UNITED NATIONS, November 9. /TASS/. Once again, Ukraine blatantly violated norms of the international humanitarian law by delivering a strike on Donetsk, Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya told the UN Security Council.
"We called this urgent meeting in connection with yet another flagrant violation by the Kiev regime of the norms of international humanitarian law and further evidence of its purposeful actions to destroy the civilian population of Donbass. I refer to the massive shelling by the Ukrainian armed forces of densely populated areas of Donetsk on November 7," he told the UNSC briefing on threats to international peace and security, including the shelling of Donetsk.
"The Kiev regime attacked civilian targets in the city center three times during one day, firing rockets from HIMARS and Uragan systems. In addition to residential buildings, the building of the Department of Labor and Social Protection and a shuttle bus came under attack," Nebenzya added.
He showed photos of the aftermath of the attack, obtained by the Russian permanent mission from volunteers in Donbass, and pointed at the time when the attack took place.
I want to draw special attention to the timing of the attacks: at 4:25 p.m. [1:25 p.m. GMT] - in the middle of the workday, when the Department of Labor and Social Protection traditionally has many visitors; at 4:40 p.m. - 15 minutes after the first strike, and still less than two hours later - at 6:27 pm," the Russian diplomat explained.
"The terrorist practice of launching repeated strikes against the same location is part of the UAF playbook. Knowing full well that operational services (rescuers, medics, police) and journalists would soon arrive at the sites of the shelling, the UAF launched more strikes while they were working, preventing evacuation of the wounded and dead, and also preventing emergency response personnel from fully engaging in the elimination of the consequences of the shelling," he added.
According to Nebenzya, the attacks left six people dead and 55 injured, including three infants.
He recalled that a similar attack was carried out on October 31.
"The first strike from HIMARS did not injure anyone but started a fire. An hour later, knowing that firefighters and journalists had arrived at the site, the Ukrainian armed forces deliberately struck again at the same location with cluster-type projectiles of indiscriminate effect. This one killed two and injured 15 people. Eight ambulance crews arrive to rescue, and then Kiev purposefully launched a third strike, which, by sheer luck, did not cause any more casualties. No doubt this is a deliberate tactic," the Russian diplomat said.