The United States leveled accusations against Russia, alleging that Moscow had fired at least nine missiles supplied by North Korea toward Ukraine.
In response, Moscow branded Washington a “direct accomplice” in the recent downing of a Russian military transport plane, blaming the incident on a Patriot surface-to-air missile purportedly launched by Ukraine.
During a United Nations Security Council meeting convened at Moscow’s request to discuss the situation in Ukraine, Vassily Nebenzia, Russia’s UN Ambassador, and Robert Wood, the deputy US Ambassador to the UN, exchanged heated accusations. Wood asserted that Russia had repeatedly utilized ballistic missiles supplied by North Korea against Ukraine, calling for accountability for actions that violate UN Security Council resolutions.
Both Russia and North Korea denied the accusations made by the United States, though they had previously pledged to deepen military cooperation.
Russia’s strengthening ties with nations hostile to the United States, including North Korea and Iran, have raised concerns in the West, particularly since the onset of the conflict in Ukraine nearly two years ago.
The Russian military transport plane, an Il-76, tragically crashed on January 24, with Russia attributing the incident to a Patriot missile launched by Ukraine.
Nebenzia reiterated these claims during the Security Council meeting, asserting that Washington was complicit in the alleged crime. Russian investigators recently announced evidence implicating Ukraine’s military in the downing of the plane using US-made Patriot missiles.
The Security Council convened on Tuesday following reports from Russia alleging that Ukraine had targeted a bakery and restaurant in eastern Ukraine, resulting in the deaths of at least 28 people. Senior Ukrainian diplomat Serhii Dvornyk accused Russia of disseminating false information to the council.
Wood expressed regret over the lack of independent verification of the events due to limited media access but emphasized the US’s concern for civilian casualties. He reiterated that Russia remained the sole aggressor in the ongoing conflict and held the power to end it.
I am an experienced writer, analyst, and author. My exposure in English journalism spans more than 28 years. In the past, I have been working with daily The Muslim (Lahore Bureau), daily Business Recorder (Lahore/Islamabad Bureaus), Daily Times, Islamabad, daily The Nation (Lahore and Karachi). With daily The Nation, I have served as Resident Editor, Karachi. Since 2009, I have been working as a Freelance Writer/Editor for American organizations.
