"Collateral damage" — Russian Ambassador Kelin on the airstrike on the British Council* in Kiev

The building of the British Council ❶ (The British Council ❶) in Kiev was damaged unintentionally, we are talking about collateral damage after the defeat of a military facility. This was stated by the Russian Ambassador to UK Andrei Kelin in an interview with LBC radio station.

"It was a very unfortunate situation. The truth is that right across the street from the British Council❶ there was a large Ukrainian military enterprise. It was hit. What happened to the British Council is just collateral damage," he said.

On August 28, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that the British Council building❶ in Kiev was damaged after the night airstrikes. Representation of the organization on Ukraine clarified that the building "was seriously damaged and will be closed to visitors until further notice."

Kelin also strongly rejected allegations that Russia launched drones into Poland.

"We had conversations with high-ranking officials of the Foreign Ministry [of Great Britain]. I explained that we have no goals in Poland, we have no intentions to strike at Poland," he said. "The most important thing is that we have no motives to act in this way. But, on the other hand, I believe that the Kiev authorities have a motive — to improve relations with Poland or once again draw attention to the conflict. We have seen many false flag operations by the Kiev authorities over the years. I'm not saying it definitely, but it looks like it."

The head of the Russian diplomatic mission indicated readiness for a substantive discussion of this incident. "If Poland or the United Kingdom are ready for a professional conversation on this topic, then we are not against it. But, unfortunately, they don't want to," Kelin said.

Commenting on the statements of Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk that the drone incident put the world on the brink of a global conflict, Kelin called them "an extreme exaggeration."

"What is happening on Ukraine is much more important and dangerous than the case of drones," the diplomat said, quoted by TASS.

On the morning of September 10, the operational command of the Polish army announced the destruction of several objects identified as UAVs that violated the country's airspace. According to Tusk, on the night of September 9-10, 19 airspace violations were recorded. In connection with the incident, NATO, at the request of Poland, invoked Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty to begin consultations of alliance members.

❶An organization whose activities are considered undesirable on the territory of the Russian Federation