The Russian ambassador to Israel Anatoly Viktorov has claimed on Thursday his country is not seeking to conquer Ukraine and decries “fake news” about Russia’s invasion of its western neighbor.

“We are only acting against those who took Ukraine hostage,” Ambassador Anatoly Viktorov said at a press briefing.

He maintained that the Russian army was not targeting civilians.

“There is incitement to hatred towards Russians all over the world. Everything we say is immediately defined as propaganda. Russian media were blocked in the West and Ukraine.”

He refused to clearly answer questions regarding the violent crackdowns and arrests of anti-war protesters in Russia.

Viktorov asked the Israeli government to examine the possibility that efforts of the Ukrainian embassy in Israel to recruit volunteers “constitute a violation of Israeli law or of Israel’s international obligations.”

In addition, he referred to the Israeli-Russian so-called deconfliction in Syria and said that “it is in the common interest of Russia and Israel to continue the coordination mechanism in Syria.”

He railed against media coverage that he says is trying to portray Russia and its leader Vladimir Putin as “monstrous,” particularly regarding a deadly strike in Kyiv near the Babyn Yar Holocaust memorial earlier this week.

The strike did not appear to cause any direct damage to the memorial itself, though at least one missile struck a crop of buildings in a Jewish cemetery located in the Babyn Yar complex.

Ukrainian emergencies service said that five people were killed and five were injured in the missile strike.

The United Nations’ atomic watchdog said Thursday that it believes Iran has significantly increased its stockpile of highly enriched uranium in breach of a 2015 accord with world powers.

The International Atomic Energy Agency told member nations in its confidential quarterly report that Iran has an estimated 33.2 kilograms (73.1 pounds) of uranium enriched to up to 60% fissile purity, an increase of 15.5 kilograms (34.2 pounds) since November.

Such highly enriched uranium can be easily refined to make atomic weapons, which is why world powers have sought to contain Tehran’s nuclear program. The 33.2-kilogram figure brings Iran closer to having enough weapons-grade uranium to produce a nuclear weapon.

In a report to member states about its work in Iran seen by The Associated Press, IAEA estimated that as of February 19, Iran’s stockpile of all enriched uranium was 3197.1 kilograms (7048.4 pounds), an increase of 707.4 kilograms (1559.6 pounds).

The Vienna-based agency said it was unable to verify the exact size of Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium due to limitations Tehran imposed on UN inspectors last year. IAEA’s monitoring and verification activities in Iran continue to be “seriously affected” by Iran’s decision to stop letting inspectors access the agency’s monitoring equipment, the report states.

Senior diplomats from Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia have been meeting with Iranian officials in Vienna since November to discuss bringing Tehran back into compliance with the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. The pact eased sanctions on Iran in return for curbs on its nuclear program.