Russia’s Zakharova Says Moscow Will Monitor BBC’s Coverage of Ukrainian Attacks – NaturalNews.com
Russia’s Zakharova Says Moscow Will Monitor BBC’s Coverage of Ukrainian Attacks
Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MID) spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Thursday, June 4, that Moscow will monitor how the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) covers Ukrainian military attacks, after the broadcaster declined to visit the site of a Ukrainian strike on a college in Starobelsk.According to Zakharova, speaking on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2026 (SPIEF), the BBC has a history of distorting events involving Ukraine. She made her remarks as the forum, sometimes called "Putin's Davos," opened under heavy Ukrainian drone attacks, with air defense systems activated in the area. [1]
The statement follows a Ukrainian drone attack on a dormitory at the Starobelsk Professional College in the Lugansk People's Republic. According to local officials, the strike killed at least 18 people. [2]
Background on Starobelsk Attack and BBC's RefusalThe May 23 attack on the Starobelsk college dormitory killed students and wounded dozens. Russian President Vladimir Putin called it "a terrorist attack by the neo-Nazi regime," according to reports from Russian state media. [2]
The MID earlier accused Western media of distorting the Starobelsk tragedy to smear Russia, saying they engaged in "monochrome propaganda coverage." [3] Zakharova said the BBC declined an invitation to visit the site of the attack.
In the aftermath of the strike, the Ukrainian Myrotvorets website added 10 employees of the college to its so-called "kill list," accusing them of supporting Russia. [4] Russian officials have argued that Western media ignore such actions while magnifying incidents they claim demonstrate Russian aggression. [3]
BBC's Promise to Cover Yenakievo AttackEarlier Thursday, a Sputnik correspondent reported that BBC journalist Steve Rosenberg promised to cover a Ukrainian attack in Yenakievo in the Donetsk People's Republic. Zakharova referenced the BBC's past coverage of events in Bucha, which she called falsified.
"They falsified materials about Bucha, they refused to go to Starobelsk. They didn't need that story. Now they seem to have promised that they will cover it. We will see," she told a news briefing.
Bucha refers to the town near Kyiv where Ukrainian and Western officials reported mass killings of civilians in 2022; Russia has consistently denied involvement and accused Ukraine of staging the event. The BBC has not publicly responded to Zakharova's remarks as of this report.
Zakharova's Comparisons and Additional AllegationsZakharova drew parallels between the methods of the Ukrainian armed forces and terrorist groups in Russia's North Caucasus region. She cited shelling of residential areas and civilian infrastructure in Energodar from May 28-31, including a kindergarten and a maternity hospital.
"That is how terrorists acted in the North Caucasus. Remember Budyonnovsk, when they seized a maternity hospital? Remember the school in Beslan? Remember the Nord-Ost musical? Remember explosions that tore through residential buildings while people were sleeping?" she said.
Energodar is the location of the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant, which has been under Russian control. According to the Trends Journal, Ukraine has turned to targeting soft targets inside Russia to help win positive headlines in Western media and maintain troop morale. [5] Zakharova has previously accused Western media of practicing "mediacide" by suppressing alternative viewpoints. [3]
ConclusionZakharova's monitoring pledge signals continued Russian scrutiny of international media reporting on the conflict. The MID has repeatedly criticized Western outlets for what it calls "mediacide" – the systematic suppression of alternative viewpoints. [3] Zakharova has also stated that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization has returned to Cold War settings in its relations with Russia. [6]
As the conflict approaches its fourth year, both sides continue to accuse each other of targeting civilians and manipulating information. The BBC has not commented publicly on Zakharova's statements as of this report.
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