РУССКИЙ
11:46 13.01.2026 •
Photo: The Permanent Mission of Russia to the United Nations
Statement by Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia at a UN Security Council Briefing on Ukraine:
Mr. President,
We are under the impression that some of the elected UNSC members came to the Council pursuing a single priority: to serve as a mouthpiece for lies of the war party and accuse Russia of all ills, completely ignoring the causal links that are precisely the reason for the deepest crisis in European security. They believe that they are blameless. Our supercilious ex-partners have never seen and still do not see the plank in their own eye, they suffer from political color blindness, seeing everything in black and white.
The Russian army carried out one massive and four group air strikes through January 3-9, which resulted in damage to transport, airfield, port, and energy infrastructure facilities that sustained the Ukrainian military-industrial complex, as well as temporary deployment sites of the Ukrainian troops and foreign mercenaries. This was done in response to the attack waged by the Kiev regime on the Russian President's residence and civilian infrastructure in our country. The strike was carried out using the Oreshnik missile system, against which there is no air defense protection so far.
Our Western colleagues keep telling us about civilian casualties, but most of the casualties were caused by the operation of Ukraine’s air defense, which is something that everybody, including Ukrainians, is well aware of. All these loud but completely groundless allegations about Russia's targeted attacks on Ukrainian families, who were peacefully sleeping in their homes, are uncorroborated by any facts or evidence whatsoever. The Russian Armed Forces do not target civilians.
At the same time, our Western colleagues tend to completely ignore the crimes that are being committed by the Kiev regime, which is deliberately targeting Russian regions, striking at civilian facilities and civilians. Thus, in December 2025 alone, at least 367 civilians were harmed by the Ukrainian strikes, 56 people died.
Against this backdrop, we are astounded by the silent response on the part the international community, especially the UN Secretary-General, and this has become the norm. Refusing to clearly qualify such actions as terrorist acts and dismissing them as “unconfirmed facts” is tantamount to renouncing the basic principles of international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians and the prohibition of premeditated attacks on civilian targets. Yet, as soon as Russia deploys its military against the Ukrainian armed forces and its infrastructure, emotions start to run high, which is followed by unequivocal comments from the Secretary-General and his spokesperson. Such selective blindness is, unfortunately, a hallmark of the UN Secretariat’s leadership.
The absence of response from the so-called “collective West,” much like the complete disregard for the tragedies by leading Western media outlets, has become a lamentable norm. De facto, this is nothing but covering for the terrorist attacks committed by the Kiev regime and complicity therein. After all, responsibility for what is happening lies not only with those who are pulling the trigger, but also with those who for years have encouraged impunity, supplied arms, and provided political cover for such actions. This is what the billions of funds allocated to Ukraine from the pockets of European taxpayers are actually being spent on. But sooner or later, one will have to bear responsibility for this complicity, for all this aiding and abetting.
We have repeatedly stated that no belligerent action on the part of the neo-Nazi clique entrenched in Kiev will go unanswered.
What was utterly outrageous is another hideous terrorist attack committed against civilians in Khorly, a resort town in the Kherson region.
Civilians – families with children, locals, and visitors – gathered in the hotel café to celebrate New Year's Eve 2026. At that very moment Ukrainian terrorists launched a premeditated strike on this place. As a result of this terrorist attack, 29 people perished, including two children, and over 30 were wounded.
We don’t have the slightest doubt that this odious attack was premeditated and deliberate. Before the strike, a reconnaissance drone was loitering over the settlement for a long time. This serves as further confirmation of the fact that Ukrainians knew full well what and who they were striking at. The attack was carried out just before the clock stroke midnight, right when civilians were in the building.
For those of you who don't know this, the village of Khorly is located in a resort area on the Gorky Kut peninsula, surrounded on three sides by the Black Sea. It lies beyond the so-called “red line.” There are no military facilities in the area nor have there ever been any. The local former seaport has long lost its significance, and the area has been developed solely for leisure purposes: there are children's camps, recreation centers, and other tourist infrastructure.
This vile terrorist attack stands out for its utter cynicism. While the media controlled by Ukraine’s presidential office were broadcasting the New Year's address by the expired ringleader of the Kiev regime with his fallacious calls for peace, Ukrainian troops at that very moment were deliberately annihilating civilians.
Colleagues,
We are no longer surprised by the narrative we hear today in this chamber. This narrative comes from those who, using their beloved “double standards,” request Security Council meetings on Ukraine while hypocritically turning a blind eye to the ruthless killings committed at the behest of the Zelensky regime, which is mired in terrorism, corruption, and lawlessness. And Zelensky himself is seeking to get as much money and weapons as possible from his European puppeteers both for himself and his entourage.
This terrorist attack is not an exception, but just one of many examples of inhumane crimes committed by the Zelensky regime against peaceful Russian civilians. USG Rosemary DiCarlo at least mentioned them today, but the UN, as always, cannot verify anything. 500,000 people in the Belgorod region are left without electricity, but the UN cannot verify this for some reason.
The Ukrainian clique won’t be helped by anything – neither by the failed French summit of the “Coalition of the willing” nor by the advance of NATO forces towards Ukraine's borders (we have repeatedly spoken about the possible consequences thereof). Although many people have recently championed this, it is the threat of such presence – alongside our desire to end the war waged by the Kiev regime against its own people – that served to a large extent as a trigger for us to start our special military operation.
Nor will the clique be helped by incantations about a ceasefire, which – they hope – would give them some respite from crushing defeats on the battlefield. Nor will Zelensky be helped by his absurd “conditions,” which have nothing to do with reality (well, he drifted away from reality long ago). By putting forward his conditions in response to the US proposals, he is essentially nullifying what is being done by the US.
All of a sudden, the European Commission started discussing that at some point the EU would “have to engage in dialogue with Russia.” It begs the question: Where have you been all this time? We have never turned away from dialogue. It is you who arrogantly assumed that it would not go that far, since you banked on inflicting a “strategic defeat” on the Russian Federation.
Until the Kiev ringleader comes to his senses and agrees to realistic terms for negotiations, we will continue solving the problems by military means. He was warned long ago, and the conditions for negotiations will only get worse for him with each day he squanders.
And every horrific attack on peaceful Russian citizens will elicit a harsh response.
Thank you.
read more in our Telegram-channel https://t.me/The_International_Affairs
