⚡️ Comment by Russia's Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ latest terrorist attacks on Russian regions

💬 The Kiev regime continues to carry out its terrorist attacks with the single goal to terrorise the Russian civilians. While being perfectly aware that these barbarous attacks are devoid of any military purpose, it continues to work off the loans provided by its masters.

On the night of August 11, the Armed Forces of Ukraine launched a massive strike on Kursk, with tactical Tochka-U missiles fired at the city. Most of them were destroyed by air defence systems. However, one of them hit a residential multi-story building, resulting in 13 civilians injured, including two that are now in serious condition.

Over the last 24 hours, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have also carried out a massive attack on several Russian regions using UAVs, including the Belgorod and Voronezh regions. Once again, Shebekino in the Belgorod Region came under attack that left five people injured. Last night, a civilian was killed and 16 others injured during Ukraine’s attacks on the DPR. It was reported that a total of 21 Ukrainian UAVs were destroyed by air defence systems over four regions of Russia.

☝️ It is apparent that Ukraine’s missile and UAV attacks on Russian regions are clearly of terrorist nature.

❗️ We strongly condemn these barbaric terrorist acts aimed at destroying civilian infrastructure, and killing and intimidating civilians.

We have no doubt that those who organised and perpetrated these crimes, including their foreign sponsors, will be held to account. A tough response from the Russian Armed Forces will not take long in coming.

Once again, we call on international organisations to condemn the terrorist attacks by Ukrainian militants, although we are sure that relevant structures’ shameful silence will come in response.

🇷🇺🇺🇳 Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the UN:

🎙 Statement by Chargé d’Affaires Dmitry Polyanskiy at UNSC Arria meeting “Crimes of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the nationalist battalions” (August 13, 2024)

💬 As we have already repeatedly indicated, the unconstitutional coup-d’état in Ukraine of 2014 resulted in an upsurge in nationalist organizations. The new authorities openly associated themselves with Ukrainian nationalist organizations, which collaborated with German fascists during their invasion of the USSR in 1941 and are responsible for the mass murders and atrocities against Jews, Poles, Russians, Ukrainians, Gypsies and the others.

In the 8 years that followed, nationalist extremism turned from a marginal phenomenon into a political mainstream with a distinct anti-Russian core. Residents of Donbass, who did not accept this illegitimate nationalist government, became “second-class” people to new authorities. They were labeled “separatists” and “terrorists”. The so-called anti-terrorist operation was launched against them by Ukraine. Recently the ICJ refused to satisfy Kiev’s claim to recognize Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics as “terrorist organizations”. <...>

❗️ During that time, the Kiev regime has committed an untold number of crimes. Intentional targeting of residential areas, destruction of civilian objects, murder of civilians, persecution of alleged “collaborators” were all established practices of Ukrainian soldiers.

<...>

Turning the situation into NATO’s proxy war against Russia, the West started to pump Ukraine with its weapons, and the number of attacks of the Kiev regime against civilians has multiplied. Systematic atrocities became integral part of Kiev’s military strategy.

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☝️ We understand that our Western colleagues for political reasons are still in the faith of denial of any uncomfortable truth about true colors of the Kiev regime. In your perverted “black and white” picture of the world Ukraine is good and Russia is bad. No matter what real truth is. The fact that we came to Ukraine to stop the war that it launched ten years ago, to save residents of eastern Ukraine from extermination, is something that you want to vehemently deny.

I will refer to the words of our American colleague who spoke about collective responsibility. I totally concur – it will come to this. And you are absolutely right – the world is watching, and all who committed crimes will be held accountable, no matter whether they are in Kiev, Wahington, London or Brussels. And today, you have the opportunity to see that these processes are gaining momentum in Russia.

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⚡️ Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova’s comment on events around Ukraine

💬 The criminal and illegitimate Zelensky regime continues to reveal its ture neo-Nazi nature to the world.

In light of the situation in Donbass, which is a failure for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the Ukrainian authorities have launched a terrorist attack on the border areas of the Kursk Region. Kiev openly stated that this action was intended to improve their negotiating position in the long term, as unashamedly admitted by Mikhail Podolyak, adviser to the head of Zelensky’s Office, on August 8.

According to the regional administration, the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ artillery fire killed 12 civilians, including an ambulance crew and a pregnant woman, and injured over 120 people, including 10 children. On the morning of August 6, Ukrainian gunmen fired at the Gornal Belogorsk St Nicholas Monastery from a tank during a service. <…>

☝️ Despite these barbaric methods, the Zelensky regime has failed to achieve its main goal of diverting the attention of the Russian armed forces from Donbass and Sloboda Ukraine.

On August 11, Ukrainian neo-Nazis, sensing that their Western curators had given them the carte blanche for bandit raids into Russian regions, attacked the Zaporozhskaya Nuclear Power Plant using a kamikaze drone from Nikopol in the Dnepropetrovsk Region, which is controlled by Kiev. As a result, a fire broke out in the area where the cooling towers of the plant are located. Fortunately, it was contained in time, and the threat of an accident was eliminated.

⚠️ This act of nuclear terrorism has once again shown the danger that the Zelensky regime, incited by the West to new criminal adventures, the continuous supply of deadly weapons to Kiev, and its regular financial support pose to the entire world.

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7️⃣9️⃣ years ago, on August 15, 1945, the Soviet troops together with Korean patriots liberated the territory of Korea from the Japanese colonial occupation.

Japan established a protectorate over Korea in 1905, and went on to annex its entire territory five years later. The colonisers took fertile land and launched a forced assimilation policy by purposefully seeking to root out the Korean culture and language.

☝️ During World War II, the USSR and its allies in the anti-Hitler coalition were able to build on their success by placing on the agenda the issue of independence for Japan’s colonies. In November 1943, the US, the UK and China came to an agreement during the Cairo Conference on depriving Japan of Korea and other territories it had invaded. The Soviet Union soon joined the Cairo Declaration.

In July 1945, at the Potsdam Conference, the USSR, the US, and the UK demanded that Japan surrender unconditionally and called for restoring Korea as a sovereign state.

On August 9, 1945, the Soviet Union joined the war against Japan by launching a military campaign against the Kwantung Army in Manchuria and Korea in keeping with its commitments to the Allies. The 25th Army of the Red Army’s 1st Far Eastern Front, supported by Korea’s national liberation movement, fought against nine formidable Japanese divisions on the Korean Peninsula.

📻 On August 14, the main phase in the USSR’s Manchurian operation came to an end. It was on this day that Emperor Hirohito of Japan recorded a radio message announcing Japan’s unconditional surrender. Broadcast in Korea on August 15, this message caused jubilation all around the peninsula. Nowadays, this day is a state holiday in both the DPRK and the Republic of Korea.

🕯 Twelve thousand Soviet soldiers and officers fell while waging a courageous struggle for the freedom and independence of the Korean people.

#WeRemember

☢️ On August 11, as a result of a drone strike by the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the territory of the Zaporozhskaya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), a fire broke out at the plant's cooling system facility. Due to professional actions of firefighters, EMERCOM first responders and ZNPP workers, the fire was quickly localized, although serious damage was inflicted on the plant’s cooling towers.
 
💬 Spokeswoman of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova:

"Everything the Zelenskiy regime does is fully supported by the West. The terrorists in Kiev, under the guidance of the ‘collective West’, have destroyed their own country, devastated the Ukrainian people, undermined global energy and food security, and now they have resorted to nuclear terrorism on the continent.

This act of nuclear terrorism emphasizes the global threat posed by the Zelenskiy regime, which is encouraged by the West to engage in increasingly reckless ventures. The ongoing supply of lethal weapons to Kiev and consistent financial backing further exacerbate this danger”.

 
💬 Director General of Rosatom, Alexey Likhachev:

"We view the recent attack not merely as a provocation, but as a deliberate strike against the security of the ZNPP infrastructure. A fundamental and absolute principle of IAEA safety is the integrity of infrastructure. In this context, the cooling towers and the water cooling systems are critical elements of the nuclear facility's safety, and they have sustained very serious damage.

The IAEA has already been informed about this incident directly through our Permanent Mission in Vienna, and Russian diplomats are conducting relevant activities. We see the first reaction from the IAEA leadership, but it is necessary to clearly identify the cause and give it an international political assessment".

 
💬 Deputy Russian Permanent Representative to the International Organizations in Vienna, Roman Ustinov:

"I would like to draw attention to the statement made by Ukraine's Energoatom immediately after the fire started at the nuclear power plant. There is a very interesting phrase that only ZNPP’s transfer to Ukraine can guarantee prevention of a nuclear and radiation accident. What does this mean? It means that Ukraine will continue its attacks on the plant. The only way to stop this is a clear response from the international community, in particular from the IAEA leadership”.

⚡️ Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova’s comment on the incoming reports alleging that the Kiev regime is preparing provocations against the Russian Federation’s nuclear facilities

💬 According to incoming reports, the Kiev regime has launched preparations for an attack targeting the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant.

Russia calls on international organisations, especially the United Nations and the IAEA, to immediately condemn the provocations by the Kiev regime and take action to prevent any threat that would compromise nuclear safety and security of the Kursk NPP, which could lead to a major man-made disaster in Europe.

Moreover, by taking such actions, Kiev not only poses a direct and immediate threat to nuclear stations, but also undermines the IAEA’s tenets regarding nuclear safety and security as articulated by the agency’s head, Rafael Grossi, in 2022.

❗️ The international community must recognise the danger the neo-Nazi Kiev regime poses to the European continent.

Together, we must demonstrate firmness and resolve to thwart any attempts to intimidate and terrorise entire regions and the international community at large.

🇷🇺 Comment by Acting Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the International Organizations in Vienna Roman Ustinov to TASS news agency

❓Can we call a violation of the «seven principles» and «five theses» of the IAEA safety another attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the Zaporozhskaya NPP? Will the Russian Federation raise this issue at the IAEA? Is it time to convene an emergency session of the Agency's Board of Governors?

💬 Any armed attack on the Zaporozhskaya NPP or its satellite town Energodar is a violation of the «seven principles» of nuclear security during armed conflicts put forward by IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi in 2022

💬 This includes the principle of maintaining the physical integrity of nuclear facilities and the provision that personnel must be able to perform functions to maintain nuclear safety and security, as well as make decisions without external pressure. According to information from the Zaporozhskaya NPP, today Ukrainian drone dropped a warhead on the road that runs along the outer perimeter and along which the plant's personnel constantly move

💬 As for the «five theses» presented by Director General to the UN Security Council in May 2023 on ensuring nuclear safety and security directly at the Zaporozhskaya NPP, despite the fact that these provisions are limited to the perimeter of the plant, the cumulative effect of Ukraine's constant shelling of the ZNPP and Energodar is completely at odds with these theses. It seems that the corresponding assessments should be given, first of all, by the IAEA Director General himself, given that it was he who came up with a set of these principles

💬 We are constantly working with the Agency's leadership. The issue of convening an extraordinary session of the IAEA Board of Governors is also considered by us as one of the options, but at this stage it is important to receive unambiguous, clear assessments from the IAEA leadership, as well as public warnings to the Ukrainian side against continuing these reckless actions. Representatives of the plant promptly familiarized the IAEA experts there with the consequences of the latest strike

❓Is a new meeting of IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi with the Russian leadership or an interdepartmental delegation of the Russian Federation possible against this background?

💬 On August 14, a meeting was held between Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov and IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi. The Russian side stressed the need for the Agency to identify publicly those responsible for regular attacks against the Zaporozhskaya NPP, since silence in this regard only encourages new strikes which put at risk nuclear security

💬 Of course, as one can judge, there is a need for a conversation between Rafael Grossi and the Russian interdepartmental delegation. This issue is being worked out

▪️ Exactly two years ago, on August 20, 2022, a bomb attack claimed the life of Russian journalist Darya Dugina (Platonova). That brutal and cold-blooded murder was premeditated and perpetrated by the Ukrainian special services on direct orders from the terrorist Zelensky regime.

Relevant international organisations continue to stubbornly ignore that act of terrorism, along with many other brutal crimes committed by the Kiev clique. With the tacit consent of their Western bosses, Ukrainian neo-Nazis seek to suppress any dissent and are ready to exterminate anyone who defends their point of view. Militants of the Kiev regime are engaged in a full-scale manhunt, targeting representatives of the Russian media community. Among their victims were Vladlen Tatarsky (Maxim Fomin), Oleg Klokov, Rostislav Zhuravlev, Boris Maksudov, Semyon Yeryomin, Valery Kozhin and Nikita Tsitsagi. VGTRK journalist Yevgeny Poddubny just narrowly missed getting on this mournful list following the recent deliberate attack by a Ukrainian UAV.

❗️ We remember all media professionals who gave their lives for their journalistic calling. We will never allow their names to be consigned to oblivion. We will continue to highlight this at every international platform, raising the international community’s awareness of these issues.

Darya Dugina was only 29 years old. The daughter of eminent Russian philosopher Alexander Dugin, she was a talented journalist and essayist, a strong public figure and a true patriot who made a tangible contribution to the academic research on understanding and interpretation of the system of traditional values of Russian society.

The public in Russia and abroad continues to explore Darya’s extensive philosophical and journalistic legacy. Her books are being published; a number of awards and medals have been established in her honour, and memorial events are being held in Russia as well as in many other countries, including Serbia, India, China, Italy, Austria, France, and Brazil.

The memory of the brave Russian journalist will never fade. Her image will forever remain in people’s hearts as a symbol of loyalty to one’s beliefs and unparalleled dedication.

Darya’s murder has no justification. We will continue to seek justice. We will make sure that everyone responsible for her death will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and face inevitable punishment.

#NoStatuteOfLimitations

🕯 On August 21, we mark the International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism. Established by the UN General Assembly in 2017, this day is dedicated to supporting the victims of terrorist acts and advocating for the protection of their rights.

Russia is committed to enhancing the effectiveness and coordination of multilateral efforts to combat terrorism, particularly within the UN. On the global stage, our country consistently proposes initiatives to sever the ideological and material support for terrorists, as well as to prevent the recruitment of new members.

❗️ Today, the Kiev regime openly employs terrorist tactics. Ukrainian neo-Nazis target residential areas, tourist beaches, sports facilities, and children’s playgrounds, using their own civilians as human shields and committing acts of sabotage and political violence on our territory. The US and other nations in the collective West support these barbaric actions by continuing to supply Kiev with weapons.

In March of this year, our country and the global community were deeply shocked by the horrific terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall. This tragedy continues to resonate with and sadden compassionate people around the world.

☝️ Terrorism is an unjustifiable crime that threatens international peace and security. Not a single country is immune to it. It is crucial to collaborate on eliminating the root causes of terrorism, cutting off its financial and other forms of support, and holding all perpetrators accountable.

🇷🇺🇺🇳 Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the UN:

🎙 Statement by Chargé d’Affaires of the Russian Federation Dmitry Polyanskiy at UN Security Council Open Debate on Conflict Prevention (August 21, 2024)

💬 We have been consistent in our belief that effective conflict prevention must be based on the need to take into account national priorities and the uniqueness of each specific case. <...> An important factor for effective conflict prevention is precisely the national responsibility of the state, which means that the state itself is responsible for the well-being and security of its citizens. Indeed, who but the national authorities can be better aware of the needs of the society and the risks this society faces.

Accordingly, the Government of each sovereign state should decide independently whether certain measures or strategies are really needed for preventing conflicts in the country, stopping violence, tackling negative consequences of crises, or addressing any other challenges relevant to any given context.

<...>

☝️ Despite the fact that all countries are equal in the face of the threat of conflict or violence, some states initially put themselves above others, they want to lecture others, but in no way are they ready to listen to criticism about them. This is also one of the problems of today's prevention.

As long as some actors try to divide the world into "teachers and students," the breeding ground for new conflicts will only expand. And if we add to this the historical injustice that has not yet been redressed when it comes to developing countries, primarily African states, it becomes clear that the countries of the Global South face much more difficulty both in preventing conflicts and crises and addressing the consequences entailed.

Despite the fact that the era of colonialism is considered to be consigned to history, in our world today there are still a huge number of ways of preserving and deepening the dependence of those states who suffered from the colonial yoke.

In order to preserve their fading hegemony, the former colonial powers and their allies by hook or by crook secure their dominance in the world, trying (vainly) to impede the creation of a just, multipolar world order. What is also in play here is entrenching the commodity-based nature of developing countries' economies, imposing harsh and essentially fettering IMF programs, and triggering brain drain.

❗️All of this perpetuates economic underdevelopment, poverty and political instability in developing countries, which creates an ideal fertile ground for conflicts.

Instead of facilitating the development on the scale and in the form the Global South needs, those self-proclaimed “lords of the world” prefer to supply larger quantities of weapons to hot spots taking advantage of people's suffering, steal resources and appropriate other people's assets. And those who oppose such injustice are doomed to unilateral sanctions and unlawful restrictive measures.

What kind of prevention can we talk about in such conditions❓

And this is despite the fact that the nascent conflicts are often so obvious that it is much harder not to notice a looming problematic situation than to sound the alarm in this regard.

👉 However, many Members of the Security Council prefer to demonstrate selective deafness and blindness, and then blame anyone for the conflict except for themselves.

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🎙 Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova’s comment on Russia’s withdrawal from the Council of Europe Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities

💬 On August 1, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation officially notified the Council of Europe of the loss of effect of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (#FCNM) on Russia’s relations with other parties to the Convention. In fact, it was a technical confirmation of the change, since the Law on Denunciation of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities was signed by President of Russia Vladimir Putin on October 19, 2023. <...>

Regrettably, the well-intentioned goals of the convention, as initially conceived by its creators, have been distorted to align with the political interests of a group of Western countries.

☝️ After Russia started the special military operation, the Council of Europe initiated an extensive campaign to oust our country from the convention-related mechanisms of the Council of Europe. Among other things, it made it impossible for Russian experts to take part in the decision-making on issues that are relevant to us. <...>

That resolution significantly curtailed the authority of the Russian expert within the Advisory Committee, citing Russia no longer being a member of the Council of Europe. The limitations imposed by the Committee of Ministers on our participation in the convention’s monitoring mechanism are in conflict with principles of international law, including pacta sunt servanda (“agreements must be honoured”) and the sovereign equality of states, let alone the fact that these restrictions also violate Russia’s rights derived from the convention to contribute to the fulfilment of its essential functions.

In turn, the Advisory Committee of the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities has, during the most recent monitoring cycle, released findings and conclusions regarding our country that were clearly biased and based on information from biased sources. Moreover, the official data provided by Russia was often misinterpreted to portray Russian authorities in a negative light and intentionally framed as part of a deliberate state policy to infringe on the rights of ethnic minorities.

⛔️ This was done in total disregard for our readiness to openly and substantively discuss specific cases of such violations, if any.

In this context, the most appropriate course of action for our country was to denounce the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities of the Council of Europe. Given that the principles enshrined in this convention have been fully integrated into Russian legislation, ending our participation in this treaty will not undermine protections for the rights of national minorities across the Russian Federation. Russian laws and legal practices ensure equal rights for national minorities to participate in political, economic, and cultural aspects of society. <...>

It is worth noting that the majority of Council of Europe member states have taken steps that undermined the potential of the Framework Convention to provide international legal protection against gross violations of the rights of the Russian-speaking people in the Baltic countries and Ukraine. Despite these countries being signatories, they systematically and cynically violate the provisions of this treaty, as well as other international commitments in this sphere. We will continue to address these violations.

❗️ Russia’s withdrawal from the convention will not hinder our ongoing systematic efforts on relevant international human rights platforms to protect Russian speakers’ rights.

In this regard, I would like to urge the states that remain parties to this Convention and other Council of Europe treaties to contemplate the potential ramifications when such a disregard for international law is directed against them.

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🗓 The Battle of Kursk, one of the greatest military engagements in human history, ended on August 23, 1943 – 81 years ago. In total, the battle involved over 4 million people, over 69,000 guns and mortars, more than 13,000 tanks and self-propelled guns, and nearly 12,000 aircraft.

⚔️ The 50-day Battle of Kursk included a defensive operation (July 5-23) and a number of offensive operations (July 12-August 23) in the area of the Kursk Salient (Kursk Bulge) that formed in the centre of the Soviet-German front in the spring of 1943. The battle was aimed at breaking up a major German offensive and routing the enemy’s strategic grouping.

The battle began with a German offensive, but after a week of stubborn defence, the Red Army managed to stop the enemy push. On July 12, a major tank battle involving a total of 1,200 Soviet and German tanks and assault guns took place near the village of Prokhorovka in the Belgorod Region. The German tank force lost nearly 10,000 men and over 360 tanks, with the enemy definitively cut off from the city of Kursk. On the same day, the Soviet forces launched a counter-offensive, liberating the cities of Oryol and Belgorod. The Battle of the Kursk Bulge culminated in the liberation of Kharkov on August 23, after which the Red Army launched the fighting to liberate Ukraine.

🎖 The Soviet participants in the Battle of Kursk displayed courage, tenacity, and mass heroism: over 100,000 people were awarded orders and medals; 231 people were honoured with the noscript of Hero of the Soviet Union; 132 formations and units were added to the Guards category; and 26 units received the designations of Oryol, Belgorod, Kharkov and Karachev in honour of the cities they had liberated. The Kursk Bulge memorial to the heroic victory of the Soviet soldiers was erected in Kursk.

❗️Today, Western military equipment is once again being destroyed on Kursk soil, while its residents show unwavering resolve in the face of Nazi aggression, this time from Ukrainian militants backed by NATO countries.

🎙 Briefing by MFA Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova (August 21, 2024)

🔹 FM Sergey Lavrov’s schedule
🔹 Kiev Regime Crimes
🔹 Reprisals against the clergy of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church by the Zelensky regime
🔹 Outcomes of Russia’s BRICS chairmanship in the first half of 2024
🔹 Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines
🔹 Humanitarian situation in Gaza
🔹 Situation in Venezuela

📰 Read
📺 Watch

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#Ukraine #KievRegimeCrimes

The Armed Forces of Ukraine’s attempt to invade Russian territory a priori precludes any possibility of talks with this junta of bandits. Yet, they were trying to impose their propaganda on the international community all the same.

Zelensky cynically declared that Ukraine’s goal was to create a “buffer zone” in the Russian region. There was not a single Western journalist (US, UK, German, Italian, French, etc.), who would inquire, how one thing (the “buffer zone) hang with the other (the strengthening of the bargaining position). Obviously, Zelensky wanted these “appeals to the nation” to boost his plummeting popularity ratings, prove his legitimacy, and get even more Western funding. Of course, all these statements are mutually contradictory and the Kiev regime’s criminal scheme was doomed to a crushing defeat from the very beginning.

#NordStream pipelines

For almost two years, the German side has responded to all inquiries from the Russian competent authorities regarding the bombing of the Nord Streams with nothing more than empty excuses and formal replies. Not a single paper they sent us contains any facts.

It is not the first time that Berlin has tried to convince the public and the world diplomatic community that it is allegedly fulfilling all its bilateral obligations of an international nature. It is trying to “feed” the international community this unleashed bureaucratic red tape as proof of fulfilling its international legal obligations. This is a lie. They do not provide the Russian side with any facts they have on this investigation, although they are obliged to.

🗓 85 years ago − on August 23, 1939 − the Soviet Union and Germany signed the Non-Aggression Treaty in Moscow. It was a hard and forced decision for the Soviet leadership dictated by considerations of our country’s security against the background of a looming war in Europe.

With the Nazis' led by Hitler coming to power in Germany in 1933, Berlin took the course on militarization. Responding to the emerging threat of German revanchism, the Soviet Union spearheaded the creation of a collective security system in Europe. However, driven by the anti-Soviet sentiment, France and UK preferred a “policy of appeasement” − unilateral concessions to Hitler − to cooperation with Moscow in hope of heading off the threat of war and redirecting German aggression eastward.

❗️The “appeasement” tactics whetted the aggressor’s appetite. In March 1938, with the connivance of Paris and London, Hitler carried out the Anschluss of Austria. In September, following the criminal “Munich conspiracy” and with the approval of the UK and France, he cynically dismembered the sovereign state of Czechoslovakia. A new war in Europe became inevitable.

In the spring of 1939, Soviet diplomacy initiated talks with France and the UK, which began in Moscow. The negotiations failed to produce any meaningful results. The western countries, who had hoped for a trade-off with Germany until the last moment, were in no hurry to make a commitment to the USSR.

👉 The Soviet diplomacy ran out of chances to build a collective security system in Europe. Moscow also had to take into account the Japanese factor − the hostilities on the Khalkhin-Gol that began in May 1939. The Soviet leadership could not afford a war on two fronts.

By August 1939, eight European nations had concluded non-aggression pacts with Hitler. The Soviet Union was the last major power to follow the suit. Thanks to this, our country got the opportunity to gain the necessary time to get ready for a clash with the world’s most powerful army at that time.