Ukraine’s Permanent Representative to the UN Andrii Melnyk responded to remarks by Russian diplomat Vasily Nebenzya, who voiced concern about the situation of Ukrainian service personnel. Melnyk suggested he direct his "humanitarian concern" towards Russian troops and their families.
The Ukrainian diplomat said this on 9 November during an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on the situation in Ukraine, Ukrinform reports.
Melnyk also urged the UN not to circulate unverified Moscow claims about civilian deaths in Russia and not to create the impression that Ukraine is attacking civilians.
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"You cannot place on the same level Russia’s genocidal, deliberate and systematic attacks against Ukraine and its civilian population and Ukraine’s lawful strikes on military targets in Russia, which are an exercise of our inherent right to self-defence," he stressed.
According to Melnyk, Ukraine strictly complies with international humanitarian law. He also reported that in October alone, Russian forces in Ukraine lost more than 54,000 service personnel killed and severely wounded.
Separately, the Ukrainian diplomat drew attention to videos of torture, abuse and humiliation in the Russian army. According to him, such footage is often filmed and published by commanders themselves or fellow servicemen.
Melnyk said the Russian army has lost the strategic initiative and its offensive capabilities, and that Vladimir Putin’s plans for further conquests remain an illusion.
He outlined three main lines of action by the Kremlin: stepping up attacks on Ukraine’s civilian population, sabotage operations, and psychological warfare to split Ukrainian society and weaken relations with European allies.
Also, according to the diplomat, Russia is using diplomacy to buy time and continue destroying Ukraine’s infrastructure.
"Putin is cynically playing the diplomatic card not to bring this war to an end, but solely to gain time," the envoy noted.