Russia's U.N. Ambassador Claims "Neo-Nazis" Attended Ukrainian Soldier's Funeral, Kremlin Denies Targeting Civilians

Russian U.N. ambassador Vassily Nebenzia sparked controversy at a Security Council meeting by claiming that "neo-Nazis" and men of military age attended the funeral of a Ukrainian soldier in a village café that was hit by a missile strike last week, killing 52 people. The strike, which occurred in the village of Hroza in the northeastern Kharkiv region, obliterated the café and resulted in the loss of over 15% of the village's 300 population. The Kremlin has denied targeting civilians and civilian facilities, with Nebenzia reiterating this claim and stating that the Ukrainian government's concentration of soldiers in residential areas constitutes a serious violation of international humanitarian law.

The wake in Hroza was for Andriy Kozyr, a soldier from Hroza who died last winter fighting Russia's invading forces in eastern Ukraine. According to Ukrainian news reports, Kozyr was initially laid to rest elsewhere in Ukraine due to the village remaining under Russian occupation. The claim that "neo-Nazis" attended Kozyr's funeral is based on the presence of alleged "neo-Nazi accomplices" supposedly seen by Nebenzia.

Key Takeaways:

The missile strike in Hroza resulted in the deaths of 52 people, including Kozyr's son, Dmytro, and wife, Nina.
The village of Hroza lost over 15% of its 300 population in the strike.
Nebenzia claimed that the Ukrainian government is responsible for the civilian casualties, stating that the concentration of soldiers in residential areas constitutes a serious violation of international humanitarian law.
The Kremlin has denied targeting civilians and civilian facilities, with Nebenzia reiterating this claim.
The controversy surrounding Nebenzia's claim has resonated with the international community, with Albania's U.N. Ambassador Ferit Hoxha stating that the strike and deaths in Hroza underscore the "terrible price civilians are paying" in the conflict.
The U.S. has expressed support for investigators from the U.N. and local authorities who have gone to Hroza to gather possible evidence of war crimes.
China's deputy U.N. ambassador Geng Shuang expressed concern over the heavy civilian casualties in the attack, stating that Beijing finds this a "concerning" development.

Statistics:

52 people killed in the missile strike in Hroza.
Over 15% of Hroza's 300 population lost in the strike.
Russia's President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly used the Holocaust, World War II, and Nazism as tools to legitimize his policies.
20 months since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The strike in Hroza is one of the deadliest by Russia against Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion last year.

Sources:

AP News
United Nations
The Associated Press Writer Jennifer Peltz