New Delhi [India], March 26 (ANI): The Ukrainian Embassy in New Delhi on Thursday accused Russia of attempting to manipulate information and interfere in India's internal processes, alleging that Moscow had circulated fabricated claims regarding the detention of Ukrainian citizens in India.

In an official comment issued, the embassy criticised remarks by the Russian foreign ministry and described them as part of a broader disinformation effort.

'Recently, Russia's Ministry of Propaganda, which also masquerades as its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, issued a comment by its so-called 'official representative' regarding the detention of Ukrainian citizens in India,' the embassy said.

The statement alleged that the information about the supposed Ukrainian 'terrorists' had been fabricated.

'According to Indian media reports, it was Kremlin-linked provocateurs who passed to the competent authorities of India fabricated 'information,' concocted within FSB structures, about supposed Ukrainian 'terrorists'. This bears all the hallmarks of a deliberate disinformation operation typical of the Russian special services, which systematically use fabrications as a tool of foreign policy and seek to draw India into a political script not of its own making,' it said.

The embassy further accused Moscow of attempting to draw India into its geopolitical agenda.

'It appears that Moscow still operates under the false assumption that it can interfere in the internal affairs of other states and use India as an instrument for advancing its own geopolitical interests. Such an approach is not merely mistaken - it is outright insulting to a nation with a millennia-old civilizational tradition, a strong democratic system, and independent institutions,' the statment said.

Calling India a sovereign nation with strong democratic institutions, the embassy added that such assumptions reflect ' a profound disregard for India's sovereignty.'

'It reflects a profound disregard for India's sovereignty and a failure to understand that its system of justice neither can nor will operate on the basis of external political instructions,' the statement said.

'India is a sovereign democratic state, and a court in New Delhi is not a branch of Moscow's Khamovnichesky or Lefortovsky district courts, widely known for politically motivated verdicts, grave human rights abuses, and contempt for international law,' the statement said, referring to Russian courts that it alleged to be known for politically motivated verdicts.

The Ukrainian embassy also referenced legal actions taken against the Russian leadership by international institutions, noting that the International Criminal Court (ICC) had issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin in March 2023 over alleged war crimes, including the unlawful deportation of civilians from Ukrainian territories.

'We also wish to recall that the leader of present-day Russia is a dictator whom international justice has found to be implicated in war crimes. On 17 March 2023, the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for Putin, having found sufficient grounds to hold him individually criminally responsible for war crimes, in particular the unlawful deportation and forcible transfer of population, especially children, from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine to Russia,' the statement said.

The statement also accused Russia of using private military networks abroad, citing sanctions imposed by the European Union against the Wagner Group for alleged human rights abuses and destabilisation activities in multiple regions.

The statement said, 'Systematic interference in the internal affairs of other states, manipulation, disinformation, and open contempt for the UN Charter are hallmarks of contemporary Russian foreign policy. Russia continues to export sabotage and terrorism through networks of private military and security structures operating in dozens of countries around the world. This is an internationally recognised fact.'

It added, 'Back in 2021, the European Union imposed sanctions on the Wagner Group for grave human rights abuses and the destabilisation of entire regions, from Ukraine to Africa. After Russia's full-scale invasion, these measures were substantially broadened to target not only Wagner fighters and commanders, but also the economic networks sustaining their operations, including those linked to the illicit extraction of natural resources.'

The embassy additionally pointed to Russia's defence cooperation with Myanmar, saying Moscow had supplied military equipment, including Su-30SME fighter jets and helicopters, under a cooperation programme covering 2026-30.

The statement said, 'As regards Myanmar, the international community has repeatedly delivered a clear political assessment of developments in the country. The UN General Assembly Resolution 75/287 of June 2021 condemned the military coup and called upon all Member States to prevent the flow of arms into Myanmar. United Nations Security Council Resolution 2669 of December 2022 explicitly demands an immediate end to all forms of violence against civilians.'

'Against this background, particular attention should be paid to Russia's role as one of the key suppliers of arms to Myanmar's military structures, which objectively affects the level of tension and the broader security situation in the region. In February 2026, the parties signed a military cooperation programme for 2026-2030. Within this framework, the regime in Myanmar received six Su-30SME fighter aircraft in March this year, while Mi-38T helicopters had already been supplied earlier. In addition, Moscow provides training for Myanmar military personnel,' the statement added.

At the same time, the Ukrainian embassy highlighted remarks by an Indian police official suggesting that allegations regarding Ukrainian suspects had not been substantiated so far.

It cited a statement made on March 18 by Stephen Lalrinawma, Superintendent of Police, CID (Special Branch), Mizoram Police, who reportedly said that despite enhanced border surveillance, 'no suspects had been intercepted' and that no terror-related activity had been detected in the state.

'Despite Russia's attempts to manipulate the situation and use India in its game against Ukraine, the official statements of Indian law-enforcement authorities are particularly telling. On 18 March 2026, Stephen Lalrinawma, Superintendent of Police, CID (Special Branch), Mizoram Police, stated that even under enhanced border surveillance, no suspects had been intercepted. He further noted that no terror-related activity had been detected and that there had been no report of any terror link or untoward activity affecting Mizoram so far, ' the statement said.

'These statements are important because they do not substantiate the allegations being circulated and point to the absence, at this stage, of any established evidence to support them. They also underscore the need for a cautious and measured assessment of the situation based on verified facts, rather than unverified information or disinformation,' the embassy said.

Reaffirming its position, Ukraine said it had confidence in India's legal system and called for an impartial investigation.

'Ukraine has confidence in India's system of investigation and justice, which is currently facing unprecedented informational and political pressure from Russian special services and propaganda,' the statement said.

'In this context, we call on the competent Indian authorities not to yield to provocations and to ensure an independent, impartial, and fair consideration of the case. The Ukrainian side reaffirms its full readiness to cooperate and to take part in a transparent investigation aimed at establishing the objective truth,' it added, while expressing readiness to cooperate in a transparent investigation. (ANI)