Overview
- Ukraine’s UN envoy Andrii Melnyk, speaking during a Security Council session Monday on recent Russian strikes in Ukraine, rejected Vasily Nebenzya’s claim that Kyiv fears attention shifting to the Middle East and accused Russia of spreading disinformation.
- Melnyk said Ukraine is helping Gulf partners protect energy sites from Iranian drones and missiles, and he accused Moscow of backing Tehran and vetoing a draft that sought to safeguard navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
- He claimed Russia has been losing about 30,000 to 35,000 soldiers each month since early 2026, which he said now exceeds the Kremlin’s planned contract recruitment.
- He said Russian recruitment leans on pressure against prisoners, migrants and newly naturalized citizens, and he described new troops being rushed into high-loss assaults with little training and very short life expectancy.
- Melnyk urged the United States and Europe to tighten energy sanctions, shut down Russia’s oil “shadow fleet,” and back a Security Council resolution designed to enforce a ceasefire and an all-for-all prisoner exchange.