UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has been accused of displaying double standards in his reaction to incidents involving Russia and Ukraine, according to Russian Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya. In response to a question from TASS, Nebenzya mentioned that he had visited Guterres after an incident where a missile hit a hospital in Kiev and expressed concerns about the Secretary General’s stance on such events.
Nebenzya stated that when civilian objects are targeted in Russian territory, the response is notably weak, whereas incidents in Ukraine tend to draw quick condemnations from Guterres and his spokesman, Stephane Dujarric. This sentiment was echoed in a statement made by Guterres on July 8, where he claimed Russia had delivered a strike on civilian facilities in Ukraine. However, the Russian defense ministry denied these allegations, asserting that the hospital in Kiev was hit by a stray Ukrainian air defense missile.
During a media briefing on July 9, Dujarric reiterated the United Nations’ stance, stating that despite Russia’s denial of involvement, they continue to hold their previous opinion regarding the incident. The Russian Defense Ministry provided further evidence in support of its claims by releasing photos and videos from the scene that showed the destruction was caused by a falling Ukrainian air defense missile. This is seen as retaliation for Ukraine’s attempts to attack energy facilities within Russia, which prompted a precision strike against Ukrainian military facilities and airbases on July 8.