Ukraine's health minister said on Saturday that 198 civilians, including three children, had been killed by Russian troops invading a Western-backed country.
"Unfortunately, according to operational information, at the hands of the attackers we have 198 casualties, including 3 children, 1,115 injured, including 33 children," Health Minister Viktor Lyashko wrote on Facebook.
Ukrainian troops have called off a Russian offensive in the capital, the military said on Saturday morning, just hours after President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Moscow would try to take over Kyiv before dawn on the hour-long conflict.
Russia's leader Vladimir Putin has launched a full-scale strike on Thursday that has killed scores of people, forced more than 50,000 people to flee Ukraine in just 48 hours and sparked fears of a new Cold War in Europe.
India is "deeply disturbed" by recent developments in Ukraine, says India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations. He called for a concerted effort to curb violence and conflict, saying no solution could ever be made for the loss of human lives.
Speaking at the UNSC meeting on Ukraine, Tirumurti said India was also very concerned about the welfare and security of Indian society, including the large number of Indian students in Ukraine. “Modern world order is based on the UN Charter, international law and respect for the sovereignty and integrity of regional territories. We agreed with the President of the Russian Federation. Currently, the parties are discussing the location and timing of the negotiation process during these hours. The sooner the negotiations start, the better the chances of a return to normal, ”he said.
Russia, as expected, opposed the UN Security Council decision on Friday condemning "strong words" against the "violence" of the country against Ukraine and demanding the immediate withdrawal of its troops. 11 out of 15 councilors voted in favor of the proposal, which was drafted by the United States and Albania. China, India and the United Arab Emirates did not say.
The decision was not always successful because of the veto power of Moscow as a permanent member of the council. The debate, however, gave member states an opportunity to voice their criticism of President Vladimir Putin's decision to attack Russia's neighbor in full.
"Let me clarify one thing," said US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield after the vote. "Russia, you can oppose this decision, but you cannot oppose our words, you cannot oppose the truth, you cannot oppose our principles, you cannot oppose the people of Ukraine."
The names of the draft text presented before the Security Council were cut off a few hours before the vote for further support. The term “disregard” was replaced by “contempt” and was removed to refer to Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, which allows members to take military action to restore peace, was removed.
The decision also reaffirmed Ukraine's sovereignty and called on Russia to "immediately stop using force in Ukraine." In the end, more than 70 countries supported the decision.
"Make no mistake, Russia is alone. It does not support the Ukrainian invasion, ”said Britain's ambassador to the UN, Barbara Woodward. Prior to the vote, Thomas-Greenfield described Russia's invasion as "extremist, daring, and threatening our international system as we know it.
"We have a strong obligation to be impartial… At the very least, we have a responsibility to argue," he said. "Vote yes if you believe Russia must be held accountable for its actions. Vote no or abstain if you do not support the law and conform to Russia's brutal and unrepentant actions. ”
Moscow's UN envoy, Vassily Nebenzia, has condemned the decision as "against Russia and Ukraine." "It is difficult for us to compete with the US in terms of attacking statistics. You are not in a good mood, ”he said.
Ukrainian Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya led the chamber in a moment of silence, urging members to "pray for peace." He also told Nebenzia to "pray for salvation." "Russia is determined to continue the Nazi occupation," Kyslytsya said, whose speech was applauded by members.
Earlier, he had flown the Ukrainian flag and European embassies under Picasso's Guernica tapestry hanging outside the door of the council chamber. Explaining his country's resilience, Chinese Ambassador Zhang Jun spoke of NATO's growth, saying "Russia's legitimate security concerns should be taken into account and addressed."
After the vote, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said: "Soldiers need to get back on track."
"Leaders must turn to the path of dialogue and peace," he urged.
Russia, which currently holds the presidency of the Security Council, is likely to face another vote in a similar resolution before the UN General Assembly made up of all 193 member states.
Moscow does not have a veto there and the decision can be passed on a large scale, although it will not be binding.
The General Assembly held a similar vote in 2014 condemning the Russian occupation of Crimea, which received 100 votes in support.
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