Vasily Alekseevich Nebenzia, the permanent representative of the Russian Federation, addresses the United Nations Security Council during a meeting on the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction during the U.N. General Assembly, Thursday, Sept. 21, 2017, at U.N. headquarters. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

Vasily Nebenzia, Russia's representative to the United Nations, showcased a collection of plastic mines that resemble children's toys, accusing Ukraine of deploying them in residential areas and farms far away from the battle fronts. At the end of a Security Council session that was held on the occasion of six months since the start of the fighting in Ukraine, he said that 47 people were victims of these mines who had nothing to do with the fighting.

In an interview for Al Mayadeen, the Russian delegate, in response to a question about his assessment of the diplomatic role played by the United Nations in order to alleviate the crisis or achieve a peaceful solution to it, said that he accused the General Secretariat "of not conveying a true picture of what is happening on the ground."

Nebenzia said to Al Mayadeen: "Firstly, what is required of the United Nations is not to exacerbate the crisis, this is what we expect from the United Nations, and what we heard today from Under-Secretary-General Rosemary Di Carlo does not correspond to reality."

"Secondly, from our point of view, the UN is biased in the conflict, ignoring the facts... the facts that we regularly provide them with and make it very clear on which side the United Nations is leaning towards," he added.

Rosemary de Carlo had blamed Russia for the "outbreak of fighting", describing it as "it took place without provocation from Ukraine and without justification", and alleged that "war crimes and crimes against humanity were committed in the areas controlled by Russia."

Donetsk being cleared of Ukrainian mines banned by Geneva Convention

PFM-1 anti-personnel mines - or "butterfly" mines - may not be fatal, but can disable one for life

Central Donetsk was undergoing some mine clearance works, according to the TASS news agency reported on August first. Russian bomb specialists and rescuers from Donetsk are using specialized Uran-6 robots to carry out the mission.

According to earlier reports, Ukrainian troops used prohibited anti-personnel mines of the Lepestok type against civilian targets. The mines were scattered across central streets in the city by means of rockets with cluster warheads.

Ukraine: The Ministry of Emergency Situations recommends residents of Donetsk and Makeyevka to stay at home because of mines scattered on the streets. Sappers are working. pic.twitter.com/D4GkLFJEnJ
— Andrejs Eglitis (@falconnestorg) July 31, 2022

One rescuer from the DPR was wounded, according to Alexey Kulemzin, the city's mayor.

On Saturday, the speaker of the DPR's legislature, Vladimir Bidyovka, condemned the use of the mines in Ukraine as an act of terrorism.

Bidyovka recalled that using such mines without a self-destructing mechanism was prohibited by the Geneva Convention of 1996 - Russia has removed such mines from its operational use whereas Ukraine continues to use them.

Cluster munition of the Armed Forces of Ukraine scattered petal mines near a school in Donetsk
"Ukrainian militants launched a missile attack on the Kirovsky district of the city, scattering prohibited anti-personnel mines PMF-1" Petal "of pressure action. pic.twitter.com/OfwNwUTMhU
— Diana Dyankova-Atana (@dianilina2015) July 30, 2022