PRESS RELEASES AND NEWS
14.06.2022
Embassy comment on the recent events in Donbass, 14 June 2022Over the weekend we witnessed a dramatic increase in Ukrainian forces shelling of the city of Donetsk. The Mayor of Donetsk, Mr Alexey Kulemzin, has reported that on 13 June indiscriminate artillery strikes of the city centre lasted over 6 hours, killing at least 5 and wounding 33 civilians. The intensity of fire, with over 700 rockets and shells falling over the peaceful city and other towns and villages of the Donetsk People’s Republic, amounts to a full-fledged and purposeful military operation. In the recent days, bombardments covered a number of purely civilian areas and targets, including Vishnevskiy maternity hospital and Mayskiy market. Deliberate targeting and shelling of civilian objects is a war crime.
It has been confirmed that equipment used by the Ukrainian forces during these attacks included NATO-standard 155mm artillery. It is therefore clear that such assaults on civilians are only possible due to Western encouragement and Western military supplies to Kiev, in which the United Kingdom claims a leading role.
We have repeatedly called upon the British Government to exercise caution and to respect its own export control standards when supplying arms to Ukraine. These calls have fallen on deaf ears. The latest events show it is time for the UK to assume full responsibility for its short-sighted policy.
14 June 2022, 17:50
LATEST EVENTS
The Zaporozhye NPP was secured by Russian military servicemen at an early stage of the ongoing Special Military Operation with a clear objective – to prevent Ukrainian nationalist formations and foreign mercenaries from carrying out deliberately staged provocations and “false flag” attacks with predictably catastrophic consequences. The plant is run by the Ukrainian energy operator, but Russian military servicemen ensure the safety and security of the power plant.
Today, on the 14th anniversary of the beginning of Georgia’s military aggression against the people of South Ossetia and the Russian peacekeepers of the Joint Peacekeeping Forces in the zone of the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict, we yet again pay the tribute to the memory of the victims of that treacherous attack and to the courage of those who sacrificed their lives to save the South Ossetian people from extirpation.
Right during our meeting, alarming information is coming about the situation at the Zaporozhye NPP. Just two hours ago, the Ukrainian armed forces shelled the Zaporozhye NPP with large-caliber artillery. The shells hit the facility distributing electricity to the plant, which is fraught with the risk of its blackout.There is a fire in the area of the shelling as pipelines were damaged.
Nuclear disarmament is at the forefront of the international agenda. Despite visible progress in strategic arms reduction, the nuclear powers are accused of almost sabotaging their disarmament obligations. We cannot agree with this interpretation, at least with regard to the Russian Federation.
We held a Russia-ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ meeting. This is an annual event. We reviewed the implementation of the agreements reached at the Russia-ASEAN summit in the autumn of 2021 held via videoconference. The summit adopted an important document – the Comprehensive Plan of Action (CPA) to implement the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Russian Federation strategic partnership (2021–2025).
We held good talks with our colleagues from Myanmar. This year, we have intensively developed contacts in all areas. Our mechanisms for cooperation include the trade, economic, military, military-technical, humanitarian and education fields.
In over half a century of its existence, the Treaty has become a key element of the international system of security and strategic stability. The obligations stipulated by the Treaty in the areas of non-proliferation, disarmament, and the peaceful use of nuclear energy fully serve the interests of nuclear and non-nuclear-weapon states alike.
In response to the British government’s expanding list of personal sanctions on the leading representatives of Russia’s social and political circles, business and the media, Russia has included the British politicians, journalists, and businesspeople, who promote London’s hostile policy aimed at demonising Russia and isolating it internationally, on the Russian “stop list.”
Ambassador Prystaiko has claimed that Russia “should return at least a third” of its properties abroad, which date back to USSR times, including its properties in the UK. It is important to point out that such claims by Ukrainian officials have no basis in international law.
The agenda of the meeting focused on preparations for the meeting of the SCO Heads of States Council to be held in Samarkand in September. The summit is to consider the state of multilateral cooperation and prospects for its further development, and identify priorities and practical measures to step up SCO’s activities at the current stage. Particular attention will be paid to the enhancement of the organisation's role in world affairs in the light of the current geopolitical realities.
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