UN Security: Russian Ambassador Named to Head Mine Clearance and Police Units

The United Nations will place a career Russian diplomat in charge of its global mine clearance operations and peacekeeping police forces. Secretary-General António Guterres announced the appointment of Gleb Desyatnikov as Assistant Secretary-General for Mine Action and Police in the Department of Peace Operations on October 28, 2026. The role oversees the safety of personnel in conflict zones and the removal of explosive hazards that affect civilians in war-torn regions.

Desyatnikov brings more than 35 years of experience in international relations and security affairs to the post. He currently serves as Russia’s ambassador to Jordan, a position he has held since 2018. Prior to that, he worked in the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2010 to 2018 as deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa Department. His earlier career includes serving as a senior adviser at the Russian Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York and as a seconded official with the UN Special Commission on Iraq in the mid-1990s.

The UN stated that the diplomat’s background spans government service, multilateral diplomacy, and work in conflict-affected regions. He is a graduate of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations and speaks English and Arabic. The appointment follows a pattern established by Guterres in 2017, when he named Alexandre Zouev, another Russian representative, to lead rule of law and security institutions. Zouev’s portfolio also included the UN Mine Action Service.

The decision arrives amid ongoing diplomatic tension between the UN and Russia. In March 2022, the UN General Assembly voted to condemn Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and called for an immediate withdrawal of troops. Ukrainian diplomats subsequently urged the Secretariat to remove Russian citizens from senior security-related positions. The placement of Desyatnikov in a role critical to peacekeeping operations follows these calls for reform.

The scope of the work Desyatnikov will oversee is vast. In April 2024, UN bodies and the Ukrainian government declared Ukraine the most heavily mined country in the world. More than 156,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory require surveying and clearance of mines and unexploded ordnance. The division under Desyatnikov’s leadership is responsible for coordinating these efforts globally.

Russian military structures and private military companies have played a role in the closure of UN peacekeeping missions in Africa, including in Mali and the Central African Republic. These entities have supported military juntas and been named in human rights reports concerning mass killings of civilians. The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry documented evidence of widespread torture and executions by Russian forces in Ukraine in a report posted in March 2023.

The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin in March 2023 over the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children. This legal context adds weight to the scrutiny surrounding the appointment of a senior Russian official to a high-level UN post. The new Assistant Secretary-General will manage the coordination of police contingents and mine action activities across all active peacekeeping missions.