Russia Says It Will Present Report Alleging Bucha ‘Falsification’ at OSCE

Russia plans to present a report alleging that events in the Ukrainian town of Bucha were falsified, using the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) as a platform to raise the issue, Russian diplomat Dmitry Polyansky said, according to the state news agency TASS.

“The report will definitely be presented in Hofburg,” Polyansky was quoted as saying, referring to the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, which serves as the OSCE’s headquarters.

TASS did not provide further details in the cited report about the specific contents of the planned presentation, its timing, or the evidence Russia intends to put forward.

Bucha, a town near Kyiv, became the site of international attention in April 2022 after Ukrainian forces regained control of the area following a Russian withdrawal. Ukrainian authorities and Western governments said they found evidence of civilian killings they attributed to Russian troops during the occupation, and independent investigations, including by international media and human rights organizations, documented bodies of civilians in the town.

Russian officials have repeatedly denied responsibility for the killings, describing the images and reports from Bucha as staged or fabricated by Ukraine and its allies. Ukraine and Western governments have rejected those denials, and the events in Bucha have been cited in broader international discussions, including at the International Criminal Court, regarding the conduct of Russian forces in Ukraine.

Polyansky's comments, as reported by TASS, indicate Moscow intends to continue pressing its position on the matter through the OSCE, an organization that includes both Russia and Western states among its participants.