PRESS RELEASES AND NEWS
18.04.2018
Embassy press secretary answers media question on Ofcom investigations regarding RTQ: Do you have a comment on the Ofcom statement regarding pressure on the channel RT?
A: We have taken note of UK Government’s exercise of pressure on media, bordering on censorship, regarding the coverage of the Salisbury poisoning. In particular, the “Sunday Times” reported on 8 April that the National Security Council staff “had seized control” over the media response of the Salisbury incident. The media manipulation by the authorities is corroborated by multiple “leaks” of new versions of the incident which could not have appeared in any other way. Highly likely the apparent lack of interest from media outlets to gain access Sergei and Yulia Skripal, the doctors treating them and many other involved parties, in spite of evident public interest, testifies to the same.
In this context, the channel RT, which is covering the incident in line with the British press standards, finds itself subjected to pressure. The regulator Ofcom has issued an “Update on RT news channel”. Notably, and contrary to claims of many UK politicians and media rivals, it acknowledges that the channel’s “overall compliance record has not been materially out of line with other broadcasters”. The regulator announces investigations into 7 alleged breaches of the due impartiality rule over the coverage of the Salisbury poisoning, which is also common practice, should any complaints by viewers arise.
However, Ofcom goes on to say that it is monitoring the RT service “intensively following the events in Salisbury”, citing also its announcement of 12 March. This targeted scrutiny, directed at one particular news organization and regarding one particular issue, amounts to pressure against this specific broadcaster. This increased scrutiny is sure to affect press freedom in Britain, which causes major concern.
LATEST EVENTS
Taking advantage of the geopolitical situation and apparently bringing to a head anti-Russian bigotry which has been stirred up for some time already, the British authorities gave full play to the sanctions campaign targeting our country. We have no doubt it was long intended – back since the United Kingdom leaving the European Union and ceasing to be constrained by the EU policies and decisions.
EU and NATO countries have abused their majority in the Council of Europe (CE) to steadily transform this organisation into an anti-Russia policy tool, while rejecting dialogue on equal terms and refusing to abide by the principles underlying this pan-European organisation. On February 25, they adopted a discriminatory decision to suspend Russia's representation in the statutory bodies of the Council of Europe.
We were shocked to hear of the news of Ukrainian forces’ attack on a residential neighbourhood in Donetsk with a Tochka-U tactical missile on 14 March 2022. Despite being intercepted by air defence, preventing catastrophic losses, the downed missile still landed on the peaceful city, killing 20 and seriously wounding 28 people, including children, women and seniors.
At 11:30 am on March 14, Ukrainian forces hit a residential neighbourhood in Donetsk with a Tochka-U tactical missile with a cluster munition warhead prohibited under international law. Although intercepted by air defence, preventing catastrophic losses, the downed missile still landed on the peaceful city and killed 20 and seriously wounded 28 people, including children, women and seniors.
The DPR leadership has called it an act of terror.
On March 8, Russia’s “partners” in the Northern Dimension (the European Union, Iceland and Norway), followed by BEAC members (Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Finland and Sweden) and the EU on March 9, came forward with unsubstantiated accusations against Russia, announcing Russia’s suspension from these two formats.
These clearly unfriendly steps run contrary to the fundamental principles of the Northern Dimension and BEAC operations, which are based on consensus and have not been affected by the political situation until recently. Refusal to cooperate within these formats may undermine the stability, trust and neighbourly relations in Northern Europe, with the contacts between people that took decades to build potentially winding down.
Radical Ukrainian groups under the control of the representatives of American special services have prepared several potential scenarios of the use of toxic chemicals in order to carry out various types of provocations. The objective of such actions is to accuse Russia of the use of chemical weapons against the civil population and violating its obligations, including those under the Chemical Weapons Convention (hereinafter “the Convention”). Several diversionary scenarios have been developed.
Statements of Ukrainian representatives on Russia’s opening of humanitarian corridors in Mariupol in order to «shell civilians fleeing the city» is beyond cynical. These dirty practices have been implemented by the Kiev regime.
We are extremely concerned by the recent statements by Defence Secretary Ben Wallace of UK plans to increase its military support of Ukraine. This includes more lethal weapons’ supplies, namely, shipments of modern anti-aircraft missile systems Starstreak. This is an especially dangerous weapon, capable of hitting air targets at high altitude and with high precision. Its use will be a destabilising factor and will worsen the situation.
We confirm that, during the special military operation in Ukraine, the Kiev regime was found to have been concealing traces of a military biological programme implemented with funding from the United States Department of Defence.
Documentation on the urgent eradication of highly hazardous pathogens of plague, anthrax, rabbit-fever, cholera and other lethal diseases on February 24 was received from employees of Ukrainian biolaboratories. This included an instruction from the Ministry of Health of Ukraine on the urgent eradication of stored reserves of highly hazardous pathogens sent to all biolaboratories. These materials can be found on the internet portal of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation.
Regrettably, we have seen the statement by European politicians on energy issues and calls to dump Russian oil and gas. European officials are once again trying to shift the problems and failures of their own energy policy of recent years onto Russia. The result is the spike in energy prices we are witnessing today. I can say with complete confidence that Russia has nothing to do with the current price spike and volatility in the market.
all messages  | 
Tweet Follow @russianembassy