Ukraine’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Andrii Melnyk, urged the UN to suspend Russian personnel from peacekeeping and police missions after Russia’s armed forces were listed for rape and other forms of conflict-related sexual violence.
Speaking at a UN Security Council meeting, Melnyk said Russia’s inclusion in the UN secretary-general’s report should not remain a symbolic gesture, but must carry real consequences.
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He argued that Russian personnel should be removed from UN peacekeeping and police missions, saying Moscow’s forces have no moral right to serve under the UN banner while being accused of systematic crimes in Ukraine.
Melnyk said Ukraine has documented such crimes since Russia’s occupation of Crimea and parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions in 2014. He added that these cases have now been independently verified and officially recorded by the United Nations.
“What a disgrace for this infamous Russian army and so-called law enforcement agencies, which are nothing more than a gang of rapists,” Melnyk said.
Citing the UN secretary-general’s report, the Ukrainian diplomat said it confirmed 310 cases of conflict-related sexual violence committed by Russian armed and security structures.
The documented crimes included rape, gang rape, genital mutilation, electric shocks and beatings of genitals. The victims included 280 men, 26 women and four girls.
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According to Melnyk, the perpetrators included Russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service, the Russian armed forces and the Federal Security Service, or FSB.
Melnyk reminded the Council that Russian armed forces had already appeared three years in a row in the UN secretary-general’s report on violations against children in armed conflict.
“Now Russia is listed under two key UN Security Council mechanisms – children and armed conflict, and conflict-related sexual violence,” he said.
“Russian personnel must be suspended from UN peacekeeping and police missions,” the Ukrainian ambassador stressed
Melnyk also sharply criticized the Russian delegation for rejecting UN documents on Moscow’s war crimes.
“If Russia is uncomfortable with all the General Assembly resolutions demanding the unconditional withdrawal of its troops – or, more precisely, its war criminals – from Ukrainian land, if Russia rejects independent reports by the relevant UN bodies exposing Moscow’s barbaric policy, perhaps it is time to say goodbye and get out of the UN,” Melnyk said.
He reminded that the Russian Federation was never properly admitted to the United Nations after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
“I do not think anyone in this chamber will shed tears when Russia finally slams the door and gets out,” he said.
Melnyk accused Russia’s representative of spreading lies before the Council, saying Moscow continues to distort the work of the UN while rejecting its findings on Russian war crimes.
During the meeting, Melnyk also spoke about recent Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities and the strike on a spent nuclear fuel storage facility in the Chornobyl zone.
He also rejected Moscow’s claims about occupied Starobilsk, which Ukraine says Russia has been actively spreading as part of a propaganda campaign.
Responding to Russia’s repeated claims that the Bucha massacre was staged, Melnyk said there is no modern war crime that has been better documented.
“This will be the final verdict for Russia’s political leadership, because Bucha is a disgrace that not only your government, but also the Russian people, will carry for decades and centuries,” Melnyk said, addressing the Russian delegation.
The UN Security Council met at Ukraine’s request after Russia’s latest massive attack on Ukrainian cities.
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