'Russian Language Represents War Crimes': Protest Near UN Office in Kyiv

A protest rally took place on Thursday, June 8, outside the United Nations (UN) mission building in Klovsky Uzviz in central Kyiv as people expressed their anger over the UN reaction to the Russian terrorist attack on the Kakhovka HPP.

The rally, organized by activists, saw participants holding signs with messages like "Russia is a terrorist state" and "the Russian language represents war crimes." A correspondent from Suspilne reported on the event.

The demonstration was triggered by the view that the UN had failed to condemn the malicious act destruction of the Kakhovka dam by Russian forces. Instead, on that day the UN posted greetings on social media to celebrate the Russian language.

The protesters had three main demands. Firstly, they called on the UN to provide immediate assistance to the residents of the Kherson and Mykolaiv regions, who have suffered greatly from recent flooding.

Secondly, they urged the UN to officially recognize that the dam explosion in Nova Kakhovka is a war crime, committed by the Russian Federation and to take appropriate action against it. Additionally, they demanded the removal of the Russian Federation from the UN Security Council and the UN itself.

Denise Brown, the head of the UN mission in Ukraine, expressed support for the activists, acknowledging that they represented not only Ukraine but also the wider global community. 

"Today, they were the voice not only of Ukraine but also of the world," Brown said.

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She confirmed that a round table discussion would be organized with representatives from the UN central office in Ukraine to address the concerns raised by the protesters.