A total of 4 photos have been published, but it’s not easy to understand what is shown on them without a specialist comment. The captions under the photos are dated July 21-26.
"RT" turned for help to the military expert Igor Korotchenko, whom he asked to express his opinion on the pictures.
“To spread the accusations of the American ambassador to Ukraine on Twitter and on this basis to assert that Russia is firing at Ukrainian territory is nonsense and unprofessional. In such serious matters, I would recommend the Americans to familiarize themselves with the experience of the briefings, such as the recent briefing by the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. Everything was clear there: satellite images were presented, they were decrypted, and the images were as detailed as they could be seen by all those present. Further, in addition to satellite imagery, satellite monitoring and radio intelligence data were attached. Maps, plans and schemes were attached. On the ambassador’s Twitter, nothing can be seen even with a magnifying glass. ”
noted Korotchenko.
In his opinion, the pictures posted by the ambassador are unsuitable even as fake:
“This is just not serious, it is low-skilled work. I can note that in the US embassy in Kiev, employees of the Central Intelligence Agency are working under a diplomatic cover. Well, if the ambassador undertook to denounce Russia, he could consult with professionals how to lay out materials that would simply confirm the words he says. ”
The expert stressed that “in recent weeks, the combat area has been regularly monitored, including by intelligence satellites. Foreign military radar groups, including from the United States, worked on the territory of Russia and found nothing. ”
At the end of his comment Korotchenko said:
“What the ambassador published is part of an information company in order to force European countries to join anti-Russian sanctions. Previously, fakes were placed on Avakov's Facebook. So what are we talking about? Maybe the ambassador was in a bad mood, or he misread the instructions of the State Department, but the photos he laid out cannot serve as proof. ”
Another expert, Viktor Litovkin, called the publication of the photos an information company "in order to divert people's attention from the tragedy of Boeing 777, as there is more and more evidence that it is Ukraine that is to blame for the crash of the plane."
According to Litovkin, "after the shelling of the Rostov region, in which people died, the location of the Gradov near the border is a natural way to protect its population in the border zone."
In conclusion, he recalled that “Ukrainian soldiers are fleeing to the territory of Russia; people who are allegedly bombarded by Russia will not run to their enemies. ”
The statement by the American economist Paul Roberts, who noted that “if the information were genuine, it would be distributed not in social networks, but as a government body at a press conference, deserves attention. These pictures can not serve as confirmation of something. "
In turn, the deputy head of the Duma defense committee, Franz Klintsevich, said that the United States "lies about the obvious." According to him, the published images are not enough to accuse Russia of shelling the neighboring country. This requires data and other systems. "Today, the conversation of Americans is simply unproven," the deputy concluded.
Recall, July 25, State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf, said that according to her department, "positions of Ukrainian troops in Ukraine are being fired from Russian territory." At the same time, she does not have information about the shelling of the Ukrainian army on the territory of Russia.
Earlier, the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Sergei Lavrov, stressed that in the event of further shelling, the Russian border territory of the Russian Federation could suppress firing points in Ukraine, although it must be clear for this that the shelling is deliberate. In the meantime, according to the minister, Moscow views the situation with the shelling of Russian territory "as the result of non-professionalism or an accident."
