OREANDA-NEWS  The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk called for de-escalation of the conflict and protection of civilians in Russia and Ukraine. This was reported by his office on the social network X.

Earlier, Russia's permanent representative to the UN in Geneva, Gennady Gatilov, called the silence of the Turk about the shelling of the center of Belgorod shameful. He noted that the Turk does not deserve to hold this post.

"International humanitarian law prohibits indiscriminate attacks on civilian targets," RIA Novosti quoted Turk as saying. He also called for immediate steps to de-escalate, ensure the protection of civilians and respect international law.

Recall that on December 30, the Ukrainian army hit Belgorod with Vampire rockets and Alder rockets with cluster munitions. The Alder missiles and most of the jet outfits were intercepted by air defense systems. As a result of the shelling, 25 people were killed, including five children. 109 Belgorod residents were injured.

Russian President Vladimir Putin called the attack a terrorist attack, stressing that Russia is not going to strike back at the civilian population of Ukraine.