Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations

Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations

On UNSC consultations regarding violations of the Minsk Agreements and the ceasefire regime by Ukraine

On 17 June during closed consultations of the Security Council Russia raised the following issue under AOB.

On the night of 11 June, a sabotage group from special operations center “Zapad” of Ukraine’s armed forces entered an observation post of the People’s Militia of the Luhansk Region near the village of Golubovskoye and cold-bloodedly murdered five militiamen. One of them was shot with a sniper rifle of foreign manufacture; the others were killed by headshots. This is confirmed by forensic tests conducted on the scene.

Those killed were not military professionals. One of them had been with the Militia for just one day and a half before he was murdered. Four children lost their fathers.

What raises particular concern is Western states’ direct complicity in the crimes that the Kiev regime commits against its people. Thus, starting from 13 April, US military instructors have been training Ukrainian snipers in a facility near Mariupol, which is in close proximity to the conflict zone. It is no secret today, and even the Mass Media is well aware that US companies supply Ukraine’s Defense Ministry with sniper rifles and compatible ammunition. Such deliveries of arms and military equipment by the United States encourage Kiev to destabilize the situation in Donbass and attempt to solve the conflict by force.

We have noticed that Ukraine’s military carried out the 11 June provocation right after Presidents of Ukraine and the United States had talked on the phone on 8 June and President Zelensky visited the contact line in Donbass on 8-9 June. This sabotage took place on the eve of major international events – summits of G7, NATO, EU-USA, and the meeting of Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden.

We deeply regret that the outburst of subversive activity happened against the backdrop of declining tension in Donbass and subsiding bombardments, i.a. those using heavy weaponry. Joint Centre for Control and Coordination reported 258 cases of shooting to have taken place in April, then 186 in May, and just 15 over the first ten days of June.

Russia calls upon Security Council member states to condemn this pointless and cruel attack of Ukraine’s Armed Forces on an observation post of Luhansk Militia, which constituted a direct violation of the Minsk Agreements, and additional ceasefire support measures of 22 July 2020 that ban reconnaissance and sabotage activities of the sides.