Russia calls for UN Security Council meeting on Syria's besieged Eastern Ghouta

Russia wants the U.N. Security Council to meet publicly on Thursday to discuss the situation in Syria's eastern Ghouta, where pro-regime forces are bombarding the besieged opposition-held enclave near Damascus.

"This is necessary given the concern that we've heard today in order to make sure that all parties can present their vision, their understanding of this situation and come up with a ways of getting out of this situation," Russian U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told the 15-member council on Wednesday.

"I think it is necessary given the concerns that we heard today in order to make sure that all parties present their understanding of this situation and come up the ways of getting of of this situation," he said.

Home to some 400,000 civilian residents, Eastern Ghouta has remained under a crippling regime siege for the last five years.

The Syrian regime army had already waged a ferocious five-day air assault on the area earlier this month that left around 250 civilians dead and hundreds wounded.

Since Sunday, the intensified strikes by the regime of Bashar Assad have killed some 300 civilians and wounded 1,400 others.