KYIV. Nov 9 (Interfax-Ukraine) –Ukraine’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) Andriy Melnyk highlighted the Russian army’s record losses in October: more than 54,000 occupiers were killed or wounded.
“Since there are no job openings for Mr. Nebenzia [Russia’s Permanent Representative to the UN] in Ukraine, I can suggest that he direct his remarkable zeal, compassion, and newfound humanitarian enthusiasm toward his own compatriots in Russia. And I can assure Mr. Nebenzia that they are in far greater need of his attention. In October alone, more than 54,000 Russian servicemen were killed or wounded on Ukrainian soil. 54,000!” Melnyk said at a UN Security Council meeting in New York on Monday.
Thus, as the Ukrainian diplomat noted, last month the Russian army was losing personnel at a rate of one soldier every 48 seconds.
“So by the time this meeting ends, more than 180 Russian soldiers will have been killed or wounded. Since Mr. Nebenzia is sitting here comfortably right now, in New York, perhaps he could at least send a postcard to the mothers and widows, offer them a few words of sympathy, and explain why their sons and husbands had to die for absolutely nothing,” Melnyk said.
Separately, he rejected Nebenzia’s false claims about the Ukrainian military, advising him to take a look at the hundreds of videos circulating online documenting torture, cruel treatment, and abuse carried out by Russian troops.
“As for the theatrical claims about so-called “torture chambers in Ukraine” – this new grotesque scarecrow that Russia keeps trying to conjure up before this Council – let me advise you to first familiarize yourself with the findings of the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Russian Federation. Her report, published just two weeks ago, paints a completely different, very grim picture of a country whose representatives are so concerned about fabricated violations elsewhere. So, Mr. Nebenzia, before Russia lectures the rest of the world on human rights, perhaps you should first take a good look in the mirror,” Melnyk said.