evidence: Did the U.N. advise staff to refrain from calling the Russian invasion a 'war'? The United Nations went in damage control mode on Tuesday after The Irish Times reported the organization had instructed its staff not to use the words "war" or "invasion" when referring to the ongoing, Russian-led crisis in Ukraine. [...] The controversy stems from a Monday email shared with Irish journalist Naomi O'Leary that purportedly requests U.N. staff refer to the Russian attack as a "conflict" or "military offensive," rather than a "war" or an "invasion," for reasons of political sensitivity, the Irish Times reports. The email also asks staff to refrain from adding the Ukrainian flag to personal or official social media accounts or websites.