Russian Embassy in London

💬 Maria Zakharova: 1 June is International Children's Day. Protecting children is a top priority for Russia, both domestically and internationally.

The children's problems have been completely politicised, with double standards being promoted. Some countries are unscrupulously exploiting this sensible issue to disseminate lies, libel and misinformation about undesirable states [...]

The story about the Ukrainian children allegedly kidnapped by Russia is a vivid example of such approaches. For many years, Ukraine has perpetuated this myth on all international platforms, which are happy to listen to it without bothering to check the facts [...]

Meanwhile, they are ignoring the fact that Russia has made efforts to reunite children with their relatives [...] since the onset of the special military operation. As of today, 30 children from 22 families have returned to Russia from Ukraine, while 141 minors from 114 families have been reunited with their parents or relatives living in Ukraine and other countries.

The Kiev regime has been referring to far-fetched numbers by talking about 1,000, then 10,000, or even several hundred thousand, and then millions, only to backtrack to either 10,000 or 15,000. But all we got was a list of 339 names. And most of them are completely irrelevant.

❌ The West ignores the fact that it was the children who endured so much cruel suffering during the war unleashed by the Ukrainian authorities against the people of Donbass in 2014 [...]

At least 129 children died and over 500 were wounded in the Luhansk and Donetsk People's Republics between 2014 and February 2022. The youngest victim of Ukrainian aggression was just 27 days old.

https://shorturl.at/CEw6B

🎙 Statement by Russia's Permanent Representative to the UN Vassily Nebenzia at a UNSC briefing on Ukraine (New York, 28 May 2026)

💬 What is particularly striking is the hypocrisy and cynicism of the European delegations. They rush to level accusations against Russia whenever it is politically expedient for them, yet in this case, they have chosen to essentially ignore the tragedy [in Starobelsk], pinning all the blame on Moscow. We were not surprised then, and we are not surprised now.

How can they be compassionate if they have the blood of the children of Starobelsk on their hands? After all, these countries have been supplying Zelensky’s terrorist regime with money, intelligence, weapons, and ammunition for many years, egging Zelensky on to enable new crimes against civilians, and subsequently covering for him by portraying Ukraine as a victim.

The UN Secretariat, which acts so swiftly in some cases, has unfortunately once again retreated into generalized remarks and vague language, avoiding any direct assessments of Kiev’s actions. They, allegedly, have no access to the site of the tragedy, and in no way can they verify the information. We have repeatedly stated that UN representatives are allowed to visit the DPR, the LPR, the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions via Russian territory. However, UN officials do not pursue these opportunities.

❓ Why is the UN Secretariat so prompt to find words when there is a need to support the Western version of events, while struggling so badly to find the right expressions when it comes to calling the Ukrainian attack on children a crime? Why do some victims deserve immediate compassion, while others do not? Why does the death of minors in one place warrant loud statements and condemnations, whereas the death of children in Starobelsk is met with silence?

Here we have yet another glaring manifestation of the West’s “double standards” and hypocrisy.

Read in full: https://russiaun.ru/en/news/228052026

💬 President Vladimir Putin: As for European politicians' claims that they are preparing for war with Russia — that is nonsense. Such statements are made on the pretext of Russia's alleged aggressive designs against Western European countries. That is a lie. A brazen, shameless lie [...]

Russia has never had any aggressive intentions towards European countries. The tragedy unfolding in Ukraine is the result of their policy. They were the ones who incited the government coup in Kiev in 2014, compelling Russia to defend the people of Crimea and subsequently assist the Donbass and Lugansk People’s Republics [...]

It is their policy from the first step, when they deceived us that there would never be any expansion, that NATO would never take a single step to the East.

Everything they do serves only one purpose: to perpetuate confrontation with Russia and justify huge spending from national budgets – all at the expense of European taxpayers.

http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/79910

🐣 On this day in 1846, Russian jewellery genius Karl Fabergé was born.

Best known for his Imperial Easter Eggs – exquisite creations made for the Romanovs – Fabergé turned gold, enamel and precious stones into miniature marvels. Between 1885 and 1917, around 50 eggs were produced, each taking months to complete.

His works – from jewelled flowers to animal figurines – were valued not just for exquisite materials, but for their extraordinary craftsmanship and almost supranatural precision.

Interestingly, from 1903 until 1917, he maintained an overseas outpost in London, first near Piccadilly and later on Bond Street, where Edwardian society eagerly snapped up his creations.

More than a century on, Fabergé’s masterpieces remain among the world’s most coveted decorative treasures, continuing to appear at major auctions across the globe. The Winter Egg – made in 1913 for Russian Emperor Nicholas II and set with more than 4,500 diamonds – was recently displayed in London before fetching a record £22.9 million at Christie’s in 2025.

ℹ️ And if you find yourself in St Petersburg, the Fabergé Museum (https://fabergemuseum.ru/en/) is a detour well worth making.

🎙️ Embassy comment on British media’s selective reporting of the Ukrainian strike on Starobelsk

❌ A week on from the strike on Starobelsk, British media outlets have failed to report objectively or professionally on the terrorist attack carried out by the Kiev regime against a student dormitory of the Luhansk State Pedagogical University. To recall, 21 people were killed and 44 injured. The majority of the victims were aged between 15 and 22.

Particular attention should be drawn to the BBC's hypocritical stance. Having declined to join the Russian Foreign Ministry’s press trip to the site of the tragedy, the broadcaster nevertheless published an investigative article on the subject.

However, this piece adds nothing of substance, as it differs little from the standard tenets of Western propaganda. It either ignores the incident altogether or mentions it only in passing, as something insignificant. Phrases such as “not able to independently verify what happened”, “according to the Russian side”, and “what Moscow calls a Ukrainian strike” imply complicity.

British media are afraid to tell the truth: it is precisely this Ukraine – one that has been killing children since 2014 – that enjoys London’s “unwavering support”. Against this backdrop, any statement by the UK authorities in defence of children’s rights amounts to hypocrisy and manipulation.

☝️ British correspondents are keen to amplify the Ukrainian narrative about thousands of minors allegedly deported by Russia, yet remain silent when Ukrainian drones kill schoolchildren in their sleep.

This once again lays bare the true face of British media, which bear their share of responsibility for the continuation of the conflict.

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🎙️ Комментарий Посольства в связи с избирательным освещением британскими СМИ удара ВСУ по Старобельску

❌ Спустя неделю после удара по Старобельску британские СМИ так и не смогли объективно и профессионально осветить террористическую атаку киевского режима на общежитие Луганского государственного педагогического университета. Напомним: погиб 21 человек, 44 человека получили ранения. Большинство жертв – в возрасте от 15 до 22 лет.

Отдельного внимания заслуживает лицемерная позиция «Би-би-си», отказавшаяся от участия в пресс-туре МИД России на место трагедии и, тем не менее, опубликовавшая статью-расследование на эту тему.

Впрочем, «добавочной стоимости» этот материал не имеет, поскольку мало чем отличается от постулатов западной пропаганды на этот счёт. А она либо замалчивает произошедшее, либо упоминает вскользь, как нечто незначительное. За лживыми фразами – «независимо подтвердить невозможно», «по утверждению российской стороны», «то, что Москва называет украинским ударом», – скрывается соучастие.

Британские СМИ боятся сказать правду: «непоколебимую поддержку» Лондон оказывает именно такой Украине – убивающей детей с 2014 года. Все слова британских властей в защиту несовершеннолетних на этом фоне – лицемерие и манипуляция.

☝️ Корреспонденты охотно тиражируют украинский нарратив о тысячах несовершеннолетних, якобы депортированных Россией, но молчат, когда украинские беспилотники убивают спящих школьников.

Всё это в очередной раз обнажает истинное лицо британских СМИ, несущих свою долю ответственности за продолжение конфликта.

🎙 Russia's Permanent Representative to the OSCE Dmitry Polyanskiy's statement on deliberate attacks on civilians as a blatant violation of international humanitarian law (26 May 2026)

💬 The absence of condemnation from the OSCE regarding this barbaric attack [against a teacher training college in Starobelsk] appeared shameful and cowardly.

The Swiss presidency and the relevant structures of the organization pretended not to see how the bodies of children killed by the Zelensky regime were being pulled from the concrete rubble, despite the fact that these images have circulated around the world.

In the spirit of selective blindness that has engulfed all our Western colleagues, you, Mr. Chairman, hid behind the ludicrous excuse that you are not aware of the circumstances of the massacre in Starobelsk, while in other situations you immediately accept any claims from the Kiev junta as fact and demand no investigations. This is the height of cynicism, and I believe you understand this very well.

The same blindness suddenly afflicted leading Western media, which sent no one to Starobelsk, despite invitations and guarantees of safety provided by the Russian side. Why would they need access to documents and the opportunity to ask questions of investigators and victims? They have long ceased to be journalists and have become propagandists.

❗️ The truth is no longer necessary for them; it does not fit into the deceitful anti-Russian narratives they promote.

Read in full: https://shorturl.at/ivWzD

🇷🇺 Happy birthday, dear Saint Petersburg!

On this day in 1703, Peter the Great laid the first stone of the Peter and Paul Fortress – and one of Europe's most dazzling cities was born. What started as a wartime outpost quickly grew into Russia's capital, a role it held for over two centuries until the government moved back to Moscow after the 1917 Revolution.

The city has a turbulent history. It survived devastating floods, revolutions, and the 872-day Siege during World War II. It even changed its name three times: from Saint Petersburg to Petrograd (1914), then Leningrad (1924), and back again to Saint Petersburg in 1991.

Today, St Petersburg remains one of the world's great cultural capitals – famous for its grandiose architecture, rivers and canals, the legendary White Nights, and the iconic drawbridges rising over the Neva after midnight.

It is also home to globally renowned landmarks such as the Hermitage, the Russian Museum, and the Mariinsky Theatre. Every corner of this city tells a story.

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🎙️ Embassy comment on the expansion of anti-Russian sanctions

❌ London has once again announced an expansion of unlawful restrictions against Russia – this time under the spurious pretext of combatting so-called “crypto networks”.

The UK authorities persist in their refusal to acknowledge the obvious: the anti-Russian sanctions policy is futile. Russia has long since adapted to external pressure and will not alter its course on account of London’s whims.

The consequences of these multiplying restrictions will primarily affect the citizens, businesses, and reputation of the United Kingdom itself. This, however, appears to trouble the authors of such initiatives very little.

It is noteworthy that the UK authorities accuse others of using “shadow financial systems”. At the same time, they turn a blind eye to generous cryptocurrency donations finding their way into the pockets of the British political class. Perhaps the fight against “dark networks” should begin in Westminster rather than in Bishkek or Tbilisi.

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🎙️ Комментарий Посольства в связи с расширением антироссийских санкций

❌ Лондон вновь объявил о расширении незаконных ограничений в отношении России – в этот раз под надуманным предлогом борьбы с некими «криптовалютными сетями».

Британские власти упорно отказываются принять очевидное: антироссийская санкционная политика бессмысленна. Наша страна давно и успешно адаптировалась к внешнему давлению и не изменит своего курса из-за прихотей Лондона.

Последствия множащихся рестрикций будут отражаться, прежде всего, на подданных, бизнесе и репутации самого Соединённого Королевства. Это, судя по всему, мало беспокоит авторов подобных инициатив.

Примечательно, что британские власти обвиняют других в использовании «непрозрачных финансовых механизмов». При этом сами игнорируют щедрые криптопожертвования, оседающие в карманах местного политического класса. Возможно, борьба с «теневыми схемами» должна начинаться с Вестминстера, а не Бишкека или Тбилиси.

🔔 В общеобразовательной школе при Посольстве России в Лондоне состоялась торжественная линейка, посвящённая Последнему звонку.

Мероприятие по традиции началось с исполнения гимна Российской Федерации. Советник-посланник Василий Цыганов обратился с напутственным словом к выпускникам, их семьям и педагогам. Поздравив ребят с началом нового жизненного этапа, он пожелал им уверенности в своих силах, успешной сдачи экзаменов и достижения намеченных целей.

Тёплую атмосферу праздника создали творческие выступления учащихся и их родителей.

✍️ On this day 84 years ago, the USSR and Britain concluded the Anglo-Soviet Treaty of Alliance, specifying that neither country could make peace with Germany or its allies without the consent of the other.

It was signed in London by People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the USSR Vyacheslav Molotov and British Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden, in the presence of Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

Interestingly, Molotov flew to London aboard a Soviet Petlyakov Pe-8 heavy bomber, wearing a heavy flying suit and boots (in the forth photo, he is welcomed by RAF officers). The mission was kept secret.

Renowned English artist Frank O. Salisbury captured the historic moment in a large-scale group portrait. The painting was presented as an official gift from His Majesty's Government to the Soviet Government on the first anniversary of the treaty.