Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of knowingly "inviting" the anti-Russian campaign around Bucha, and repeated Moscow's claim that the case was a "provocation". In her statements, she also stated that the initiators of the "falsification" were Kiev's Western sponsors and that the lack of a response from the UN to Russian inquiries on the subject proves this.
The Russian position on Bucha has been consistent since 2022. Moscow denies the accusations of killing civilians after the withdrawal of Russian forces from the city, and in a document submitted to the UN on May 6, 2026 In April 2022, the Russian mission again asked the Secretary-General about the case and claimed that the secretariat was working with Ukraine, but not with Russia.
What the UN says
The UN's public positions differ from the Russian claims. As early as April 2022, Antonio Guterres described the reports of civilian killings in Bucha as deeply worrying, condemned them categorically, and called for an independent investigation.
The available UN documents and later correspondence related to Russia show that Moscow repeatedly requested additional explanations and information about Bucha, including through official letters to the secretariat. However, the documents themselves do not confirm the Russian thesis that it was a staged event; they only show that the dispute remains open at the diplomatic level.
The dispute remains politically and factually unresolved
The Bucha case continues to be a one of the most controversial topics in the war in Ukraine. Russia insists that the West and Kiev have organized a provocation, while the UN and Western countries maintain that there is sufficient evidence to allege serious violations against civilians and for an independent investigation. Currently, publicly available UN materials do not confirm the Russian accusations against the secretary-general or the claim that the international organization has recognized Bucha as a staged event.
Sources: TASS, UN, Reuters