New Delhi, March 26 (ANI) — The Ukrainian Embassy in New Delhi on Thursday accused Russia of trying to manipulate information and interfere in India’s internal affairs, saying Moscow circulated fabricated claims about the detention of Ukrainian citizens in India.
In an official comment, the embassy criticised remarks by the Russian foreign ministry and described them as part of a broader disinformation campaign. It said Russia’s “Ministry of Propaganda, which also masquerades as its Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” issued a statement by an “official representative” about detained Ukrainian citizens that was based on fabricated information.
According to the embassy, Kremlin-linked provocateurs passed false material to Indian authorities that was concocted within FSB structures, alleging supposed Ukrainian “terrorists.” The embassy said this bore all the hallmarks of a deliberate disinformation operation typical of Russian special services, which it accused of systematically using fabrications as a foreign policy tool to draw India into a political script not of its own making.
The statement accused Moscow of attempting to use India to advance its geopolitical interests and said this approach showed disregard for India’s sovereignty and independent institutions. “It reflects a profound disregard for India’s sovereignty and a failure to understand that its system of justice neither can nor will operate on the basis of external political instructions,” the embassy said, adding that a New Delhi court is not a branch of Russian district courts known for politically motivated verdicts.
The embassy also referenced international legal actions against Russia’s leadership, noting the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for President Vladimir Putin issued on 17 March 2023, which found sufficient grounds to hold him individually criminally responsible for war crimes, particularly unlawful deportation and forcible transfer of populations from occupied Ukrainian territories.
Ukraine’s statement criticised Russia’s use of private military networks abroad, citing EU sanctions on the Wagner Group for alleged human rights abuses and destabilising activities. The embassy said Russia exports sabotage and terrorism through private military and security structures operating in dozens of countries, and that sanctions since 2021 have targeted Wagner fighters, commanders, and economic networks sustaining their operations, including those linked to illicit resource extraction.
The statement also pointed to Russia’s defence cooperation with Myanmar. It said Moscow has been a key arms supplier to Myanmar’s military and highlighted a 2026–2030 military cooperation programme under which Myanmar received six Su-30SME fighter aircraft in March and earlier deliveries of Mi-38T helicopters, along with military training. The embassy cited UN and General Assembly resolutions condemning the Myanmar coup and demanding an end to violence, warning that Russia’s arms supplies affect regional security.
The Ukrainian embassy underscored Indian law-enforcement statements that do not substantiate the circulated allegations. It cited Stephen Lalrinawma, Superintendent of Police, CID (Special Branch), Mizoram Police, who on March 18 said that despite enhanced border surveillance no suspects had been intercepted and no terror-related activity had been detected in Mizoram.
“These statements are important because they do not substantiate the allegations being circulated and point to the absence, at this stage, of any established evidence to support them,” the embassy said, urging cautious assessment based on verified facts rather than unverified information or disinformation.
Reaffirming confidence in India’s legal system, Ukraine called for an impartial investigation and urged Indian authorities not to yield to provocations. “Ukraine has confidence in India’s system of investigation and justice, which is currently facing unprecedented informational and political pressure from Russian special services and propaganda,” the statement said. The Ukrainian side expressed readiness to cooperate in a transparent investigation to establish the objective truth.
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