Among other things, he answered questions about violence against civilians in Ukraine and about British prisoners sentenced to death in the self-proclaimed "DPR".

"We did not invade Ukraine"

“You know, we did not invade Ukraine.

We announced a special military operation, when we have no way to explain to the West that it is engaged in criminal activities, involving Ukraine in NATO, "- said Lavrov.

Russia's war against Ukraine has been going on since February 24, thousands of civilians and soldiers have been killed, and more than 7 million people have become refugees.

Russian missiles and bombs destroyed many infrastructure and residential buildings.

"We do not hesitate to show ourselves as we are"

A BBC correspondent quoted UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michel Bachelet as saying that in the village of Yagodnoye in the Chernihiv region, the Russian military had detained 360 people for 28 days, including 74 children and five people with disabilities. water, 10 elderly people died.

"Is this the fight against Nazism?"

Asked the BBC correspondent.

“You know, unfortunately, international officials, including the High Commissioner for Human Rights, including - to my great regret - the UN Secretary-General, and many other United Nations officials are under pressure from the West.

And they are often the mouthpiece of the fake news spread by the West, ”Lavrov said.

"That is, is Russia turning white and fluffy again?"

The journalist asked.

“No, Russia is neither white nor fluffy.

Russia is what it is.

And we do not hesitate to show ourselves as we are, "- said the minister.

Berry is located 140 km north of Kiev near Chernihiv and near the border with Belarus.

The village was under the control of the Russian army for almost a month.

When the military entered the village, they took men, women and children from their homes, threatening them with weapons, and took them to the basement of a local school, where they were held for four weeks.

"Do you think you have an independent court?"

On June 9, a court in the self-proclaimed "DPR" sentenced to death the British

, as well as a Moroccan citizen

, finding them guilty of mercenary attempts to seize power by force.

All three are servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who signed contracts before the Russian invasion.

"In the eyes of the West, Russia is responsible for the fate of these people.

You don't think that ... ”the BBC journalist began to ask.

"No," said the Russian Foreign Minister without waiting for the end of the question.

- Listen, I'm not interested in the eyes of the West at all.

I am only interested in international law.

Under international law, mercenaries are not combatants.

Because in your eyes, to be honest, it doesn't matter. "

“They are not mercenaries.

They served in the Ukrainian armed forces, ”the journalist retorted.

"It should be determined by the court," Lavrov said.

Asked whether he considered the DNR court independent, he said:

“I am convinced that there is an independent court.

Do you think you have an independent court [in the UK]? ”

Russia's war against Ukraine

• At 5 am on February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the start of a military operation against Ukraine in the Donbas at the request of the DNR and LNR groups.

  On February 21, during a televised address to the Russians, Putin called the so-called "DPR" and "LPR" independent states within the regions.

  On February 22, the Federation Council ratified the decision.

• All the days of the war are shelling Ukrainian cities with missiles, flying aircraft.

  Russian troops are attacking, including from the territory of Belarus, using airfields, bases and roads.

  Representatives of the Lukashenko regime justify the war, the opposition considers the territory of Belarus occupied and calls for resistance to Russian invaders.

• On February 27, the International Legion of Territorial Defense was established in Ukraine, and foreign volunteers were encouraged to join.

  Belarusians also entered there.

  During the two and a half months of the war, six Belarusian volunteers and soldiers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were killed at the front: Alexei "Tour" Skobla, Ilya "Litvin" Hrenov, Dmitry "Terror" Apanasovich, Dmitry "Hans" Rubashevsky, Konstantin "Phoenix" Phoenix "Dubaila" .

• On March 30, the UN approved the composition of an independent commission to investigate Russian war crimes in Ukraine.

  It included people who worked in the conflict in Rwanda and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

• Contrary to Putin's claims of attacks exclusively on military facilities, the Russians are bombing schools, kindergartens and residential areas of Ukrainian cities.

  The Russians are using banned weapons, including cluster bombs against civilians.

• The number of refugees from Ukraine exceeded 5.5 million people.

• On April 1, Lithuania became the first EU country to completely abandon Russian gas.

  Latvia and Estonia followed suit.

  Germany has promised to completely suspend the use of Russian oil by the end of 2022.

• On April 2, after the liberation of the city of Bucha near Kyiv, photojournalists published dozens of photos showing hundreds of the dead, victims of massacres committed by Russian troops.

  Many are buried in natural mass graves.

  The Russian occupation and Borodyanka brought great destruction.

  A number of rapes, including infants, are also known.

• In April, the number of missile attacks on Ukraine and air strikes from Belarus decreased, and Russian troops began to leave Belarus.

• Since the beginning of the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine, 26 media representatives have been killed - 19 journalists and 7 other workers.

• In May, the Ukrainians launched a counteroffensive in the Slobozhanshchina region, pushing the invaders to their borders.

• On May 9, the President of the United States signed the Land League Act.

  This law restores the program of the Second World War, which will accelerate the supply of weapons to Ukraine and increase the amount of such assistance.

• On the night of May 17, Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Anna Malyar confirmed the start of an operation to rescue Ukrainian servicemen trapped in the territory of "Azovstal".

  According to her, 53 seriously injured people were evacuated from there to the medical institution of occupied Novoazovsk.

  Another 211 people were taken to Alenivka along the humanitarian corridor.

  Russia's Defense Ministry says nearly 1,000 Ukrainian fighters at the plant "surrendered" as of May 18.

  The International Committee of the Red Cross has officially registered these fighters as prisoners of war.

• Independent verification of information about hostilities provided by officials of various parties is not yet possible.