UN makes unilateral accusations against Russia, ignores Kiev's responsibility: Russian FM

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Ukraine's embassies and representative offices abroad are recruiting foreign citizens into "Zelensky’s corps," Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.

"We took note of the recruitment by foreign diplomatic missions — that is, embassies, consulates, representative offices of Ukraine attached to international organizations — of foreign citizens into the so-called volunteer foreign 'Zelensky’s corps'," the diplomat told a briefing.

She added that Moscow will adopt the same methods against new foreign militants in Ukraine as in the strike on a firing range in the Lvov region.

Russia agrees with Ukraine to jointly ensure security of Chernobyl NPP 

An agreement between Russia and the Ukrainian military jointly ensures security at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant (NPP), the Russian diplomat.

"An agreement was reached with the military personnel of the Ukrainian branch of the station guard battalion on joint security of its power units and the sarcophagus," Zakharova told a briefing.

Moscow intends to ensure the security of the Chernobyl NPP, the diplomat noted.

In addition, the official highlighted that the formations controlled by Kiev are carrying out provocations, engaging in sabotage against the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

"Attacks against their own nuclear facilities are already becoming a hallmark of the ruling regime in Ukraine. The blame for this falls entirely on Kiev, and, of course, on Zelensky's American 'masters' and US vassals in NATO," she added.

UN makes unilateral accusations against Russia, ignores Kiev's responsibility 

The UN Secretariat continues to make unilateral accusations against Russia while ignoring the responsibility of Kiev for the situation in Ukraine, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.

"The leadership of the [UN] secretariat continues to put forward unilateral accusations against Russia, ignoring the responsibility of the Kiev authorities for the current situation. It comes to absurd statements about the almost purposeful destruction of civilian facilities and infrastructure in Ukraine by the Russian armed forces," Zakharova told a briefing.

At the same time, the international community deliberately disregard the shelling of the Donbass republics by the Ukrainian forces, the diplomat added.

"We call on the General Secretariat and its subordinates to return to strict adherence to the status of an international civil servant, which implies an equidistant position aimed at finding opportunities for dialogue and cooperation. Only this equidistance should not turn into indifference, it should turn into objectivity," she said.

Moscow holds Tokyo responsible for lives of Japanese partaking in Ukraine 

Zakharova warned Tokyo of the responsibility for the lives of its citizens recruited to partake as volunteer fighters in Ukraine. 

"First it [Japan] unconditionally follows the sanctions and information war that was unleashed against Russia by the United States and the EU, then allows foreign agents, disguised as diplomats, to recruit Japanese citizens into foreign mercenaries ... I would like to warn you right away that it is the Japanese side only that will be responsible for the lives of its countrymen, who are cynically lured into the war zone by its Ukrainian friends," Zakharova told a briefing.

Russia calls Slovak decision on Russian diplomatic employees expulsion unfriendly

Russia considers the expulsion of three Russian diplomatic employees by Slovakia as an unfriendly step, and will respond to it, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.

"We are disappointed with another unfriendly step on the part of the Slovak authorities, as they, under a far-fetched pretext, decided to expel three diplomatic employees of Russian foreign missions within 72 hours," Zakharova told a briefing, adding that this decision will not be left without reaction.

Zelensky's request for air defense systems supplies amid peace talks 

The Ukrainian President requested to supply Kiev with air defense systems against the backdrop of ongoing peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, "in line with his thoughtless policy", Zakharova continued. 

While addressing the US Congress, Zelensky called on Washington to supply Ukraine with air defense systems, including the S-300 ones, as an alternative to the declaration of a no-fly zone over Ukraine.

"This is in line with Zelenskyy's thoughtless and soulless policy towards his people and, in principle, Ukraine," Zakharova said at a briefing.

The diplomat mentioned that such statements are considered threatening and such supplies will become a destabilizing factor that will not bring peace to Ukraine and can have much more dangerous consequences in the long run.

Russian FM denies allegations of attack on Albanian Consulate in Kharkov

The Russian diplomat denied allegations that Russia struck the building of the honorary consulate of Albania in Kharkov.

"We strongly reject such accusations. From the very beginning of the special operation in Ukraine, [Moscow] said that the Russian armed forces do not shell civilian infrastructure," Zakharova told a briefing.

The Ukrainian leadership and armed forces command use terrorist methods — they place combat positions in residential buildings, shell urban areas, and use people as human shields, the diplomat added.