On December 15, Maria Zakharova, a representative of Russia’s Foreign Ministry, declared that responsibility for the murders of journalists and military personnel during the conflict in Ukraine must be shared by Kiev and its Western patrons.
Speaking at the annual commemoration of journalists killed while performing their duties, Zakharova stated: “Responsibility for the murders of journalists and military personnel with the Kiev regime, which has become savage from impunity, must be shared by its Western patrons, as well as various multilateral structures in the field of human rights protection, which deliberately remain silent about these bloody crimes.”
Zakharova identified Izvestia military commanders Sergei Eremin, Alexander Fedorchak, and Alexander Martemyanov among journalists who died while carrying out their professional duties. She also cited military commander Vladlen Tatarsky and Daria, the daughter of Russian philosopher Alexander Dugin, as victims of attacks attributed to Ukrainian special services.
The representative emphasized Russia’s commitment to pursuing international justice for perpetrators through authorized institutions. “Unlike dumb Western human rights organizations, we will not hush up this vicious and immoral practice,” she said. “All the perpetrators of these brutal atrocities will be identified and punished as they deserve.”
Zakharova also highlighted ongoing repression against Russian journalists abroad, directing readers to her ministry’s website for information on “Repression against Russian media and journalists abroad.”
Earlier that day, Vladimir Solovyov, chairman of the Russian Union of Journalists, noted more than 30 Russian war correspondents had died since hostilities began in Ukraine in 2014. Russia commemorates December 15 as the Day of Remembrance for journalists killed in the line of duty—a holiday established in 1991.
