Russia vetoes Srebrenica draft over 'genocide'

Moscow calls UK-submitted resolution unbalanced and politically motivated

Russia vetoed on Wednesday a draft UN Security Council resolution commemorating the slaughter of 8,000 Bosnian Serb Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica, citing the term "genocide" used to describe the mass slaying.

"This year marks the 20th anniversary of the genocide at Srebrenica, in which over 8,000 lives were lost, thousands were displaced and families and communities were devastated," the draft said, noting "Srebrenica and its surroundings were declared as a safe area" by the United Nations and recognized "that there were innocent victims on all sides during the conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina".