The protest unfolded at the informal UN security meeting on Wednesday. Earlier, Britain had made it clear that it would stop the webcast of the meeting so as not to allow Russia to spread disinformation, a move that is very rare.

Lvova-Belova is accused of war crimes by illegally deporting and mass-transferring children from occupied territories in Russia and has herself adopted a 15-year-old boy from Ukraine. The International Criminal Court in The Hague last month issued an arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin and Lvova-Belova.

"Erasing Ukrainian identity"

Ukraine accuses Russia of "stealing" more than 16,000 children from the country, against their parents' will, since Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022.

"Russia claims to be protecting these children, but instead it is a well-thought-out policy aimed at erasing Ukrainian identity," said British diplomat Asima Ghazi-Bouillon, who returned to the meeting after Lvova-Belova had spoken.

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She is wanted internationally – in Russia she is called the "savior" of Ukrainian children. This is Maria Lvova-Belova. Photo: Mikhail Metze/Sputnik/ AP/TT