The United States and Western allies have slammed Russia for spreading propaganda, disinformation and "nonsense" at the United Nations Security Council by alleging that parts of biological weapons were being made in Ukraine.
The US is assisting with "military biological programmes" in Ukraine, Russia's UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia says. Photo: AFP
Russia's UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia sent a lengthy document, seen by Reuters, to the council and UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres on Friday on Moscow's accusation that there are "military biological programmes" in Ukraine.
"The Ministry of Defence is receiving more and more material and analysing that. We will continue to keep the international community informed about the unlawful activity carried out by the Pentagon on Ukrainian territory," Nebenzia told the council.
It was the second time in two weeks that the 15-member council met on the topic at Russia's request. Britain's UN Ambassador Barbara Woodward described Russia's move as "disinformation of the desperate".
"We've had a rehash of amateurish disinformation, which we discussed and debunked last Friday. It was nonsense then, and it is nonsense now," she told the council.
The United Nations has said it was not aware of any biological weapons programmes in Ukraine, and UN disarmament affairs chief Izumi Nakamitsu told the council that the world body does not have "the mandate nor the technical or operational capacity" to investigate Russia's information.
The US ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, accused her Russian counterpart of "a tirade of bizarre conspiracy theories" last week.
"This week we're hearing a whole lot more where that came from, things that sound like they were forwarded to him on a chain email from some dark corner of the internet. President [Joe] Biden has a word for this kind of talk: 'Malarkey'," she said.
Thomas-Greenfield also said "it is possible that Russia may be planning to use chemical or biological agents against the Ukrainian people," but did not cite any evidence for Washington's concerns.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield is rubbishing Russia's claims, describing them as "malarkey". Photo: AFP
Russia called the meeting on Friday to replace a planned vote on a Russian-drafted call for aid access and protection of civilians in Ukraine.
Diplomats said the measure would have failed, while Nebenzia accused Western countries of a campaign of "unprecedented pressure" against it.
'Dozens have been killed' - Ukrainian MP on Mykolaiv attack
Many have reportedly been killed in a Russian missile attack on Ukrainian army barracks in the strategic southern city of Mykolaiv.
A Ukrainian MP in Odessa, Oleksiy Honcharenko, returned from Mykolaiv in the last 24 hours and has been speaking to the BBC.
"Unfortunately we had a big attack, missile attack on Mykolaiv. Dozens of people have been killed," he said.
"Dozens are wounded and we're speaking about missiles, ballistic missiles."
Ukrainians are reportedly continuing to defend the city, with Russian forces grouped outside, to the northeast.
The city of Mykolaiv, which is crucial to Russia's plans to take Ukraine's third city, Odessa, has been holding back a Russian offensive along the Black Sea coast.
"Mykolaiv is fighting fiercely on the ground and holding the ground and Russia just couldn't take it so they started terror against local people, civilians," Honcharenko added.
A search and rescue mission being carried out for survivors after Russian airstrikes hit civil settlements in Mykolaiv, Ukraine on March 13, 2022. Photo: AFP / State Emergency Service of Ukraine
Fighting reaches centre of Mariupol - mayor
Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boichenko has told the BBC fighting has reached the city centre, confirming earlier Russian reports.
"Yes, they were really active today. Tanks and machine gun battles continue," he said. "Everybody is hiding in bunkers"
He said more than 80 percent of residential buildings are either damaged or destroyed, and 30 percent of them cannot be restored.
"There's no city centre left. There isn't a small piece of land in the city that doesn't have signs of war," he says.
The operation to rescue people from the basement of a theatre that was bombed continues, he adds, without giving any estimate on casualties.
Part of the centre of Mariupol. Photo: BBC screenshot
- Reuters/ BBC