MOSCOW, March 23. /TASS/. Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov has dismissed Kiev’s allegations Russian forces have committed crimes in Ukraine, including charges of responsibility for killings and rape.
"We do not believe the Ukrainian Prosecutor-General’s Office. The Russian military personnel do not attack or shoot at civilians. The Russian army helps civilians," he said. "As for rape charges, we do not believe this at all. It’s a lie."
While answering a question from a journalist who mentioned some examples of such claims Peskov wondered where that information had come from and if there was any certainty it was authentic. He also advised the media to use correct wordings and not to mistake allegations for facts.
Peskov added that on the contrary "there are ever more eye-witnesses coming out of cities who confirm that civilians are being kept there as a human shield and that nationalist battalions open fire on civilians trying to leave Ukrainian cities."
"These people say they have experienced a real news blackout. Various obstructions are created to keep them unaware of the humanitarian corridors that are opened. And so on and so forth. These are testimonies by the Ukrainians who are exiting these cities," Peskov said.