statement, the IFRC initiated an investigation into the violation of the charter by russian colleagues.
"At this stage, we are gathering information. It takes time. After that, a decision will be made on further steps," the statement said.
The British Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it would wait for the results of the investigation. A representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sweden noted that he expects the IFRC to take action in accordance with their rules, "which may include removal from office or expulsion."
In a response to the Swedish newspaper Expressen, which is part of a consortium of publications that received the documents, the RRC said it does not cooperate with military-patriotic or other similar organizations.
"Events held in children's camps fully comply with the mandate of the russian Red Cross," they said.
Last year, the International Red Cross suspended the organization's Belarusian branch after its chairman said the movement had helped deport Ukrainian children to Belarus.
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