The United Nations faced blowback on social media Tuesday after tweeting that it was celebrating “Russian language day” — on the same day Kyiv accused Russia of blowing up a major dam on the Dnieper River, threatening an ecological and humanitarian disaster.
“Tuesday is Russian Language Day,” the U.N. wrote on Twitter. “Follow @UnitedNationsRU for updates on the UN’s work in Russian.”
The tweet sparked dozens of furious comments, including from Ukrainian officials, in a classic case of being ratioed — a social media phenomenon when a post receives a deluge of negative responses and reactions, and few positive ones.
“@UnitedNationsRU tweets about cultural diversity, ignoring the biggest catastrophe in Europe in decades caused solely by Russia. Why be silent?” said Oleg Nikolenko, spokesperson for the Ukrainian foreign ministry.
Earlier on Tuesday, Ukraine accused Russia of bombing the Nova Kakhovka dam, unleashing flooding in the Kherson region.
According to Kyiv officials, around 16,000 people living in the area are directly threatened by the dam’s destruction, with 80 villages at risk of flooding. Residents are being evacuated, Ukrainian officials said, but the situation is complicated by the fact some reside in Russian-occupied parts of the region.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said the damage to the dam was “probably Europe’s largest technological disaster in decades,” adding it could constitute a“heinous war crime.”
Russia claimed it was Ukraine that was responsible for the attack — allegations Kyiv denies. Experts indicate Moscow has much more to gain from the destruction of the dam, as it seeks to slow Ukraine’s long-awaited counteroffensive.
