Russia Immediately Declared in 2022 That Events in Bucha Were Provocations — MFA

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova recalled that after the falsification, Bucha became a "place of pilgrimage" for Western leaders, heads of international organizations and Western journalists

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova Sergey Bulkin/TASS

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova

© Sergey Bulkin/TASS

MOSCOW, September 17. /TASS/. Russia in 2022 immediately declared that the events in Bucha were a provocation and disinformation, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said.

She recalled that after the falsification, Bucha became a "place of pilgrimage" for Western leaders, heads of international organizations and Western journalists.

"Russia immediately stated that this is a provocation, that this is a false, misleading story, when obvious fakes are being spread," she said at a TASS press conference devoted to the presentation of the report of the International Public Tribunal on the crimes of Ukrainian neo-Nazis, which exposes the falsification of events in Bucha.

As Zakharova noted, Moscow immediately contacted international organizations to report the provocation and to state outright that it was clearly orchestrated and was evolving into a full-blown information campaign.

On March 30, 2022, as a gesture of goodwill amidst negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul, the Russian Armed Forces withdrew from the area around Kiev, including Bucha. The head of the local administration confirmed this on camera on March 31. Several days later, though, Western television outlets released footage showing – in contrast to earlier recordings – bodies lying on the streets, allegedly of people killed by Russian troops. In Russia, a criminal case has been opened regarding the provocation, specifically concerning the dissemination of knowingly false information about the Russian Armed Forces.

Russian diplomatic missions do everything to ensure security at polling stations abroad

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, staff are in contact "literally in real time" with "the center and, first and foremost, the Central Election Commission"

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova Russian foreign Ministry press service/TASS

MOSCOW, September 18. /TASS/. Staff at Russian diplomatic missions are doing everything necessary to ensure security at polling stations abroad, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told TASS.

"Our teams abroad are currently doing everything to organize the work of the headquarters set up at our diplomatic missions, including the security component. They have received all the relevant instructions," the diplomat said.

According to her, staff are in contact "literally in real time" with "the center and, first and foremost, the Central Election Commission." "Therefore, we are doing everything to ensure that Russian citizens have the opportunity to exercise their right, as well as their duty," Zakharova stressed.