Guterres appoints Russian diplomat to manage 156,000 sq km of global mine clearance

The United Nations has placed a Russian diplomat in charge of the organization's global mine clearance and peacekeeping police operations. Secretary-General António Guterres announced on October 28 that Gleb Desyatnikov has been named Assistant Secretary-General for Mine Action and Police within the Department of Peace Operations.

Desyatnikov will oversee the division that coordinates mine action activities and manages police contingents deployed in peacekeeping missions around the world. The UN Secretary-General's office stated that the diplomat possesses more than 35 years of experience in international relations, political affairs, and security issues. His career spans government roles, multilateral diplomacy, and work in conflict-affected regions.

The diplomat has served as Russia's ambassador to Jordan since 2018. Prior to that posting, he held the position of deputy director of the Middle East and North Africa Department at Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2010 to 2018. Earlier in his career, he worked as a senior adviser on Middle East and North Africa affairs at the Russian Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York from 2004 to 2010.

Desyatnikov also served on a secondment to the UN Special Commission on Iraq from 1994 to 1997. He is a graduate of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations and speaks English and Arabic.

This appointment follows a pattern of Russian officials holding senior security roles at the UN. In April 2017, Guterres appointed Alexandre Zouev, another Russian representative, as Assistant Secretary-General for Rule of Law and Security Institutions. Zouev’s portfolio included UN peacekeeping police and the UN Mine Action Service.

Ukrainian diplomats have previously called for the removal of Russian citizens from sensitive security positions at the UN. This push gained momentum after the UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to condemn Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in March 2022. The resolution called for the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory.

The timing of the appointment coincides with Ukraine becoming the most heavily mined country in the world, a status confirmed by UN bodies and the Ukrainian government in April 2024. More than 156,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory currently require surveying and clearance of mines and unexploded ordnance due to the actions of the Russian military.