Russian Diplomat Says Foreign Weapons And Mercenaries In Ukraine Are Legitimate Targets Before UN Security Council

JAKARTA - Russia's Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations Dmitry Polyansky reiterated that weapons supplied to Ukraine by the West, as well as foreign mercenaries in the country are legitimate targets for the Russian armed forces.

"The only thing Kyiv wants from you is your money and your weapons. You have to realize, the weapons you gave us, as we warned from the start, are our legitimate military targets," he told the UN Security Council Tuesday, TASS reported on June 29.

"Just like mercenaries coming from your country, weapons are stored and mercenaries deployed are also legitimate targets of our military," he reiterated.

In his words, "the warehouse at the Kremenchug road-building machinery plant is the perfect target."

"The Kiev regime deliberately stores weapons in the downtown area of Ukraine, next to residential areas, endangering the lives of civilians and turning people into human shields," the diplomat continued.

"No matter how hard you try to prove otherwise, we do not and do not target civilian and non-military facilities," Polyansky added.

Earlier, Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov reported on Tuesday that the Russian Aerospace Forces had dispatched precision-gun strikes against the US and EU arms and ammunition hangars in Kremenchug.

The attack destroyed Western-made weapons and ammunition meant for delivery to Ukrainian combat groups in Donbass, the general said. In his words, the explosion of ammunition stored for Western weapons, caused a fire in a non-functioning shopping center located close to the factory premises.

Regarding foreign mercenaries, Igor Konashenkov previously explained, mercenaries and military specialists from 64 countries are involved in the war in Ukraine.

"Overall, as of June 17, 2022, we have a list of mercenaries and weapons operations specialists from 64 countries. Since the start of special military operations, 6.956 of these personnel have arrived in Ukraine, 1.956 of whom have been killed and 1.779 have left," he explained.

"For now 3.221 mercenaries are still alive, they have not been captured or have reached the Ukrainian border," Konashenkov continued.

He said none of the mercenaries the West sent to Ukraine to fight for the nationalist regime would enjoy the rights of the fighters under international humanitarian law.

"I would like to make an official statement that none of the mercenaries sent by the West to Ukraine to fight for the nationalist regime in Kiev, can be considered as fighters according to international humanitarian law or enjoy prisoner-of-war (POW) status," Konashenkov stressed.