The Russian Embassy in Pretoria hosts a “Russian Movie Night” ahead of the 10-year anniversary of unconstitutional coup in Ukraine

Two movies were screened during the event: the documentary by RT “Maidan: a Road to War” and the feature film “The Best in Hell”.

“This February marks 10 years since the unconstitutional blood-shedding coup took place in Kiev, as the “final chord” of the so-called Euromaidan. It also marks two years since the beginning of the Special Military Operation, which meant to protect the population of Donbass, who did not accept the coup, - Ambassador Ilya Rogachev noted in his introductory remarks. – You may have read and watched a lot about it in local media or on TV. However, our point of view is different from the one pushed by most of the Western media”.

Ilya Rogachev explained how the events unfolded in Ukraine leading to the beginning of the Special Military Operation, told about Euromaidan provocations and the subsequent split in the Ukrainian society, as well as about the tragic events in Odessa and Mariupol. The Russian Ambassador recalled Russia’s attempts to peacefully settle the conflict, the signed Minsk agreements and the reluctance of Ukraine and its Western patrons to implement it.

Presenting the film “The Best in Hell”, the head of the Russian diplomatic mission pointed out that the film depicted, with utmost realism, a battle for a multi-storeyed residential building. Ilya Rogachev once again emphasized that the Ukrainian Armed Forces systematically built their fortified structures precisely in residential areas, using civilian infrastructure for military purposes and hiding behind the civilian population as a “human shield.” The Ambassador reminded that this was a gross violation of International Humanitarian Law and would serve as evidence of crimes committed by the Kiev regime in future.

The guests of the function were also addressed by South African public activist Wessel Oosthuizen, who spoke about his recent visit to Donbass and shared his impressions of how much the true situation differs from the picture painted by the local media.