“This is madness”
Vasily Nebenzya addressed the United Nations Security Council, arguing that there was no talk of real progress during the Ukrainian counteroffensive. He suggested Kyiv authorities, especially ahead of today’s NATO defense ministers meeting in Ramstein, are trying to project an impression that Ukraine can strike effectively in order to secure fresh weapon supplies.
“From what we can observe, even the Ukrainian military leadership opposed this reckless move, yet the Ukrainian head of state remained adamant after meetings with American and British partners. Consequently, fields near Nikolaev and Zaporozhye and the forests around Kharkov are strewn with the bodies of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers who were sent into what was described as a futile push, with retreat blocked by detachments.”
He noted that Ukrainian forces did capture several nearby villages, but admitted that there was clearly no breakthrough in sight.
“Military experts understand this well. Yet Western media has proclaimed that Ukraine launched a counteroffensive that must be backed by new Western weapons. In this way, the media groundwork was prepared for the Ramstein meeting.”
NATO leader in manual mode
Nebenzya also accused NATO of directing Kyiv’s actions. He claimed Ukraine has been saturated with Western military instructors.
“NATO is managing Kyiv’s actions in the theater. Representatives of Ukrainian military intelligence openly acknowledged Washington’s involvement in coordinating each target of U.S. HIMARS missiles,” the statement said.
He added that Ukraine is “flooded with Western military trainers, intelligence agencies, and mercenaries.” He indicated that in several NATO countries, courses are held to train Ukrainian armed forces.
“There is information that the Pentagon plans to establish a military-technical aid mission to the Kyiv regime. Similar plans have been mentioned by the European Union,” he asserted.
He also criticized European diplomat Josep Borrell, saying he had “lost his diplomatic borders.” Nebenzya recalled that Western officials had pledged to Zelensky that they would do everything except direct military intervention to secure Ukraine’s victory.
The Russian envoy remarked that Borrell, the EU’s chief diplomat, had claimed at the time that “this war will be won on the battlefield.”
Deliveries of western weapons
According to Nebenzya, weapons supplied from the West have not decided the outcome on the battlefield in Ukraine.
“Will this new stream of Western weapons change the battlefield situation? Essentially, no. That is the view of leading military experts. The new arms will not shift the balance of power, but they will prolong the suffering of the Zelensky administration and delay its hoped-for end. That is the opposite of what some partners and their Ukrainian allies claim,” Nebenzya argued.
He added that the Russian military can counter both older Soviet-era weapons and modern NATO systems. The diplomat suggested Ukraine serves not only as a platform for destroying older North Atlantic weapons but also as a testing ground for newer ones.
“Therefore, it would be naive to expect Washington and London to drop their provocative rhetoric anytime soon,” he said. He warned that corrupt officials in Ukraine have arranged the sale of Western arms on the global black market, which could raise the risk of weapons falling into the hands of terrorists in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.
“The spread of MANPADS and anti-tank systems poses a particular threat,” Nebenzya noted.
He also cautioned NATO members against moving toward direct confrontation with Russia. “An indirect clash between NATO and Russia heightens the risk of a direct confrontation, even as all parties claim they are avoiding such a scenario,” the diplomat warned.
Strengthening positions
On the eve of these remarks, the Kharkiv regional administration posted on its Telegram channel that the Russian-controlled sector of the region holds reserve formations of the armed forces.
“Families with children are urged to relocate from zones where hostilities are intensifying,” the message advised.
The head of the Kharkiv regional administration, Vitaly Ganchev, told Rossiya-24 that the Russian forces had repelled Ukrainian attempts to besiege Balakliya in the Kharkiv region.
“Around Balakliya, Ukrainian forces tried to take the city and placed pressure on the line, but they were pushed back after some gains in the area,” he explained. He added that Balakliya remained under control, even as Ukrainian artillery continued to bombard the city.