UNITED NATIONS, January 18. /TASS/. A Russian missile that fell in Ukraine’s Dnepropetrovsk recently, was shot down by Ukrainian air defenses, deployed in a residential district in breach of the international law, Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya has said.
He told a UN Security Council session on Tuesday that delegates from Western countries failed to mention "the real background of those events, which had been provided i.a. by Ukrainian officials. "
"A Russian missile that targeted an energy infrastructural facility was downed by Ukrainian air defense. Since the air defense launcher was positioned in a residential quarter contrary to the norms of international humanitarian law that you care about so much, the missile fell onto a residential building. The rest you know," Nebenzya said. "If the Ukrainian authorities had heeded the IHL [international humanitarian law], this tragedy would have never happened."
"We regret that none of you said a word of condemnation of almost unstopping air strikes by the Ukrainian armed forces against Donetsk that also kill people. In this case however the Kiev regime deliberately targets residential quarters where there are no military facilities. Residents of Donetsk will tell you more about it at an Arria meeting that we will convene on Friday," the Russian diplomat added.