Russia vetoes defying West

Russia yesterday vetoed a United Nations draft resolution demanding an end to the bombing of Syria's war-battered city of Aleppo, despite an appeal from France to save the city from destruction.

It was the fifth time that Moscow used its veto to block UN action to end the five-year war in Syria, which has claimed 300,000 lives.

The draft text presented by France won 11 votes in favor in the 15-member Security Council, but there were two votes against -- including Russia -- and two abstentions, notably from veto-holder China.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault urged the council to take immediate action to save Aleppo from being destroyed by the Russia-backed Syrian bombing campaign.

As the vote got under way, the Syrian regime pressed its assault on rebel-held areas of Aleppo, where 125,000 people are living under siege and facing almost-daily heavy bombing.

The council "must demand immediate action in order to save Aleppo," Ayrault said ahead of the vote.

Russia has presented its own rival draft text that urges a ceasefire but does not make any mention of halting the bombing campaign. That move also failed to pass.

Russia and Venezuela voted against the French text, while China and Angola abstained.

The Syrian and Russian bombing campaign has escalated since the Russian-backed Syrian army launched an offensive to retake the city on September 22.

US Secretary of State John Kerry made clear his anger at the Syrian army's Russian-backed onslaught in the battleground second city, saying that its bombing of civilians could amount to a war crime.

Its ally Damascus has made significant advances in its renewed two-week-old offensive in Aleppo, seizing territory to the north and pushing back the front line in the city center which had remained largely static since the rebels captured eastern districts in 2012.

But it has come at a heavy human cost. Since the regime offensive began, at least 290 people -- mostly civilians -- have been killed in rebel-held areas, 57 them children, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported. And 50 civilians including nine children have been killed in rebel shelling on regime-held areas of the city, it added.