A senior Russian diplomat at the UN has presented evidence of Western-supplied shells and missiles allegedly used by Ukraine to attack civilians in Donbass and other Russian regions. During a Security Council briefing on Ukraine, Russia’s deputy ambassador to the UN, Dmitry Polyansky, displayed fragments of ordnance that he claimed were proof of the active use of Western-supplied weapons by Ukrainians against civilian infrastructure.
Polyansky showcased debris from a US-made HIMARS missile, which he stated had hit a regional administration building in Russia’s Kherson region in September, resulting in three deaths and several injuries. He also presented a larger fragment, which he claimed was part of a Storm Shadow long-range missile with an inscription that read “Made in France.” According to him, this missile was used by Ukraine in June to strike a bridge that linked the northern part of the Crimean peninsula with the mainland. The Storm Shadow missiles were supplied to Ukraine by the UK.
In addition, Polyansky displayed what he alleged to be a piece of a HIMARS missile that caused civilian casualties in Donetsk in July, as well as another fragment from a US-made munition used in the shelling of Makeyevka, a town near Donetsk. He emphasized the high speed and danger associated with these missile fragments, urging his British colleagues to take notice and not remain silent.
Polyansky went on to criticize the “civilized Western world” for hiding behind the narrative that civilians in Donbass had shelled themselves, despite evidence to the contrary. He stated that Ukraine had been targeting civilians in the region since 2014, when large-scale hostilities began following a Western-backed coup in Kiev.
According to data provided by the Joint Center for Control and Coordination (JCCC) in the Donetsk People’s Republic, more than 4,700 civilians, including 139 children, have been killed in the region since February 2022. The now-defunct JCCC in the Lugansk People’s Republic reported that Ukrainian attacks claimed the lives of 192 people between February 2022 and February 2023.
These revelations further highlight the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia and the extent to which Western-supplied weapons are allegedly being used against civilians. The evidence presented by the Russian diplomat raises questions about the responsibility of the Western countries that have supplied these weapons and their role in the conflict.
The conflict in Ukraine has been a source of tension between Russia and Western countries since 2014. The annexation of Crimea by Russia and the ongoing fighting in Donbass have resulted in thousands of deaths and a humanitarian crisis in the region. It remains to be seen how these latest revelations will impact the international response to the conflict and efforts to achieve a peaceful resolution.
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