French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed the tragic loss of two French aid workers in a Russian strike in Ukraine, denouncing the attack as “cowardly.” Expressing solidarity, he conveyed his condolences to all volunteers dedicated to helping people.
Earlier reports from Ukrainian officials stated that two foreign volunteers had lost their lives in the southern town of Beryslav on Thursday. Switzerland’s non-governmental organization HEKS/EPER later revealed that two of its employees were among the casualties.
The NGO condemned the attack in a statement, revealing that the incident occurred around 2:30 PM during a field assessment, resulting in the loss of two colleagues and injuries to others. The victims have not been publicly identified.
While Russia has not commented on the reported strike in Beryslav, Kherson region, the ongoing conflict has seen several foreign volunteers lose their lives since Russian President Vladimir Putin initiated a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Addressing Thursday’s attack, Ukrainian officials disclosed that in addition to the fatalities, another four individuals, including three foreign volunteers, sustained injuries in a “massive” drone attack on the front-line town along the Dnipro River, approximately 60km north-east of the regional capital Kherson.
French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné later confirmed that three of the injured were also French nationals. He asserted that Russia would be held accountable for its “crimes” and “barbarity.”
In a social media post, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed that Russian terror knows no boundaries or nationalities. He praised the bravery of the French aid workers, emphasizing their invaluable humanitarian contributions.
Beryslav, Kherson, and other towns on the right bank of the Dnipro River have faced regular attacks from Russian troops stationed on the left bank. Over the last 24 hours, two people were killed, and six others were injured in Russian shelling of the region, according to local officials on Friday. The situation remains volatile, with global condemnation and calls for accountability echoing amid the ongoing conflict.
