Russia mocks Britain saying Moscow’s done more to help Aleppo victims – despite BOMBING civilians
One angry Twitter user said: "Russia has aided in the horrific bombing, there's nothing left"
THE Russian Embassy in the UK has launched an astonishing attack on the UK over its aid efforts in war-torn Aleppo - despite propping up the regime of the Syrian tyrant responsible for the destruction.
The extraordinary criticism followed a tweet by the Foreign Office repeating Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson's claim that: "This Government has sought to reduce the suffering with every diplomatic and humanitarian lever at our command."
The response from the Russians? "In Aleppo Russia facilitated evacuation of 110K civilians. What has UK done to alleviate their suffering?"
Angry twitter users were quick to jump on the diplomat's provocative claim. One answered the question with: "Not bombed them or committed war crimes against children and civilians."
Another wrote: "Russia has aided in the horrific bombing, there's nothing left. Stop already. Just stop & help these poor people."
One defender raised Russia's repeated blocking of UN resolutions for a ceasefire in Syria, tweeting: "Have you forgotten (the) years of ceasefires you vetoed?"
The Violations Documentation Center, a Syrian civil monitoring organisation, documented that the Russian-Syrian bombing campaign in September and October alone killed more than 440 civilians, including more than 90 children.
It added: "Airstrikes often appeared to be recklessly indiscriminate, deliberately targeted at least one medical facility, and included the use of indiscriminate weapons such as cluster munitions and incendiary weapons.
“Using that amount of firepower in an urban area with tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of civilians predictably killed hundreds of civilians,” said Ole Solvang, deputy emergencies director at Human Rights Watch. “Those who ordered and carried out unlawful attacks should be tried for war crimes.”
The Russian outburst comes as reports emerged that mothers and daughters in war-torn Aleppo are taking their own lives instead of face rape at the hands of forces loyal to tyrannical Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.
Rebel leader Abdullah Othman claims the women were so scared of a looming victory for the Syrian government - backed by key ally Russia - after a cease-fire deal collapsed that they killed themselves.
Othman, the head of the Consultative Council in the Levant Front, said: "This morning 20 women committed suicide in order not to be raped."
His account could not be independently verified.
There have also been unconfirmed reports that a terrified nurse trapped in the ravaged city killed herself and left a note saying: "I do not want several members of the Assad Regime to savour raping me."
"They strike once then wait a while; then, when people gather to try to remove those stuck under the rubble, they strike again."
Finally taking Aleppo will give Syrian President Bashar al-Assad his biggest battlefield victory yet after nearly six years of conflict.
A ceasefire between the pro-government forces and rebels in Aleppo had been reached late on Tuesday, but fighting resumed early today.
Rocket fire has killed seven people in eastern Aleppo as fresh clashes erupt in the city and buses waiting to evacuate civilians and rebel fighters have been returned to depots.
Syrian state television today reported that rebel shelling of the Bustan al-Qasr district, recently recaptured by the army, had killed six people and injured others.
Turkey president Erdogan has said he will hold a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Aleppo later today. He called for a corridor from Aleppo to immediately be opened and for civilians to be allowed to leave.
Lord Ashdown, former Liberal Democrat leader, today said: "There is nothing else that matters in the next 24 hours and 36 hours than those 50,000 people trapped on those four square miles.
"We have got to get them out, and we have got to get them to safety."
The historic city of Aleppo had for years been divided into a government-held west and rebel-held east, with the army leaning heavily on foreign militias and the rebels divided among an array of factions.
And French President Francois Hollande says those trapped in Aleppo should "be evacuated in a dignified and safe manner, under the supervision of international observers and in the presence of humanitarian organisations"
Entire families had gathered in the early hours, in the hope of leaving Aleppo after an agreement announced the night before for rebels to withdraw from the city.
But the first expected departures around 5am local time were delayed and, a few hours later, fierce fighting again began to shake the city.
LIGHTS OUT FOR ALEPPO
The lights of the Eiffel Tower will be turned off tonight to show solidarity with the people of Aleppo.
Anne Hidalgo, the Mayor of Paris, made the announcement on Twitter. The iconic landmark will turn off it's lights at 8pm.
It is far from the first time the tower's lights have been used to make a statement for victims of violence.
The structure was lit up in rainbow colours as a tribute to the victims of the shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando in June. In March it was lit up in the colours of the Belgian flag after the terror attacks in Brussels.
The landmark deal - which would mark the end of opposition resistance in Syria's second city after years of fighting - appeared increasingly precarious as the regime, the rebels, and their foreign allies traded accusations.
The last pocket of rebel-held territory in east Aleppo came under heavy tank fire, said an AFP correspondent in the area, who saw several wounded civilians.
Meanwhile, the US ambassador to the UN has lashed out at the Syrian government, and its allies Russia and Iran, saying they bear the responsibility for the "carnage" in Aleppo.
Speaking during an emergency UN Security Council meeting, Samantha Power used strong language as she addressed her counterparts directly.
"To the Assad regime, Russia and Iran, three member states behind the conquest of and carnage in Aleppo: you bear responsibility for these atrocities," she said.
"Is there literally nothing that can shame you?
"Is there no act of barbarism against civilians, no execution of a child that gets under your skin?"
The Russian ambassador said Ms Power was behaving "like Mother Theresa" and accused the US, UK and France of distributing fake news about the crisis.
Russia, Bashar al Assad's closest ally, has vetoed the last six UN resolutions aimed at easing the dire situation in Aleppo.