The head of the Russian delegation attending a virtual UN climate meeting apologized for the Ukraine invasion at a closed meeting on Sunday, saying there was no justification for the attack. In what is possibly the first instance of a Moscow official speaking out against the invasion, Oleg Anisimov said in Russian that he wanted to “thank Ukraine and present an apology on behalf of all Russians who were not able to prevent this conflict. All of those who know what is happening fail to find any justification for this attack against Ukraine.” The meeting, the final session of a fortnight of virtual talks on a forthcoming climate report, attended by representatives of 195 countries, was not open to the public.

Politico and The Financial Times both confirmed Anisimov’s comments with sources who had attended the meeting. The Russian official spoke after Ukrainian representative Svitlana Krakovska, who appeared after her delegation had been forced to quit the talks earlier this week, after Russian troops pushed over the border. She explained on Sunday that most members of the delegation had had to leave their homes and seek shelter elsewhere. Anisimov said he had “huge admiration for the Ukrainian delegation that was able to still do its work.”