Two foreign aid volunteers lost their lives, and two others sustained injuries in a missile attack in Ukraine, as reported by the Road to Relief NGO. Anthony Ihnat, a Canadian, and a Spanish woman were killed in what the NGO described as a “Russian attack” on a vehicle traveling toward Bakhmut. Emma Igual, the NGO’s director, is currently missing.
The incident occurred when the vehicle, carrying the aid workers, suffered a “direct hit” near Chasiv Yar, flipped over, and caught fire. German medical volunteer Ruben Mawick and Johan Mathias Thyr, a Swede, were injured but are stable in the hospital.
These volunteers were part of a “needs assessment” team, often the first to reach frontline villages to help civilians caught in crossfire. Their work has led to numerous evacuations and crucial aid deliveries over the past 18 months.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported an increasing number of “security incidents” affecting aid work in Ukraine, with at least six aid workers killed and 16 injured in 2023, compared to four in the whole of 2022. This tragic incident highlights the growing dangers faced by aid workers in Eastern Ukraine.
In memory of Anthony Ihnat, fellow NGO Action Beyond Words described him as “an unbelievably gentle, kind guy who would light up any room,” calling him “a beautiful hero to Ukraine.”