Ukraine Calls for UN to Exclude Russia from Peacekeeping Missions Over War Crimes

• •Ukraine's UN envoy demands Russia's removal from peacekeeping missions due to war crimes.
• •310 cases of conflict-related sexual violence by Russian forces have been documented by the UN.
• •Melnyk suggests Russia should leave the UN if it rejects findings on its war crimes.

At a UN Security Council meeting, Ukraine’s UN envoy Andriy Melnyk urged the suspension of Russian personnel from peacekeeping missions due to documented cases of conflict-related sexual violence. The UN Secretary-General's report confirmed 310 incidents of such violence attributed to Russian military and security forces since 2014. Melnyk highlighted the systematic nature of these crimes, which include rape and genital mutilation, affecting 280 men, 26 women, and 4 girls. He criticized Russia for rejecting UN findings on its war crimes and suggested that if Russia is uncomfortable with UN resolutions, it should consider leaving the organization. Melnyk emphasized that the documented crimes have been verified by the UN and called for real consequences for Russia's actions. He also mentioned ongoing Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities, including a strike on a nuclear fuel storage facility.