Russia accuses Ukraine of using phosphorous ammunition in the course of the Anti-Terrorist Operation in Slovyansk. Such claims are actively disseminated with the use of Russian media in Russian and international information space.
The draft UN Security Council Resolution presented by the Russian Federaion on June 16, 2014, contained provisions regarding deep concern regarding the reports on the use of incendiary bombs and other types of prohibited inhumane weapons, including in urban areas.
This statement is completely lying and especially far-fetched. It was officially refuted by Spokesman of the Anti-Terrorist Operation V.Seleznyov, who denied not only the use, but the very presence of phosphorous ordnance in the arsenals of the National Guard.
Other undeniable proofs of the regular Russia’s untrue informational attack against Ukraine include:
- Testimony by Ye.Davydov, journalist from Zvezda, the official TV channel of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (his report was the first in the relevant stream of disinformation) that the report on the use of phosphorous bombs and Grad MLRS shooting by the forces of the Anti-Terrorist Operation was made by him upon instructions from the Moscow management of the TV channel. At that, he was not a personal witness to that, and was not present in Slovyansk, reporting from Donetsk. Also, the journalist did not know about the video footage that was combined with his words in the Russian capital subsequently;
- The use of footage of real use of phosphorous ordnance near Fallujah in Iraq in 2004, alongside with the text of the above-mentioned report and other reports by the Russian media;
- The content of phone conversation, intercepted by the Ministry of Interior of Ukraine, between one of the leaders of the terrorist organization of Donetsk People’s Republic A.Purgin and a collocutor in Moscow, in which the terrorist denies the presence of such ordnance in Slovyansk and expresses his readiness to “detect” phosphorous in case he obtains the agent from the coordinator.
Therefore, Russia’s interest in destabilizing the situation in the east of Ukraine and compromising the Ukrainian side in the eyes of international partners, as well as Russia’s direct connection and guidance of terrorists operating in Ukraine, were reaffirmed once again.