Ukraine destroyed bridge – Russia

It was with interest that we familiarised ourselves with publications in The Citizen’s “Ukraine” section of 21 April. In particular, we took note of the picture portraying a Ukrainian citizen and her daughter passing over a destroyed bridge in Kyiv. The caption reminds that “Russian troops invaded Ukraine” omitting one detail: it was Ukraine military who had shattered the pictured facility.

It is a well-known tactic of the Ukrainian army seeking to complicate the advance of Russian forces which, be it known, hasn’t destroyed a single bridge in Ukraine in the course of the military operation.

It has been repeatedly emphasized by our leadership that the Russian army is doing its best to avoid victims among civilian population. Our armed forces view only military installations and facilities-turned-to-military compounds as targets.

Thus, the published picture can hardly be used as an illustration of Russia’s actions, rather it serves as yet another demonstration of Kyiv regime’s readiness to put the lives of civilians at risk while pursuing its political goals.

In fact, Ukraine forces increasingly engage into terrorist tactics using civilians as a human shield, persecuting and exterminating those sympathetic of Russia, staging bloody provocations against civilians to blame it later on Russian army – like it happened in Mariupol, Bucha and Kramatorsk – while western mainstream media do their best to plant this idea deep into people’s heads.

We uphold quality journalism and are confident that freedom of speech must not be turned into freedom of disinformation. Alexander Arefiev

Press attache: second secretary, Embassy of Russia