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Military operation in Ukraine

Czech envoy not to take part in Russia-requested UNSC meeting on attack on Belgorod

Russian First Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Dmitry Polyansky said earlier that Russia demanded that the Czech permanent representative be present "to explain his country’s supplies of weapons, which are used to kill civilians"

PRAGUE, December 30. /TASS/. The Czech permanent representative will not take part in the Russia-requested meeting of the UN Security Council on Ukraine’s shelling attack on Belgorod, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said.

"We refused to be summoned anywhere by Russia <…> When Russia wants to discuss the withdrawal of its occupying troops at the [UN] Security Council, we will be happy to come," he wrote on his X (formerly known as Twitter) page.

Russian First Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Dmitry Polyansky said earlier that the United Nations Security Council will gather for a Russia-requested meeting over the shelling attack on Belgorod at 0:00 Moscow time on December 31 (9:00 p.m. GMT on December 30). He also said that Russia demanded that the Czech permanent representative be present "to explain his country’s supplies of weapons, which are used to kill civilians."

Ukrainian troops have been shelling Belgorod and the Belgorod Region since late Friday. The latest strike was delivered on downtown Belgorod with the use of cluster munitions from Czech-made multiple rocket launchers. At least 18 people, including two children, were killed and 111 others were injured. According to the Russian defense ministry, air defense systems intercepted both missiles and most of the projectiles. Otherwise, the consequences would have been much more serious, it added.

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