Russian Report at UN on Western Military Involvement in Ukraine & Prisoner Swaps - RU-EN - Freelensia - Aug 11, 2026
Russia's Deputy Permanent Representative Zabolotskaya addresses an informal UN Security Council "Arria-formula" meeting on the implementation of international humanitarian law, focusing on prisoners of war, civilian detainees, and foreign combatants in the context of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. In her remarks, Zabolotskaya discusses prisoner exchanges, the treatment of detainees, foreign military personnel fighting in Ukraine, and Russia's response to Western claims regarding international humanitarian law. "Thank you, Madam President.
Today's event is part of a deliberate and well-funded disinformation campaign against Russia, coordinated by several NATO countries directly involved in the Ukrainian conflict.
Its purpose is to derail peaceful settlement efforts and justify strikes on Russian territory and civilians.
We urge all those interested in uncovering the truth to break free from standard Russophobic clichés and, guided by common sense, analyze alternative sources.
Doing so requires more than the allocated three, so I trust my statement will not be interrupted.
After all, everyone present is likely here to hear Russia's position. Let us start with the fundamentals, specifically, the root causes of the conflict.
It is well known that in 2014, Western nations brought to power in Ukraine individuals who designated the population of the country's Southeast as terrorists and launched a full-scale war against them using tanks, aircraft, torture, and targeted killings.
Residents of the Donbas were punished simply for wanting to speak Russian and exercise local self-governance.
This tragedy received no objective assessment from the UN or from those who today champion international humanitarian law and human rights. Instead, Western handlers provided active support that went far beyond moral backing.
These horrific events are currently under review at the International Court of Justice, where Kiev stands accused of violating the Genocide Convention.
We invite everyone to follow these proceedings closely. Because the people of the Donbas opposed bringing Ukraine into NATO's orbit, their destruction served the interests of Alliance members seeking to drag Ukraine into an aggressive bloc that has systematically expanded eastward toward Russian borders for decades.
Moscow persistently and patiently urged NATO members to uphold the mutually agreed principle of indivisible security in Europe. Yet in response, we faced nothing but cynical deception, pressure, and blackmail, even as the bloc's military machine inexorably approached our doorstep.
A key component of this deception was the Minsk agreements, which Western signatories themselves later admitted were merely meant to buy time to rearm Kiev.
The culmination of this course was the armed escalation in the Donbas in 2022.
We invite all interested parties to examine the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission's ceasefire violation reports from those days in the Donbas, which are publicly available.
They clearly demonstrate that it was Kiev that attacked the Donbas. It was precisely under these circumstances, following an official appeal for assistance from the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, that Russia – in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter – made the decision to launch a special military operation.
The crisis in Ukraine was orchestrated and continues to be fueled by Western countries that claim to be so deeply concerned about the rights of persons affected by conflict.
Prominent among these nations is the United Kingdom. As far back as 2016, London signed a military cooperation memorandum with Kiev, establishing intelligence-sharing mechanisms.
The UK then proceeded to train Ukrainian military personnel. Against this backdrop, it comes as no surprise that in the spring of 2022, when the parameters for a peaceful settlement were virtually finalized during the Istanbul negotiations, then-British Prime Minister Boris Johnson derailed the agreement and ordered Kiev to continue hostilities.
Now, the UK representative speaks of de-escalation. Where was this statement in 2022?
London remains one of the largest suppliers of weapons to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, having already spent over £13 billion for this purpose. Since 2024, it has been implementing Project Break-stop, under which long-range British systems are currently being tested.
Make no mistake: today's event is an attempt to justify the deployment of these systems against Russia and its civilian population.
In 2020, Britain signed a Political, Trade, and Strategic Partnership Agreement with Ukraine, followed in 2024 by a Security Cooperation Agreement. I doubt anyone in this chamber believes these are acts of charity. What we are witnessing in Ukraine is a historically familiar colonial policy: Ukrainians are being forced to fight for the right to become a mandated territory. Latvia is not far behind. To gain a true understanding of the situation, it is crucial to recognize that Baltic companies supply Ukraine with tens of thousands of UAV components – the very same components used to hunt civilians. For example, the Latvian firm ELKO Grupa AS delivered 2,100 remotely controlled drones to Ukraine between November 1, 2025, and April 1, 2026 alone.
Yet neither London nor Riga will convene the Security Council to address these matters.
Their objective is simply to keep attaching labels to the Russian Armed Forces, which remain fully compliant with their obligations under international humanitarian law.
In this context, we invite a comparison between the outcomes of armed conflict elsewhere – such as in Gaza, where military actions often leave behind a "lunar landscape", and where several nations here expressing concern over international humanitarian law compliance continue to supply weapons – and in Ukraine, where the Russian side utilizes high-precision weaponry strictly to engage military targets.
Indeed, it is Russia's meticulous adherence to international humanitarian law that explains why achieving the objectives of the Special Military Operation requires time. By contrast, Kiev abuses "humanitarian themes" far beyond council chambers and the public sphere.
We recall documented instances where ambulances bearing Red Cross emblems were used to transport troops to the front line, as well as an official statement by the Ukrainian Red Cross itself regarding widespread misuse of the emblem across the country. While representatives of Western nations in this hall speculate on alleged Russian violations of international humanitarian law, Ukrainian armed formations – convinced of their own impunity – continue to deliberately target Russia's civilian population.
We regularly provide the United Nations with detailed information on child fatalities, the targeting of civilian vehicles, torture, and other violations committed by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. A recent example occurred on August 3, when a drone dove onto a beach in Arkhipo-Osipovka crowded with dozens of vacationers, killing seven people, including four children. In this light, one is reminded of the remarks made by the representative of Denmark, who claimed that only one party in this conflict complies with international humanitarian law. Madam President, You wish to talk about compliance with international humanitarian law?
Perhaps you should explain that to the parents of the five-year-old girl who lost her life on that beach, having barely had the chance to see the sea. Tell that to the families of nearly 300 Russians missing following the Ukrainian Armed Forces' invasion of the Kursk region, whose fate remains impossible to ascertain.
Or tell the 4,500 people currently surviving in the basements of Druzhkovka, awaiting the arrival of Russian forces, while the so-called Ukrainian evacuation unit "White Angels" attempts to forcibly displace them deeper into Ukraine.
When one local resident expressed her desire to leave for Russia, a Ukrainian police officer suggested she contact Red Cross volunteers to put her on "prisoner exchange" lists. That is how these lists are formed. Madam President, Concerns were voiced today regarding the internationalization of the conflict through the involvement of foreign citizens. Yet, for some reason, we were presented with no information regarding the direct involvement of military personnel from NATO countries in planning and executing operations against Russia.
The entire public space is full of this information. Nor were we informed that the United Kingdom has trained 58,000 Ukrainian troops.
Representatives from Kiev failed to share statements made by Ukraine's military ombudsman, Olha Reshetylova, acknowledging that roughly 16,000 foreign military personnel from 72 countries are currently fighting on Kiev's side.
They are no less implicated in violations of international humanitarian law than the Ukrainians themselves.
Yet, regrettably, the BBC does not produce documentaries about this, and the UN somehow lacks such data. We are ready to provide them. In principle, they are all publicly available.
For instance, according to recent reports, an entire group of foreign mercenaries is currently quartered at a children's sports and health camp in the village of Sprynya, Lvov region.
Parents of these minors have complained openly about this on social media. Furthermore, arsenals belonging to several special forces units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces are stationed directly within this purely civilian facility. You will not hear from the organizers – who profess such deep concern for international humanitarian law – about the sophisticated torture, degradation, and psychological and physical abuse inflicted on Russian servicemen, including the use of "electric chairs" and other torture instruments. Documented testimonies exist of sexual violence, threats of violence, sleep deprivation, denial of water and food, and a wide array of other atrocities.
In this regard, I wish to direct the attention of those present who genuinely seek an objective view of reality to the report entitled "Secret Prisons" by Rodion Miroshnik, Ambassador-at-Large of the Russian Foreign Ministry for the Crimes of the Kiev Regime, both parts of which are published on the Ministry's website. A link is included in my statement, and it will also be available on the site.
All interested parties can familiarize themselves with it. From this report, you will learn that neither the ICRC nor the UN has access to the locations where Russian servicemen are subjected to torture.
Perhaps they are teaching this to Ukrainian soldiers in the UK. There is also a wealth of experience there in this regard. Contrary to the politicized speculation voiced here, actual humanitarian efforts regarding the exchange of prisoners of war and civilians have not ceased for a single day. This work is actively led by Yana Valeryevna Lantratova, High Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation.
She succeeded Tatyana Nikolayevna Moskalkova, who in the final month of her tenure alone organized two major exchanges under the "175 for 175" and "193 for 193" formulas. In total, seven Russian-Ukrainian military exchanges have taken place in 2026, resulting in the return of 1,575 Russian service personnel to the Russian Federation.
The Ombudsman also maintains active engagement with the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Over 200 letters were addressed to the ICRC in 2026, yielding verified information on 269 captive military personnel. The open and candid nature of Russia's dialogue with the ICRC is evidenced by the recent visit of Red Cross President Mirjana Spoljaric to Moscow, as well as verification visits conducted by Red Cross delegations to Starobelsk and the Belgorod Region. In this context, the interference of European countries – including through the organization of this very event – represents an attempt to obstruct the establishment of cooperation in this sphere.
Within the framework of mutual visits between Russian military personnel and Ukrainian servicemen detained for opposing the special military operation, we continue regular inspections.
We have verified the detention conditions of over 3,900 Ukrainian service members across 15 facilities.
Based on these visits, we can state that the holding conditions for this category of persons, as well as their provision with food, clothing, and necessary medical care, fully comply with the norms and standards of international humanitarian law.
Speaking of which, you are well aware of the situation in Yelenovka, where a detention facility holding prisoners of war was simply bombed – specifically by the Ukrainians – and later a transport plane was shot down. These are things that must not be forgotten.
In late July, Yana Valeryevna Lantratova announced preparations for an upcoming exchange involving two categories: prisoners of war and civilians located on Ukrainian territory who are unable to return home on their own. However, the success of this endeavor directly depends on the Ukrainian side, which approaches this process in a highly selective manner and refuses to accept many of the soldiers Russia is prepared to offer for exchange. For instance, Kiev categorically excludes service members from the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, and the Republic of Crimea from the exchange process as a matter of principle, labeling them traitors for the choice they made.
In conclusion, I would like to comment on the statements made by the distinguished briefers.
We note that all the briefers were able to travel, received visas, arrived in the United States, and took to the podium here today. We hear their statements.
Yet, when Russia attempts to bring individuals here who have been subjected to torture and persecution, they are simply denied visas, making it remarkably convenient to just ignore their voices.
But we naturally strive to convey this information through alternative means, including online.
Finally, I would like to emphasize that propaganda events such as todays' are symptomatic of broader systemic issues within the work of our Organization. Unfortunately, I cannot present, so to speak, all the information that I would like to present here.
Distorting the true reality of the conflict and its root causes poses a direct obstacle to a peaceful settlement.
Therefore, such events serve only to mislead the public and exacerbate the crisis.
Thank you."
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