United Nations: Russia shut down an investigation into who was responsible for chemical weapons attacks carried out during the Syrian civil war _ a move widely seen as an attempt to shield the regime of Bashar al-Assad from blame for war crimes.
Russia used its veto, as one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council, to kill a resolution that would have allowed experts to continue their investigation into chemical attacks that have left scores dead.
Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia initially sought to postpone the vote until after the release of the inspector's report which is widely expect to say that the Syrian government was behind the April 4 chemical weapon attack on the town of Khan Sheikhoun that left more 80 dead.
Western diplomats accused Russia of deploying similar stalling tactics in the past.
Inspectors have repeatedly found the Assad regime was behind many of the attacks but Russia continued to maintain it finds the evidence unconvincing.
Nebenzia went on to attack the integrity of the international panel of experts carrying out the inspections, provoking scorn for the U.S. representative.
Russia's veto, it's ninth in six years, has dimmed hopes that anyone will ever be held accountable for the for human rights abuses committed over the course of Syria's six -year-long civil war.
Michael Astor, Senior Global Affairs Correspondent of American Television News reports from the United Nations Security Council.