By Michelle Nichols
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – The US accused Russia on Tuesday of firing no less than 9 North Korean-supplied missiles at Ukraine, whereas Moscow labeled Washington a “direct confederate” within the downing of a Russian navy transport aircraft final month.
Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia and deputy U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Robert Wooden traded the accusations at a U.N. Safety Council assembly on Ukraine, requested by Moscow. Russia invaded neighboring Ukraine almost two years in the past.
“Up to now, Russia has launched DPRK-supplied ballistic missiles towards Ukraine on no less than 9 events,” Wooden instructed the 15-member Safety Council, utilizing the North Korea’s formal identify: the Democratic Folks’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).
“Russia and the DPRK should be held accountable for his or her actions, which undermine long-standing obligations below UN Safety Council resolutions,” he stated.
Each Moscow and Pyongyang have denied the U.S. accusations, however vowed final 12 months to deepen navy relations. Russia has stepped up ties with North Korea and different nations hostile to america akin to Iran for the reason that begin of the struggle with Ukraine – relations which are a supply of concern to the West.
A Russian Air Pressure Il-76 fell from the skies on Jan. 24. Russia stated all 74 individuals on board, together with 65 captured Ukrainian troopers en path to be swapped for Russian prisoners of struggle, have been killed, and blamed Kyiv for downing the aircraft.
“We possess irrefutable proof {that a} Patriot surface-to-air missile was used to hold out the strike, which leaves little question the Washington is a direct confederate on this crime as properly,” Nebenzia instructed the Safety Council.
Russian investigators stated final week that that they had proof exhibiting that Ukraine’s navy shot down the navy transport aircraft with U.S.-made Patriot surface-to-air missiles.
Russia requested the council to satisfy on Tuesday after it stated Ukraine killed no less than 28 individuals when it used Western-supplied rockets to strike a bakery and restaurant on Saturday in Russian-controlled jap Ukraine.
Senior Ukrainian U.N. diplomat Serhii Dvornyk accused Russia of misusing the Safety Council “for disseminating fakes.”
Wooden stated the U.S. was unable to independently confirm the knowledge – blaming an absence of unbiased media reporting – however laments all civilian casualties. He added: “To be clear, Russia is the one aggressor on this struggle, and the one one that might finish this struggle in the present day.”
(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; extra reporting by Ronald Popeski; modifying by Jonathan Oatis)
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