Russia disputes civilian toll in Kyiv amid military claims
Sergey Lavrov insists, contrary to the facts, that Putin's army is attacking "military goals or civilian sites used by the military." When a CBS News journalist pointed out that the recent attack on Kyiv did not appear to fit this description, Lavrov reacted nervously.
Many of the reports shared by Russian media and government representatives are likely not true. These reports may be part of an information war from the Russian Federation.
During the night from Wednesday to Thursday, the Russians carried out a massive and combined attack on Ukraine. In Kyiv alone, 12 people were killed, and around 90 were injured.
CBS News journalist Margaret Brennan asked Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov why Russians are killing civilians when Ukraine has declared its readiness for a ceasefire.
In response, Lavrov falsely claimed that the Russian army attacks "military goals or civilian sites used by the military."
Lavrov asserted that President Putin’s position remained unchanged, claiming that Russian forces do not intentionally strike civilian targets, in contrast to what he alleged about the Zelensky administration.
Brennan responded that the attack on civilian targets in Kyiv seemed "deliberate." Lavrov emphasized once again that Russia considers it within its rights to strike locations utilized by the Ukrainian military.
"You're not listening to me." Lavrov irritated by journalist's question
The journalist pressed further, asking if these words should be interpreted as a rejection of Donald Trump's plea, who on Thursday urged Putin to stop the attacks. Brennan questioned Lavrov about whether Russia would persist in attacking Kyiv despite President Trump’s appeal for Vladimir Putin to halt the aggression.
The head of Russian diplomacy reiterated that operations would continue against sites utilized by the Ukrainian military, foreign mercenaries, and instructors officially dispatched by European countries to support attacks on Russian civilian targets.
