UNITED NATIONS -- The U.S. and its Western allies clashed with Russia at the UN Security Council on Wednesday over responsibility for a deadly missile strike in Poland near the Ukrainian border, an event the UN political chief called 鈥渁 frightening reminder of the absolute need to prevent any further escalation鈥� of the nine-month war in Ukraine.

U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield told the council: 鈥淭his tragedy would never have happened but for Russia鈥檚 needless invasion of Ukraine and its recent missile assaults against Ukraine鈥檚 civilian infrastructure.鈥� Russia鈥檚 UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia countered, accusing Ukraine and Poland of trying 鈥渢o provoke a direct clash between Russia and NATO.鈥�

The U.S. and Albania had called for a council update on the situation in Ukraine last week, and the meeting was dominated by Tuesday鈥檚 missile strike in Poland that killed two farm workers.

Nebenzia pointed to statements by Ukraine鈥檚 president and Polish officials initially indicating Russia was responsible. NATO鈥檚 chief and Poland鈥檚 president said Wednesday there is no indication it was a deliberate attack, and was likely a Soviet-era projectile launched by Ukraine as it was fending off Russian missiles and drones that savaged its power grid and hit residential buildings.

UN Undersecretary-General for political affairs Rosemary DiCarlo told the council that it was Russia鈥檚 鈥渕ost intense bombardments鈥� since its Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, and the impact 鈥渃an only worsen during the coming winter months.鈥�

She reiterated that attacks targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure are prohibited under international law, noted that 鈥渉eavy battles鈥� are continuing in eastern Donetsk and Luhansk and told council members 鈥渢here is no end in sight to the war.鈥� She also warned that 鈥渁s long as it continues, the risks of potentially catastrophic spillover remain all too real.鈥�

Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. envoy, called the barrage of more than 90 missiles that rained down on Kyiv and other cities and targets devastating civilian infrastructure 鈥渁 deliberate tactic鈥� by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

鈥淗e seems to have decided that if he can鈥檛 seize Ukraine by force, he will try to freeze the country into submission,鈥� she said.

Poland鈥檚 UN Ambassador Krzysztof Szczerski told the council 鈥渢hose innocent people would not have been killed if there had been no Russian war against Ukraine.鈥� And Britain鈥檚 UN Ambassador Barbara Woodward said: 鈥淲e should be clear that this is a tragedy that indisputably stems from Russia鈥檚 illegal and unjustified invasion. And it鈥檚 inhumane assault on civilians across Ukraine.

But Russia鈥檚 Nebenzia said he wanted to remind those blaming Russia that what Moscow calls its 鈥渟pecial military operation鈥� wouldn鈥檛 have been needed if the Minsk agreements after the upheaval in Ukraine in 2014 that called for a degree of self-rule for the Russian-backed separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk in the east had been fulfilled, and hadn鈥檛 led to an eight-year war.

Addressing the West, Nebenzia also said there would be no military action 鈥渋f you had not interfered and did not supply Ukraine with weapons and ammunition鈥� and encouraged Ukraine 鈥渢o strive for peace on realistic terms rather than fuel its feverish fantasies about the possibility of victory over Russia, for the sake of which the Zelenskyy regime is senselessly throwing tens of thousands of its soldiers into the meat grinder.鈥�

As for the missile attacks, Nebenzia said, 鈥淚f you reacted to the terrorist actions of the Ukrainian special forces against Russia, we would not be forced to conduct precision strikes on infrastructure."

鈥淏ut since you鈥檙e acting as you鈥檙e acting, while the Kyiv regime is taking credit for non-existent military prowess, we are forced to achieve the goals set for the special military operation by weakening the military potential of Ukraine,鈥� he said.

Britain鈥檚 Woodward strongly disagreed, telling the council, 鈥淲e are in no doubt that Ukraine will prevail in the face of Russia鈥檚 aggression.鈥�

Pointing to the Russian withdrawal from the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, she said, 鈥淭he liberation of Kherson shows the strength, courage and determination of the Ukrainian people to defend their right to sovereign equality and territorial integrity guaranteed under the UN Charter.鈥�