During a United Nations Security Council meeting, a Russian diplomat appeared to laugh while a Ukrainian representative delivered an emotional report on atrocities committed against Ukrainian children during the war.
Daria Zarivna, an adviser to the head of Ukraine's Presidential Office, presented evidence of Russian war crimes, including the deaths of children in Russian attacks and the forced deportation and unlawful adoption of approximately 20,000 Ukrainian children.
Zarivna's detailed report painted a harrowing picture of the impact of the war on Ukraine's youngest and most vulnerable. As she spoke, Russian representative Roman Kashaev was captured smiling and laughing between glances at Zarivna.
"His indifference only confirms that terror is a part of the Kremlin's state policy," Ukraine's Centre for Strategic Communications and Information Security said in a statement, calling Kashaev's reaction "a cynical smile."
The deportation and forced adoption of Ukrainian children have been widely condemned by international organizations, including UNICEF and the International Criminal Court, which has issued arrest warrants against Russian officials for these acts.
Originally published by Latin Times