The United Nations has barred its staff from calling Russia’s brutal offensive in Ukraine an “invasion” or “war” to avoid “reputational risk.”
Instead, staff were ordered to refer to the attack, which forced two million people to flee due to Europe’s worst refugee crisis since World War II, as a “conflict” or a “military offensive.”
The UN Communications Department also instructed staff not to add the Ukrainian flag to personal or official online accounts in an email yesterday that was seen by the Irish Times.
Civilians continue to flee from Irpin after the thirteenth day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The purported email, shared on Twitter by reporter Naomi O’Reilly, said: “Some specific examples of language that can/can’t use at the moment: [Use] “conflict” or “military offensive” and NOT “war” or “invasion” when it comes to the situation in Ukraine.”
He added: “This is an important reminder that we, as international civil servants, have a responsibility to be impartial.
“This is especially important in times of crisis like this.”
The letter writer explained that this guidance was made in order to avoid “reputational risk”.
The Kremlin has called Russia’s actions in Ukraine not an invasion, but rather a “special operation.”
The UN Communications Department also instructed staff not to add the Ukrainian flag to personal or official online accounts in an email yesterday, which was seen by the Irish Times.
A charred Russian tank and captured tanks against the background of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in the Sumy region, Ukraine, yesterday
MailOnline has reached out to the UN for comment.
Since last month, Russia has continued to crack down on critical war reporting.
Putin blocked Facebook for “discriminating against Russian media” in response to the social media giant banning Russia Today (RT) and Sputnik in the UK at the request of the British government.
A week after Moscow invaded Ukraine, Russian media regulator Roskomnadzor announced a ban on Facebook, citing “26 incidents of discrimination against Russian media.”
The regulator also later said that it had written a letter to Alphabet Inc., Google and parent company YouTube, demanding that all restrictions placed on state media such as RBC, TV Zvezda and Sputnik be lifted.
A police officer helps carry things to people who have fled Ukraine at the border crossing in Medyka, Poland, today.
YouTube has blocked access to state media channels at the request of the Ukrainian government, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov confirmed on Twitter.
It comes on the thirteenth day of the Russian invasion, when civilians in the besieged port of Mariupol in southeastern Ukraine are anxiously waiting for news of the evacuation, trying to survive in a city where abandoned bodies are left on the streets.
Since Saturday, Russian and Ukrainian authorities have committed to establishing evacuation routes, but the effort has repeatedly failed due to new fighting along the route. Another attempt was made today.
Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2010. He blocked Facebook for “discrimination against Russian media.”
Due to interruptions in the water supply, people collected water from streams or melted snow.
The power outage means many residents have lost internet access and now rely on their car radios for information, receiving news from stations broadcast from areas controlled by Russia or Russian-backed separatist forces.
Two million people, half of whom are children, have been forced into exile by the raging conflict.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees and UNICEF confirmed the figures as more people made their way to the borders on Tuesday. Poland has taken in over 1.2 million Ukrainian refugees, more than any other country.
At night, Russian aviation continued to bombard the cities of eastern and central Ukraine.
The suburbs of the capital, Kyiv, have been shelled, and food, water, heat and medicine are becoming increasingly scarce in many cities facing power outages.