Russian Federation
Practice Relating to Rule 25. Medical Personnel
The Russian Federation’s Military Manual (1990) states that attacks against medical personnel are a prohibited method of warfare.
The Russian Federation’s Regulations on the Application of IHL (2001) states: “[P]ersons protected by international humanitarian law
include … medical and religious personnel … Attacks against such persons are prohibited.”
The Regulations further specifies:
Enemy medical and religious personnel shall be respected and protected and shall not be made the object of attack, unless such personnel, when checked, have committed acts which go beyond their professional (medical or religious) duties and if they refrain from taking part in hostilities; if the said persons observe the established identification rules … Protection may cease only after a warning has been given setting, whenever appropriate, a reasonable time-limit and after such warning has remained unheeded.
With regard to internal armed conflict, the Regulations states: “Medical and religious personnel shall be respected and protected and shall be granted all available help for the performance of their duties.”
The Russian Federation’s Regulations on the Application of IHL (2001) states: “Military medical personnel may have individual small arms for their own defence and protection of the wounded and sick in their charge.”
The Regulations further states:
Medical transports are allowed to carry individual small arms and ammunition taken from the transported wounded (sick) and shipwrecked as well as individual small arms of the transported military medical personnel.