Spanish aid worker killed in eastern Ukraine, other foreign nationals injured
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A Spanish aid worker has been killed in eastern Ukraine after a projectile fell on the vehicle she was traveling in, according to Spanish foreign minister José Manuel Albares.
Speaking to journalists at the G20 in New Delhi, Minister José Manuel Albares told journalists that a projectile fell on the vehicle carrying a Spanish citizen who “was posted there for an NGO.”
“We have verbal confirmation of her death, and we are now seeking certified confirmation from the Ukrainian authorities of her death,” the foreign minister added.
The woman has been named by Spanish public broadcaster RTVE as Emma Igual, the director of an NGO named “Road to Relief” which focuses on evacuating civilians from the Ukrainian frontline.
In a post on its Instagram account, Road to Relief provided an account of the attack, saying:
Earlier this morning around 10AM, four of our Road to Relief team members left from Slovyansk toward Bakhmut direction to assess the needs of civilians caught in crossfire in the town of Ivanivske, Bakhmut Region, Donetsk Oblast.
On their way in, passed Chasiv Yar, their vehicle came under Russian attack. Proceeding a direct hit, the vehicle flipped over and lit on fire.
In the vehicle was German medical volunteer, Swedish, Canadian voluntee, and Spanish volunteer and Road to Relief Director.
Two of them were badly injured with shrapnel wounds and burns but are now stable in separate hospitals far from the scene.
All imperative information is currently being gathered, and we are cooperating with both military and police to resolve all matters of concern.
At Road to Relief, the Needs Assessment team are often the first to go into frontline villages to gain clarity about the current situation, and the team’s efforts have resulted in numerous evacuations and crucial aid deliveries over the 18 months that we have been in operation.
We ask all friends of R2R, as well as the press, to be sensitive and respectful with any and all family members of the deceased and the R2R team members during this difficult time. Please give us our space to mourn and recover.
Four people were injured in a drone attack launched by Russia on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, the head of the local military administration, Ruslan Kravchenko, said in a Facebook post on Sunday.
He added that they have been given medical assistance, with one hospitalized with head and limb injuries.
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