World

Embassy denies Russia targeting cities and civilians, describes conflict as a ‘special operation’

This video is no longer available.

The Russian embassy in South Africa has kept to the Kremlin’s line of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine – and says the presence or Russian armed forces in the country is “not an attack or an intended occupation but a special military operation” meant to “demilitarise” the country and “clear it of Nazis”.

“The operation is conducted to protect the citizens of Donetsky People’s Republic and the citizens of Lugansky People’s Republic from constant attacks, which are carried out by the Kyiv regime punishers,” Alexander Arefiev, the press attaché of the Embassy of Russia in South Africa, said.

According to the embassy, Russia had been trying for eight years to convince Ukraine authorities “to stop these inhuman attacks against the civilians – children, women and the elderly”, in the Donbas region.

Advertisement

ALSO READ: Russia-Ukraine: SACP backs Putin standing up ‘against US imperialism’

Russia tried to convince the Western capitals to use their influence over Kyiv to stop the atrocities and yet there was no response, he said. Instead, he claimed, some Western countries rejected the idea that there was genocide being committed by Ukraine in the Donbas region since 2014, when an “unconstitutional coup” occurred in the capital.

The attitude of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) and the statement issued by US President Joe Biden calling for the world to condemn Russian “aggression” and their announcements of sanctions was another example of the West’s pushing its line of confrontation, according to the press attaché.

Advertisement

“Nato have always been aggressive and this is pushing their line further, nothing new in that, unfortunately.”

Regarding claims that civilians were being targeted and allegations by the Ukrainian Association of South Africa that there was panic in the country after people witnessed Russia’s shelling of the towns, the embassy said these claims were false “because the civil infrastructure, civilians and cities were not targeted” by the Russian army and the forces of Lugansky and Donetsky republics.

“Only the Ukrainian military infrastructure are targeted and no civilian structures and no civilians were attacked.”

Advertisement

ericn@citizen.co.za

For more news your way

Download our app and read this and other great stories on the move. Available for Android and iOS.

Published by
By Eric Naki
Read more on these topics: RussiaUkrainewar