Vassily Nebenzia (Russian Federation) on the strike on the college in Starobelsk - Press Conference

Hello everyone. Thank you for coming for the press conference of permanent representative Vasily Nybenzia on the Ukrainian strike on Starobilsk. Ambassador will make a statement. We will show a couple of videos after that, some of you will be able to ask the questions. Vasily, the floor is yours.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for coming. Finding the time to do it as you know, on May 22, the Ukrainian Armed forces launched a deliberate strike on a college and dormitory in Starybersk Lugansk People's Republic. At Russia's request, the eu, who was there At Russia's request, the UN Security Council convened for an emergency meeting on Friday. But we wanted to give you more details on what happened. 86 students aged 14 to 19 were among with one staff member were living in the dormitory. These were children and teenagers. They were not on the front line. They were unarmed and they neither participated nor could possibly have participated in the hostilities. They were asleep. It was at that moment when the strike happened, turning an ordinary night in a student dormitory into a nightmare. According to the latest reports, 21 people, mostly young girls, were killed and 63 students were injured in this horrific attack. Many of the wounded remain hospitalized, some in critical condition. The target was not a command center, a fortified position, a weapons depot or military barracks, but the civilian facilities. There were no military installations, government offices, security services, facilities near the dormitory. The deliberate nature of the attack is further confirmed by the fact that 16 UAVs targeted the same location in three successive ways, causing the five story dormitory building to collapse down to the second floor. Another glaring manifestation of the Nazi and terrorist character of the Kyiv regime, which does not hesitate to kill miners in crime. Russian investigative authorities have opened the criminal case on charges of terrorism. All those responsible will be identified and will face inevitable and severe punishment. At the UN Security Council meeting on Friday, we once again heard the habitual set of excuses routinely used whenever the west seeks to shield the Kyiv regime. And I quote further are the quotations. There is no independent verification. UN representative do not have access to the site. We cannot confirm the authenticity of the information. Russia is exploiting this for propaganda purposes and so on and so forth. The cynicism displayed by certain Western delegations was really staggering. The permanent representative of Denmark stated that it was difficult to comment on statements made by the Russian Federation until they are independently verified before effectively suggesting that, unlike Ukraine, there is no free media in Russia or in the occupied territories. When we asked whether they felt any shame, I mean our Western colleagues, we received a response that has become emblematic. Of the moral decline of the European diplomacy. No, we do not feel ashamed. The permanent representative of Latvia went even further, calling the strike on the college a provocation and the Kremlin fake, thus denying the very existence of the destroyed dormitory, the dead and wounded students, the rescue efforts and the grief of their families. Equally polling was the statement by the representative of the Kyiv regime to remove any doubt. On May 24, the Russian side invited more than 50 foreign journalists from 19 countries, including Austria, Brazil, UK, Hungary, Venezuela, Germany, Greece, Spain, Italy, Qatar, China, Cuba, Lebanon, the Emirates, Pakistan, United States, Turkey, Finland and France to visit the site of the tragedy in Starobersk so as to see with their own eyes what happened there. As a result, they acknowledged the accuracy of the information we have presented. Some Western media outlets, however, preferred to continue speculations regarding the unverified claims without ever approaching this in itself. Tokyo barters journalists from participating in the visit. The BBC officially declined the invitation, while CNN representatives were reportedly on vacation. The video footage that you'll see shortly features victims and witnesses speaking about the tragedy. Their accounts eloquently confirmed that the facilities were strictly civilian in nature. No matter how much the representatives of the Kyiv regime claim that the strike targeted military site in Starobersk, firsthand eyewitness accounts completely refute their claims. Please show the video

literally the day before the tragedy. We support each other. We don't give up. This was one of the psychology lessons. The girl trapped on the concrete slabs isn't talking about herself, but about her friend. Both were rescued. Olya Kovaleva is already feeling better. It was her moaning under the rubble. The Starobelsk College dormitory classrooms are in the same building. Bunk beds, rooms that miraculously survive. Many people fled from here in a hurry, some barefoot. It was still dark. Ukrainian militants didn't miss. They deliberately targeted the educational institution. One after another, several drones hit the same buildings. It's obvious this isn't a military facility. This is what the children made with their own hands. These are the ones who are getting an education, dreaming of becoming elementary school teachers. Here's one of the classrooms, which is set up exactly like a class for young children. In this specific area, they taught the students exactly how to interact with very little kids. Here there are many colorful toys, educational toys, and a variety of interesting books. These are the things used by both elementary school and preschool teachers. Here they taught how to care for children and to be compassionate. And when Ukrainian drones struck at night, the kids did their best to save each other. Elena, a teacher, helped the children leave the dormitory for A safe place. That night, Adults who lived nearby also rushed to help. Constantine Dubovoy led several teenagers out of the fire, but was himself wounded by the next explosion. Today the authorities of the Luhansk Republic published a list of the deceased. 17 names. There are more victims. The identification process is ongoing. An air raid alert has been declared again. The search and rescue operation is temporarily suspended, but it resumes immediately. As soon as the threat passes. We see destruction. It's all over the building. But some parts, yes, have survived. Several people are in hospitals in serious condition. One had to be sent to Moscow for treatment. Elena Kopyova, the mother of Maxim, the young man with severe injuries. It's an immense tragedy. An indescribable pain for people who have lost their children, their closest loved ones. Not everyone is ready to speak. Their souls are torn apart. But some in the west have already called this pain a lie, A fake supposedly claiming that Ukrainian drones attacked the military. Investigators from the Investigative Committee are carefully collecting all physical evidence. This will form the basis of a case on a war crime. Among the ruined walls there are only books, beds and desks left. An ordinary college became the target for Ukrainian criminals. Where certificates and photographs from a previous life still hang on the walls of the classrooms. Just ordinary, cheerful kids and teachers. For many after this tragedy, life will never be the same. For many, there is no life left at all. 19 year old Irina Jvotikova, the main activist of her group, the bright and kind. This is how her friends remember her. Just a couple of days ago she won the title of Miss Audience Choice on the college stage and took first place in the Beauty of the Faculty contest. 19 year old Dasha Sirduk was the life of the student group. She was raised by her grandmother. She lost her parents and wanted to raise many children herself. 19 year old Anya Pogrebnichenko was born in the village of Belokurakino. She came to Starobelsk to get an education. They are beautiful and talented. Now their dreams will never come true. Their dreams were shattered by the attack of war criminals, Ukrainian militants. This crime will not go unpunished.

The question goes, where does this brutality come from? And what is the cause? And the answer is simple. It is the key for revenge on the people of Lugansk People's Republic who chose Russia. Zelensky is actually killing his own former compatriots. I would like to emphasize this one more time. It is he is exterminating his former fellow citizens for refusing to live under his neo Nazi rule. How can he hypocritically argue that people matter more than territories when he's responsible for such terrorist attacks. We'll play the following footage on mute because it's simply too heartbreaking to watch and hear. You can find it among the materials from the press conference, which are accessible via the QR code. On the screens before you, you can clearly see just how much suffering Kyiv has brought upon these people. Put the video Western capitals may speak endlessly about children's rights, but their reaction to the tragedy is Starebsk shows that in their political worldview, children have long been divided into convenient and inconvenient victims. If the suffering of a child can be used against Russia, it immediately becomes an international scandal. But when children die because of the premeditated actions by the Kyiv regime, the tragedy disappears behind caveats, doubts, references to context. This is not merely double standards. This is moral failure and complete disgrace. The Zelenskyy regime and its Western accomplices, supplying the Ukrainian armed forces with weapons for committing crimes against our people, have shown to the whole world their rule disdain, their rude disdain to the norms of international humanitarian law. They are openly trampling upon the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols that regulate the protection of the civilian population during conflicts, the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child and some other prominent international acts. Of particular concern is the conduct of the UN Secretariat, which has once again chosen, intentionally chosen intentionally vague language in order to avoid offending the Kyiv regime by calling its pay the Spain. We are told that the organization lacks access to the territory and therefore cannot confirm the details of what happened, despite us repeatedly confirming to the Secretary they are permitted to visit frontline areas, but only via Russian territory. Due to security concerns, the UN has consistently refused, citing its respect for Ukraine's territorial integrity. This is a political choice by the Secretariat, not any unwillingness on our part to provide access. Anyone wishing to visit Luhansk, People's Republic, Donetsk People's Republic, Zaporozhye or Kherson regions are welcome to do so via the territory of the Russian Federation. It is not our whim. It's done for the security reasons. As I said, we cannot guarantee the security of all those who like to cross through the line of combat. Let me underline this once again. The absence of access does not remove the UN's responsibility to provide an objective assessment of strike of a strike on a civilian educational facility and dormitory housing teenagers. We regularly provide the UN Secretariat with materials documenting crimes committed by the Kyiv regime against civilians. Yet Secretary General, would terror chooses to ignore them if additional materials are required, we are ready to transmit them too. Tellingly, the UN Secretariat faces no such difficulties. While commenting on the cases when Ukraine is presented as a victim of the so called Russian full scale invasion, the organization quickly finds the right language, including the emotional condemnations, the political action emphasis in the calls for action. Yet in the case of Starobilsk, we once again hear that same biased, muted and lukewarm language that does little to conceal the selective nature of this approach. The contrast becomes even more obvious when recalling other cases in which the Secretariat and unshot no such history. One example is the Bucha provocation, which has become a textbook case for hypocrisy and double standards. For several years the Russian side has requested Secretary's assistance in obtaining the list of those killed in Buchi, but without success. Earlier this month, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov sent a letter to Antonio Guterres containing specific questions regarding the Buchanan accident and we are awaiting detailed and elaborate answers. So far, however, we continue to see evasion delays, unwillingness to examine anything that could undermine the version of events convenient for the collective West. The same selectivity is evident in humanitarian incidents in territories controlled by Kyiv. When the UN humanitarian convoy was struck near Bilaziurka, the Secretariat promptly issued a statement without establishing the fact or investigation. By relying solely on claims made by the Ukrainian side, it placed full responsibility on the armed forces of the Russian Federation. A similar situation occurred with the Ukrainian NGO Proliesky humanitarian mission. This raises an obvious question. Why is the UN Secretariat ready to speak firmly regarding situation in Ukraine? Ukraine yet suddenly hides behind the phrases like we do not have access when it comes to the strikes on the Russian territories, including Starobilsk. Such an approach is clearly politically selective. It undermines trust with the United nations and demonstrates that universal principles for the protection of civilians have been turned into political tools used against those the Western self proclaimed democracy. When children in dorm was a kill the west speaks of unverified information. But when similar accusations are directed at Russia, the presumption of guilt appears immediately and the entire machinery of political pressure begins operating without hesitation, doubt or demands for access. The Kyiv regime does not exist in vacuum. Its numerous atrocities are fueled by the certain that after every crime its Western sponsors will either remain silent, cast doubt on the obvious or simply blame Russia instead. This approach effectively encourages further attacks on civilians, as those responsible know they will not be held accountable. Russia will spare no effort in establishing the full circumstances of the crime and bringing everyone involved to justice, including those who gave the orders enabled the strikes, supplied the weapons provided political cover or attempted to suppress information about the tragedy. The man made tragedy in Starobersk cannot be erased through diplomatic maneuvering, media silence or references to unverified information. This premeditated crime is further evident of the lengths to which the Kyiv regime is prepared to go to intimidate civilians and of how low its Western backers are willing to sink to preserve a narrative that suits them. In response to this and many other multiple crimes of the Kyiv regime, the armed forces of the Russian Federation are beginning to launch consistent and systematic strikes on Ukrainian defense industry enterprises in Kyiv, including facilities dedicated to designing, manufacturing, programming and preparing drones for operation. The Ukrainian militants use these drones with the help of NATO specialists who supply components and provide reconnaissance and target acquisition data. These tracks will target decision making centers and command posts as the the aforementioned facilities are scattered across Kyiv. We are urging foreign citizens, including diplomatic and international organization personnel, to leave the city as soon as possible. We further urge residents of the Ukrainian capital to refrain from approaching military and administrative structures. Infrastructure facilities belonging to the Zelenskyy regime and all the objectives of the special military will be achieved. The neo Nazi who are spreading terror and chaos across this long suffering land will be destroyed. I thank you. Any questions? Thank you for the statement and the first question added, please. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Mr. Ambassador, on behalf of the United Nations Correspondence association for doing this briefing. My name is Edith Lederer from the Associated Press. The world is witnessing an escalation. We're seeing more intense Russian attacks on Ukraine, including Kyiv, and more widespread attacks by Ukraine in Russia. What is the prospect for ending this conflict? We see that the Trump administration is focused now on Iran. Are there any new negotiations planned on this conflict between Russia and Ukraine? Thank you, Edith. I will start with the first part of what you were saying about the escalation. You know, the usual narrative by our Western colleagues, not just in the Security Council but elsewhere, of the Ukrainians themselves, in particular by the current Ukrainian PR who excels in that, telling us that Russia is stalling on the front. It's not moving. The gains that it achieved during the four years are minimal. Ukraine's victory is imminent, Russia will collapse in a month or two, etc. All this, how would I put it diplomatically language. The problem is, or rather the answer to it, is that we deliberately refrained from striking, from making major strikes on Ukrainian territory, specifically because these are the people who live in the. Do you recall any strikes on the major cities in Ukraine or on Kyiv except for the certain Military, military infrastructure that we did earlier. These people are not foreign to us and we have mercy on them. But I mean, the Kyiv regime won't stop before anything to go like it did in Starobersky. It was really a disgrace to hear what they were saying after we called that meeting to demonstrate what happened there and what, and how deliberately, deliberately it was planned and executed. On the, on the talks with the Ukrainian side. There are no talks. We put our conditions forward. We said, what is the real talks? It's not the, it's not the freezing over the front line which Kyiv desperately wants, despite, despite the, the message that the Ukrainian PR is sending. I asked him, I asked a question at the last meeting of the Security Council. If you are so confident in your imminent victory, why are you calling for the immediate ceasefire? Then do it. It doesn't match with the military objectives on the battlefield. Your narrative and the narrative by your authorities. Nothing meaningful is happening. We put our conditions forward. We said that before we achieve whatever, whatever agreement, The core reasons why the whole thing started should be eliminated and we should be able to talk about them. And that is, they are very well known. This is the NATO membership. This is the threat that Ukraine poses to Russia, the Nazi, the neo Nazi nature of the regime, the persecution of the Russian speaker population, the country and the whole lot of these things. And we were very close to achieving that before Bucha happened. If you remember in 2022 when Boris Johnson rushed to Kyiv and basically forbade Zelenskyy to sign up anything, to sign anything encouraging him to continue, ensuring him that the west will not never leave Ukraine and that the victory is just behind the door, etc. It all collapsed then, but now we don't see any willingness on the part of the regime to participate in whatever negotiations. Yes, President Trump indeed, I think quite genuinely wanted and continues to, still wants this conflict to be finished. But the problem is that you cannot conflict, finish this conflict before addressing the root causes, why it started. And indeed Trump administration now is busy with other matters we all know which perhaps the Russian, Ukrainian conflict is not on their priority list. There were talks that Kushner and Wykoff would go to Moscow shortly. As far as I know, they haven't been there yet and I don't know whether they are coming shortly or not either. Please go ahead. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Thank you so much, Mr. Ambassador Abdel Hamid Sayyam from the Arabic daily Al Qudsel Arabi. Palestinians are used to this double standard when one Israel is wounded and there are so many statement. But if Thousands of Palestinians are killed, then it's collateral damage or self defense. But my question is about the bubble standard and this unjustified unlawful attack on Iran. I haven't seen flagrant cases of condemnation of this. They just talk about condemning Iran by attacking the Gulf, but I didn't see reference to the root causes of what happened in the Gulf, which is the unlawful.

Did you hear the reference by whom?

By the UN officials and many delegation and there were meetings of the Security Council. There were Even a resolution 2817 which condemned the Iranian attack on the Gulf. But they didn't mention, even mention the original flag grant case of aggression on Iran by the US and Israel. Have you?

We have mentioned it, yeah.

Yeah.

We are addressing the root causes of what is happening. What is now happening is in Iran, in Iran all the time we are saying that the resolution, one resolution we vetoed together with China. Exactly. Because it didn't address the root causes put in the cart before the horse. Now, now the Gulf countries whom we sympathize with, they are all our friends and you know, the Strait of Hormuz, the attacks on these countries, we condemn the threat on the civilian infrastructure. But you know, without mentioning or addressing how it all started, this resolution becomes one sided and it misses the point. Basically that's why we are not very much enthusiastic to adopt it. The freedom of navigation is very important. We are suffering from the lack of freedom of navigation ourselves because our ships are often stopped arbitrarily in the open seas by our former European partners. We have a resolution draft that we prepared together with China on that issue. But the Gulf countries are focused on the Armuz thing. I understand it's important to them. And they, you know, their narrative is, were telling him you are not condemning the aggressor. And they said we were prepared to condemn the aggressor but before we did it, Iran already struck at us and Iraq. Iran was Iran, not Iraq, Iran. Of course Iran was warning in advance that had this started it would attack the military infrastructure that the US put us built in those countries. Now I'm telling them you are the hostages of the American policy in the Middle East. And we were saying long time ago that if something like that would happen, you will inevitably be, you will get into this crisis whether you want it, whether you are willing or not. But indeed UN is again lukewarm on addressing the root causes. The IAEA Director General is also not, you know, he's trying to evade the subject, but the subject is simple. It is unprovoked aggression. By the two countries on Iran on the false pretext. We all know it. I would like to ask whether there are plans to seek a UN led international investigation and do you believe an international objective assessment of this tragedy is still possible today? I think I know the answer in advance. There will be no UN investigation of this tragedy because of these things to which I referred in my presentation that they will say, yeah, but this is the sovereign territory of Ukraine. We have to respect the territorial integrity. We cannot only enter this territory from the Ukrainian side and so on and so forth. And we had this similar experience with that prison that was destroyed and many people died there in Alenivka. We had the same experience and nothing happened. Besides, you know, in Ukraine there are a few commissions which they call independent. But their independence raises a lot of questions, at least with me. Same with the un. Same with some of them are bearing a name. UN mission, Human Rights mission in Ukraine, for example. And who is supplying the data to that mission? We know who. So I'm skeptical about the UN led investigation of the tragedy. That's if I put it shortly. Please.

Hello, my name is Shafakh from ARD, German television and Radio. During the recent drone and missile attacks on Kyiv, the ARD studio was severely damaged. What's your statement to that?

Look, I'm not trying to cover up behind my ignorance of the incident, but indeed I didn't hear about that particular incident. Was it already after the announcement? When did it take place?

It took place on the big attacks in the night between the 23rd and 24th. And there were actually six media outlets who were really damaged. And the ARD Public Broadcasting studio in Kiev was.

Well, the easiest answer I can provide, I don't know the details, is that the media studios were not the, were not the target of the attacks. There should have been something around which was not related to media. But look, these are hostilities and things happen. And we do not deny that some civilian people are losing their lives in these hostilities. That's true. And some damage is caused to the infrastructure. But I mean, I still, I stress it all the time. We stressed all the time. Our leadership is stressing all the time. We do not target civilians deliberately, unlike what the Ukrainian armed forces are doing not just in Starobersk, which we are discussing today. But they were doing that on a regular basis even before that. You know, I was referring to at one of the meetings, the previous meeting on Ukraine, that they have a system of these drone operators who are deliberately targeting civilian objects because this became a kind of a game because for the targets that they destroy, they get promoted in the drone upgrading, whatever, and that completely makes the point different. They are interested in hitting as many civilian objects as they can. They pursue the civilian cars, for example, et cetera, because this becomes a computer game and they are getting promoted for it. There's a system of upgrade of their drone facilities that they can get for the victims that they can find in the open field. So this is the difference between, I mean, I'm not saying that the war is a good thing. I'm not enjoying it. But I mean, in this kind of hostilities, yes, there are civilian victims, but the difference is that we never go after civilians deliberately.

Thank you, Mr. Ambassador, my name is Susan Tehrani. From we on does Russia believe that the current US IR Iran talks are genuinely moving towards some kind of peace or does Russia believe that more military action is inevitable? And also can you talk to us about the possibility of Iran transferring some of its enriched uranium into Russia? Has there been any talk regarding that? And would you welcome that? Thank you.

I would like to believe that the talks, that there are no talks per se. I mean, these are indirect exchange of papers which one or the other side is studying. They are not agreeing, but we hear some comments that, you know, they agreed on that they didn't agree on that. But the deal is close. I mean, whatever the deal and if Iran accepts it and if that can be, that can be accepted by the US by the warring parties, we would welcome it. But that is the Iranian decision, not ours or not the US the talks. Suppose that the sides take decisions, make a deal which would satisfy both sides now. But the alternative to the strikes, the escalation, is something that would of course, course would like to prevent because it is fraught with the consequences not just for Iran, but for the whole region which is already in a very bad shape. The second part of your question, the uranium enrichment material, we said that we are ready. That's a sovereign decision by Iran. If Iran would ask us to take that material to Russia, and if that is a part of the deal, why not? Yes, we said it long time before, but so far we are not there.

Has Iran maybe said that

Iran was not. We are not at this stage when Iran said anything on it. Thank you.

Ambassador Farnush Amiri with the Associated Press. I want to talk about the both the resolutions that you and China have on freedom of navigation and then the Bahrain resolution. Has there been any discussions about when those two would come for a vote? And then separately today you mentioned during the Security Council session that the Iranian ambassador. I'm sorry, the Iranian Foreign Minister was denied a visa. Did the Iranians tell you that themselves? Because the UN had said that they're not aware of that. And then the US has not responded.

I was not talking about Iranian foreign minister not receiving a visa. Although it is in itself a bit strange to me because I think the host country could have used an opportunity of the Iranian Foreign Minister being in the States, you know, since they are in the process of whatever indirect negotiations. I was talking about the Russian deputy Foreign Minister who was denied the visa to participate in the Chinese signature event without any plausible explanation. The person who is responsible in the Foreign ministry for the UNFs. How would you qualify or treat it or how could you explain it? Of course, we will not leave it at this stage. We will follow up on the case. But I said when I spoke that, that this is not just an insult to us, it's an insult to the Chinese presidency. Because the Chinese presidency was asking the highest possible level of participation.

And then, Sorry, the resolutions.

There is. Yeah, exactly the same question I'm asking my Gulf friends. They didn't come with any definitive answer yet. There was some talks about this week, but. But I'm not sure about this week because we have the Muslim holiday tomorrow. Then the week is expiring. They didn't announce the day. Maybe the last question.

Alex, please.

Thank you, Evgeny. Thank you so much. Ambassador Alexei with Reanova's news agency. I have a follow up on Starobel strike. Are you ready to invite your Security Council colleagues to visit Starobilsk? Thank you. I'm ready to invite my Security Council colleagues anytime. I'm not sure that all of the Security Council colleagues would answer my invitation. You know, during our last meeting, I was inviting the Ukrainian PR to Russia to make sure himself how bad the shape of the Russian economy is and how it is decaying, how soon it will collapse. But you know, he specifically answered to that, that under no circumstances, even if Russia would come on the knees to beg. To beg Kiev, not to. There's a long piece of statement to beg us to beg Kiev mercy. He would never go to Russia. That was his answer, but him separately. But my Security Council colleagues, some of them would like to go. But you know, for that to be a Security Council visit, you need to have all the 15ambassadors. You cannot just pick and choose between the Council members. Then it will not be the Security Council member visit. And besides, I'm ready to invite. Again, I'm not sure that all of them will accept the invitation. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Thank you for your time. I know that Foreign Minister Vanee somewhere around.

Thank you.