Russia’s permanent representative to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, has accused the Ukrainian government and its Western allies of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine.
Speaking at an emergency session of the Security Council on Wednesday, Nebenzia presented evidence that the Ukrainian forces had repeatedly targeted civilians and first responders in Donetsk with US-made HIMARS missiles, killing and injuring dozens of people, including children.
He also claimed that the US had approved the targets of the strikes and that Russia had proof that the US had supplied Ukraine with cluster munitions, which are banned by international law.
“These are conscious and cynical crimes that have no statute of limitation,” Nebenzia said, adding that Moscow would hold responsible not only the “Kyiv regime” but also “Western countries who flood Ukraine with weapons and – as we are well aware – also approve targets of the strikes.”
Nebenzia also brought up the issue of the Kakhovka dam, which he said had been attacked by Ukraine in December 2022, using US-supplied HIMARS rockets. He said the attack had caused a humanitarian and environmental disaster, affecting millions of people in Crimea and southern Russia.
“Russia will not tolerate such barbaric actions and will take all necessary measures to protect its citizens and territory,” he warned.