Moscow confirms Russian teachers in Ukr's Kharkiv Region have been arrested by advancing Ukr forces. The teachers had been reportedly sent by Moscow to teach a Rus curriculum in schools in occupied Ukr territory. When Rus forces retreated, it seems the teachers were left behind.
The Kremlin has denied that any Russian teachers were in Kharkiv Region. The earlier statement by the Investigative Committee makes reference to “teachers who were giving lessons under the Russian curriculum on the territory of Kharkiv Oblast.”
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🧵 The official Telegram channel of the Russian Defence Ministry has reposted a claim that reports of civilian deaths in the town of Bucha are “fake”. Bucha was recently retaken by Ukrainian forces. 🧵
The report that was reposted by the MOD said articles on Bucha appeared “in several foreign media” simultaneously, “suggesting a planned media campaign.” The report says Rus forces left Bucha on 30 March: “where have these pictures been for 4 days? The absence confirms the fake”
The post claimed one video from Bucha shows signs of being faked. It says that during two points, the corpses in the footage move. BBC Moscow journalists watched the footage, including slowed down, and saw no evidence of movement from the bodies.
🧵 The Russian state media regulator, Roskomnadzor, has issued a warning to Russian media over an interview with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The regulator warned the press that they must not publish the interview. 🧵
They add “an investigation has been started in order to identify the level of responsibility and what response will be taken” in relation to the media that carried out the interview. Roskomnadzor noted: some of the media outlets involved are designated “foreign agents” in Russia.
Earlier, liberal Russian outlet Meduza announced that it had interviewed Mr Zelensky, along with Dozhd TV and Russian newspaper Kommersant. Meduza and Dozhd are both blocked in Russia and Dozhd has suspended all journalistic activities.
🧵 This is the picture the Kremlin wants you to see: thousands of people who support President Putin and the "special military operation" in Ukraine, crammed into Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow. We went there today and talked to dozens of people who attended... 🧵
Many said they worked in the public sector (e.g. schoolteachers), and that they had been pressured into attending by their employers. One group of teachers, from a town near Moscow, were being told what to say to us by a woman who appeared to be from the local administration.
One man, who works in the Moscow metro, told us that he and other employees had been forced to attend the rally. "I'll be here for a while and then I'll leave… I think most people here don't support the war. I don't," he said.