Russia Denies Access Allegations Over Starobelsk Strike, Calls for International Investigation

Russia has rejected the statements made by Latvia’s UN representative Sanita Pavļuta-Delyand, accusing her of attempting to conceal the facts regarding the Starobelsk strike that killed children. While the Latvian representative did not explicitly mention Starobelsk, Russia has presented evidence that it facilitated visits to the site for eyewitnesses, journalists, and the Red Cross. According to Russian officials, two days after the incident, 51 journalists from 19 countries were taken to Starobelsk. Russia claims that BBC and CNN declined to participate in the visit. Additionally, representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross visited Starobelsk on June 2.

Russian military officials have stated that they regularly publish photographic evidence of Ukrainian strikes, and therefore the allegation of “denial of access” is baseless. Russia maintains that the strike, which killed 21 people and injured dozens, cannot be justified by any means. Russia has emphasized that silence over the killing of children is unacceptable and has called for an independent international investigation into the incident. Russia argues that the nature of the incident should be understood objectively through site inspections and discussions with victims’ families. Russia has stated that it regularly publishes its reports and welcomes all efforts to verify the facts.

However, Latvia and other Western countries have not found Russia’s arguments credible. While Russia continues to present its side on international platforms, a lack of independent evidence is noted. Calls have also emerged for the United Nations to conduct a separate investigation to uncover the truth of the incident.