Suspended from UN rights body, Russia vows to defend its interests

London : Russia expressed regret Thursday over its suspension from the UN Human Rights Council over the invasion of Ukraine that caused 'significant' troop losses, but promised to defend its interests.

After the UN General Assembly voted to suspend Moscow from the rights council as a result of the invasion, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Sky News, "We're sorry."

"And we'll continue to defend our interests using every possible legal means," he added.

Peskov said, without specifying a number, "We lost significant numbers of troops and this is a tragedy for us." As of late March, Russia had lost 1,351 soldiers and injured 3,825 others.Russia's spokesman for president Vladimir Putin defended the reasons and course of its aggression toward Ukraine as well. [

"Mariupol is going to be liberated from nationalistic battalions. We hope it is going to happen sooner than later," he said.

According to Peskov, allegations of a massacre in Bucha, Ukraine, were "well-staged insinuations," saying that bodies found in the streets had been left behind after Russian troops retreated.

Our days are filled with fake news and lies, he said via video link from Moscow, speaking in English.