UN Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Russian diplomat Gleb Desyatnikov as Assistant Secretary-General for Mine Action and Police. He will be responsible for the unit that coordinates mine clearance and police operations in United Nations peacekeeping missions. The appointment comes against the backdrop of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, large swathes of which are contaminated with landmines and explosive remnants of war.
- UN Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed the Russian Gleb Desyatnikov as Assistant Secretary-General for Mine Action and Police Affairs.
- The new official will work in the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations.
- Desyatnikov has over 35 years’ diplomatic experience and has represented Russia in Jordan since 2018.
- Russian diplomats have previously held senior posts within UN bodies.
A Russian diplomat will be responsible for demining and the UN police force
Glib Desyatnikov He will take up the post of Assistant Secretary-General for Mine Action and Police in the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations. This role involves coordinating mine action and providing support to the police components of peacekeeping missions in various countries around the world.
An official UN statement highlighted that Desyatnikov has over 35 years’ experience in the fields of international relations, political affairs and security. His career has spanned public service, multilateral diplomacy and work in conflict-affected regions.
What is known about Gleb Desyatnikov
Since 2018, Desyatnikov has held the post of Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Jordan. Prior to that, from 2010 to 2018, he served as Deputy Director of the Department for the Middle East and North Africa at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Between 2004 and 2010, he was a senior adviser at the Russian Permanent Mission to the UN in New York, having previously worked at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Russian Embassy in Jordan.
Between 1994 and 1997, the diplomat also served on the UN Special Commission on Iraq.
Desyatnikov graduated from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations. As well as Russian, he speaks English and Arabic.
Russians have already held senior positions within UN peacekeeping bodies
This is not the first time a Russian representative has been appointed to a senior position within the organisation’s security structures.
In April 2017 Guterres appointed a Russian Alexandra Zueva Assistant to the Secretary-General for the Rule of Law and Security Institutions. His areas of responsibility included the peacekeeping police, justice reform, correctional services and the United Nations Mine Action Service.
Following the start of the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022, the UN General Assembly adopted resolution demanding the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine.
At that time, Ukrainian diplomats also raised the issue of Russian nationals holding sensitive posts within UN bodies concerned with international security.
Desyatnikov’s appointment was confirmed by an official UN statement dated 27 October 2026.
