Facts about Russia-Ukraine conflict: UNSC to discuss U.S. military biological activities in Ukraine

BEIJING, March 11 (Xinhua) -- As the Russia-Ukraine conflict entered its third week on Thursday, following are the latest developments of the situation.

The UN Security Council (UNSC) will convene on Friday to discuss the United States' alleged military biological research in Ukraine at Russia's request.

Dmitry Polyanskiy, first deputy permanent representative of Russia to the UN, made this request on Thursday.

"Russian Mission asked for a meeting of (the UNSC) for 11 March to discuss the military biological activities of the US on the territory of Ukraine," Polyanskiy tweeted.

Russia believes that there is a network of biolabs in Ukraine working on behalf of the U.S. Department of Defense and forming part of its biological weapons program.

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Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, failed to make progress on a ceasefire but agreed to continue negotiations over the conflict during their meeting in Turkey on Thursday.

The tripartite meeting, held on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomatic Forum in the presence of Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, was the first high-level meeting between Moscow and Kiev since Russia's special military operation in Ukraine started on Feb. 24.

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The Russian Energy Ministry said early Thursday that Belarusian engineers have ensured the supply of electricity to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in northern Ukraine, which was reportedly disconnected from the power grid on Wednesday.

However, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Rafael Grossi said Thursday night that the agency has not been able to confirm power has been restored at the plant.

Grossi told a press conference in Vienna that the IAEA's communications with Chernobyl have been shaky.

"There have been interruptions and restorations depending on different times of the day," he said.