Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov (pictured) reacted to the shelling of Belgorod conducted by the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) on Sunday by stating that Russian forces need to "step up hostilities," RIA Novosti reported on Monday.
"The Russian armed forces need to step up hostilities. Push the military threat away from the borders of the Russian Federation. No compromises when it comes to our national security are acceptable," he stressed, as the number of bodies recovered from the rubble of a collapsed entrance to a residential building in Belgorod climbed to 15, Sputnik reported.
He also criticized the United States for seeking to shield Ukraine from bearing any responsibility. "The reaction of American officials to the deadly strikes by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on residential areas, or rather the absence of even a hint of condolences, is very telling," he said.
