GENEVA, January 2. /TASS/. Civilians not directly involved in hostilities should remain protected from any attack, Spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Fatima Sator said.

"The ICRC doesn’t comment on specific cases," Sator said, when approached by a TASS reporter following recent Ukrainian attacks on residential areas of the Russian city of Belgorod. Citing the humanitarian organization’s "global position regarding all armed conflicts," she said: "Under international humanitarian law, civilians who do not directly participate will remain protected from any attack."

According to Sator, "under international humanitarian law, the effects of hostilities on civilians and civilian infrastructure must be factored into all military operations. "All possible measures must be taken to protect and spare civilian life and essential infrastructure like health facilities, housing, schools, power plants, and water supplies," she insisted.

The Ukrainian armed forces carried out attacks on Belgorod and Russia’s borderline Belgorod Region on December 29 and 30. Two cluster munition rockets and Czech-made rockets were used in the latter attack on downtown Belgorod, which left 25 people, including five children, killed and over 100 others injured. The Russian Defense Ministry said on December 31 that a retaliatory strike had been conducted on Ukrainian military facilities.