Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova’s answer to a media question on UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ statement on the situation in Ukraine

Question: What can you tell us about UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres saying on July 14 that he was shocked by a rocket fired into the city of Vinnitsa, central Ukraine?

Maria Zakharova: Indeed, this statement by Antonio Guterres has come to our attention. Here’s what I would like to say.

What we are seeing now is something that goes back in time. Contrary to the requirements in the UN Charter, the Secretariat is not taking an equidistant position, as one would expect from a Secretariat of the most authoritative international organisation that is designed, among other things, to promote the settlement of disputes.

Now with regard to this particular case. According to the Russian Defence Ministry, high-precision Kalibr missiles were used in Vinnitsa targeting a garrison house of officers which at that moment was housing a meeting of the Ukrainian Air Force command with representatives of foreign arms suppliers. The UN is probably aware of that. If not, then we suggest that Mr Guterres ask Ukraine why the Kiev regime is placing military facilities in close proximity to civilian buildings.

At the same time, for some reason, like many other UN representatives, the Secretary-General does not see the Armed Forces of Ukraine fire direct missile strikes against civilian targets and residential urban areas. I will give examples. Regarding the shelling of Kursk and Belgorod on July 3, as well as the shelling of Novaya Kakhovka on July 12, when warehouses with saltpeter exploded and residential buildings, a church and other buildings were damaged, the force of the detonation was similar to the explosion in the port of Beirut, and according to the regional Interior Ministry, approximately 190 people asked for medical help. Neither Mr Guterres, nor his official representative, nor anyone else from the UN Secretariat condemned the attack on civilians and civilian infrastructure as in the case of Vinnitsa. In response to a specific request to comment on the incident in Novaya Kakhovka, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary General, Farhan Haq, said there were no comments on that matter. On earlier occasions, the UN has repeatedly ignored reports of civilian deaths, including children, caused by Ukrainian troop fire. Also, UN Secretary-General Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric had no information about Ukraine using civilians as a human shield (March 3 briefing https://www.un.org/press/en/2022/db220303.doc.htm).

I would like to remind our esteemed colleagues from the UN Secretariat that their job is not to take sides in disputable situations, but to help maintain peace and stability. This is what they are paid for and this is their mandate.