Ukraine has criticised the United Nations for appointing a Russian diplomat to a senior post overseeing mine action, the Kyiv Independent reports.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres named Gleb Desyatnikov, Russia's ambassador to Jordan since 2018, as assistant secretary-general for mine action and police in the Department of Peace Operations on 27 October. Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said Moscow had "mined the United Nations" and that handing the role to a representative of the aggressor state undermined trust in the organisation.
The row comes as Ukraine deals with one of the world's largest demining tasks. Authorities in Kherson region say teams have neutralised more than 300,000 explosive devices on the Ukrainian-held right bank since clearance began, including 471 in the week to 28 October, and that about three quarters of the area marked for clearance is now done.
Source: Kyiv Independent
