Russia to reassess work with UN chief if he inspects drones in Ukraine

Russia's Deputy U.N. Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy has said that it will reassess cooperation with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres if he sends experts to Ukraine to inspect drones that Western powers say were made in Iran and used by Moscow in violation of a UN resolution.

On October 19, speaking after a closed-door U.N. Security Council meeting on Moscow's use of drones, Polyanskiy called on Guterres and his staff to "abstain from engaging in any illegitimate investigation," according to Reuters.

"Otherwise, we will have to reassess our collaboration with them, which is hardly in anyone's interests. We do not want to do it, but there will be no other choice," he told reporters.

The US, France, and Britain called a meeting of the Security Council on October 19 over Russia's use of Iranian-made drones in Ukraine, saying their use is in violation of a 2015 resolution codifying the Iran nuclear deal.

Russia has been striking targets across Ukraine, particularly energy infrastructure, with Iranian-made Shahed-136 kamikaze drones. According to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine had shot down 233 kamikaze drones in the past month.