MOSCOW, June 18. /ITAR-TASS/. The report on Ukraine circulated by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights seeks to shield the Kiev authorities and their supporters form responsibility for the death of innocent people in Odessa, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday, June 18.

“When covering the May 2 tragedy in Odessa, the authors of the report showed a more objective approach than in the previous such document. At the same time, we have to admit that the authors still seek to shield the Kiev authorities, their supporters and law enforcement agencies which bear responsibility for the death of dozens of innocent people,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said.

He said the report did not contain an objective assessment of the criminal activities conducted by Kiev which is carrying out a punitive operation against the peaceful population and ignores the death of civilians as a result of the operation in the east of the country.

“There is no objective assessment of the criminal activities of Kiev which is conducting a combat operation, including with the use of aviation, heavy artillery and armoured vehicles, against the peaceful population. Observers have carefully overlooked the death of civilians as a result of the punitive operation in Donbass,” Lukashevich said.

“Not a word was said to condemn the activities of the ‘National Guard’ and the Azov, Dnepr and other battalions of mercenaries which are violating the norms of international humanitarian law,” he said.

The ministry said it was angered by the hypocritical recommendations issued by the Office to Kiev to carry out the counter-terrorism operation in accordance with international standards, which can be regarded as an indulgence for further killing of the peaceful population.

It said the report contained no objective assessment of criminal activities conducted by Kiev which is carrying out a punitive operation against the peaceful population and ignores the death of civilians as a result of the operation.

It said the report could be considered as an indulgence for further escalation of the conflict in the east of Ukraine.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich urged the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to exert every effort to ensure an independent and transparent investigation of the events in Ukraine.