Russian Delegate Accuses Kyiv of Using Foreign Guests as 'Human Shields' in Vienna Remarks
Yuliya Zhdanova said Moscow had repeatedly warned foreign nationals to leave Kyiv ahead of strikes on military-related facilities.
A Russian delegate speaking in Vienna, Yuliya Zhdanova, accused Ukraine of using high-ranking foreign visitors as what she called 'human shields,' saying Moscow had repeatedly warned foreign nationals, including diplomats and their families, to leave Kyiv given the risk from Russian strikes.
Zhdanova said the warnings were tied to what she described as systematic strikes on facilities linked to Ukraine's military-industrial complex, as well as command and decision-making centers in the capital.
Ukraine has consistently denied using civilians or foreign visitors as shields and has accused Russia of targeting civilian and infrastructure sites without adequate justification. The competing claims reflect the broader information war that has accompanied the conflict since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022.
The remarks were made in the context of international discussions in Vienna, though the specific forum and any related proceedings were not detailed in the available reporting.
Neither claim made by the Russian delegate has been independently verified, and Ukrainian officials did not immediately respond to the specific comments.
Sources
- Kiev uses high-ranking foreign guests as ‘human shields’ — Russian delegate in Vienna — TASS (Russia)
EGazette summarizes reporting from multiple sources; follow the links for the originals.
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