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West and Russia clash over probe of drones in Ukraine

Published:Friday | October 21, 2022 | 10:25 PM
A drone is seen in the sky seconds before it fired on buildings in Kyiv, Ukraine, on October 17, 2022. The Iranian-made drones that Russia sent slamming into central Kyiv this week have produced hand-wringing and consternation in Israel, complicating the country’s balancing act between Russia and the West. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United States and key Western allies accused Russia on Friday of using Iranian drones to attack civilians and power plants in Ukraine in violation of a 2015 United Nations Security Council resolution and international humanitarian law.

Russia countered by accusing Ukraine of attacking infrastructure and civilians for eight years in the eastern separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, which Russian President Vladimir Putin illegally annexed earlier this year.

The US, France, Germany and Britain supported Ukraine's call for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to send a team to investigate the origin of the drones.

Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said the drones are Russian and warned that an investigation would violate the UN Charter and seriously affect relations between Russia and the United Nations.

US deputy ambassador Jeffrey DeLaurentis said that “the UN must investigate any violations of UN Security Council resolutions — and we must not allow Russia or others to impede or threaten the UN from carrying out its mandated responsibilities.”

The Western clash with Russia over attacks on civilians and infrastructure and the use of Iranian drones came at an open council meeting that also focused on the dire humanitarian situation in Ukraine as winter approaches.

Almost 18 million people, more than 40% of Ukraine's population, need humanitarian assistance, UN humanitarian coordinator Denise Brown says.

UN political chief Rosemary DiCarlo expressed grave concern to the council that Russian missile and drone attacks between October 10 and October 18 in cities and towns across Ukraine killed at least 38 Ukrainian civilians, injured at least 117 and destroyed critical energy infrastructure, including power plants.

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