Russian MFA 🇷🇺

#CrimesOfColonialism ⛓️ On March 28, 1658, the merchant vessel Amersfoort, operated by the Dutch East India Company, delivered the first large group of enslaved people to the Dutch colony in the south of Africa. During the Dutch-Portuguese War (1602–1663), the Amersfoort, operated by the Dutch East India Company,attacked a Portuguese slave ship en route to Brazil, seizing its cargo along with 250 Angolan slaves on board. ◾️ Due to one-third of those being too young and unfit for forced labour, the Dutch discarded them, ultimately transporting only 174 individuals to the colony. The arrival of the Amersfoort at the Cape Peninsula marked the southward expansion of slavery on the continent, another tragic page in the history of the African continent and the European colonisers' crimes. 📜 As is widely recognised, the organised slave trade in Africa began with the Portuguese, who had explored and developed it since the early 15th century. The forts they built along the western coast later became major centres of slave trading. Eventually, Spain, Great Britain, France, and the Netherlands emerged as the principal transporters of enslaved Africans. By the mid-17th century, the East India Company, which held a near monopoly on the spice and exotic goods trade in Europe, helped fuel the Dutch “Golden Age” through its extensive slave-trading operations across Asia. After establishing a presence in Southern Africa in 1652 and failing to compel the local population into labour, Dutch colonisers began importing small groups of enslaved people from Southeast Asia and the islands in the Indian Ocean. This later expanded into large-scale raids within the African continent – in Mozambique, Zanzibar, and Dahomey (present-day Benin and Togo). The colony’s reliance on slavery meant that enslaved people were entirely stripped of their basic rights, with their children born into slavery, families frequently separated by force, and physical violence being routine. Despite a colonial slave system built on fear and brutality, enslaved people repeatedly organised and carried out major uprisings. 🌍#NoToColonialism#RussiaAfrica

🎙Briefing by Ambassador-at-Large of the Russian Foreign Ministry Rodion Miroshnik on the sidelines of the 61st Session of the UN Human Rights Council(March 25, 2026, Geneva) Key points: 💬 While here in Geneva, taking part in the UNHRC events, I considered it necessary to share with you our data, which provides a sufficiently clear picture of the crimes, which the Kiev regime has been committing in the frontline area for the past four years. • The materials we have collected unequivocally confirm that the Ukrainian side has been ignoring human rights standards, as well as the norms and principles of international humanitarian law, throughout the conflict. • We have grounds to state that the Zelensky regime is deliberately waging war against the civilian population, resorting to war crimes and terrorist acts at the state level as a means of exerting pressure on Russia, influencing its domestic policy, and diverting the Russian Armed Forces from combat operations in order to counter terrorism and suppress crimes against civilians. • Since February 2022, at least 27,518 civilians have suffered as a result of the criminal actions of Ukrainian militants. Of these, at least 7,967 have been killed. • Hostilities began in 2014, following the launch by Ukraine of the so-called “anti-terrorist operation”, when troops were sent into Donbass to suppress defiant civilians. Since that period, the number of affected civilians has exceeded 41,600, with at least 12,602 civilians killed. • The situation has not improved since the start of 2026. Over the first 10 weeks of 2026, the number of civilians affected by Ukrainian militants and foreign mercenaries has only increased. Since the beginning of the year, 1,503 people have already been affected, including 235 killed. There is also horrifying data concerning children: since the start of the year alone, 61 children have been affected, at least 5 of whom were killed. • On March 10, Ukrainian militants struck the city of Bryansk. They used seven long-range Storm Shadow missiles to hit the city centre. Several missiles exploded near bus stops, bringing the total number of casualties to more than 58 people. Eight civilians were killed and 47 were injured. • We regard Kiev’s terrorist actions as a deliberate escalation in the form of massive strikes on civilian infrastructure, carried out in response to attempts at a peaceful settlement. #KievRegimeCrimes

🇺🇳 On March 25, at the initiative of Ghana and the African Union, the UN General Assembly held a plenary meeting to mark the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. During the meeting, the Assembly adopted the resolution “Declaration of the Trafficking of Enslaved Africans and Racialized Chattel Enslavement of Africans as the Gravest Crime against Humanity”. Voting results: ✅In favour – 123, including Russia ❌ Against – 3 (Argentina, Israel and the United States) 🟨 Abstentions – 52 Member States Russia welcomes the adoption of this historic document. Moscow is convinced that the resolution will become a major milestone on the path toward restoring historical justice and will make a substantial contribution to strengthening the international legal framework for addressing the consequences of colonialism, as well as combating racism and racial discrimination. The Western countries and those aligned with them – who withheld support for the document – demonstrated hypocrisy, disregard for the suffering endured by the peoples of Africa, and an unwillingness to take responsibility for the crimes committed during the colonial period. In its statement, the Russian delegation recalled the Soviet Union’s key rolein the adoption of the 1960 Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, as well as in assisting African nations in their national liberation struggle, state-building, economic development, defence capacity and the training of national personnel. Russia remains ready today to take coordinated international steps to eradicate all manifestations of colonialism, which is assuming increasingly sophisticated new forms. Moscow is committed to close joint work with its African friends on this issue, including within the framework of the #RussiaAfrica Partnership Forum.

⚡️On the delivery of Russian humanitarian aid to the Republic of Mozambique At the request of the Government of Mozambique, a special flight of Russia's EMERCOM delivered some30 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Maputo to support relief efforts following the floods that struck the country in January 2026 as a result of Tropical Cyclone Gezani. Since the start of the heavy rainfall season in October 2025, more than 600,000 people in Mozambique have been affected, over 100 have died, around 73,000 homes have been flooded, and 4,800 have been completely destroyed. 🇷🇺🤝🇲🇿 Given the high level of bilateral cooperation and friendship between our countries, Russia will continue to promote the strengthening and development of Russia-Mozambique ties, including in the humanitarian sphere. #RussiaHelps

🇷🇺🇮🇷📞On March 27, Foreign Minister of Russia Sergey Lavrov and Foreign Minister of Iran Abbas Araghchi had a telephone conversation. The Ministers held a substantive discussion on the grave military-political crisis in the Middle East triggered by the unprovoked US-Israeli aggression against Iran. They also exchanged views on the prospects for steering the conflict toward a political and diplomatic settlement based on international law and taking into account the legitimate interests of all countries in the region, including Iran and its neighbours in the Gulf Cooperation Council. Sergey Lavrov also informed his Iranian counterpart about the delivery of a new batch of Russian humanitarian aid to the Islamic Republic. #RussiaIran

⚡️Russia's EMERCOM: 🇷🇺🇮🇷Russia’s EMERCOM has delivered humanitarian aid to the Islamic Republic of Iran. On March 27, acting on the instructions of President Vladimir Putin, 313 tonnes of medicines were delivered. In Astara, the humanitarian cargo was transferred to authorised representatives of the Iranian Government. This is the second major shipment of medical supplies. 🤝 The operation was successfully carried out with the assistance of the Azerbaijani Side. #RussiaHelps

🎓 On March 27, the Reception House of the Russian Foreign Ministry hosteda diploma award ceremony, attended by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, for veterans – participants in the special military operation (SMO) who successfully completed their studies at the Odintsovo branch of MGIMO under the additional professional education programme Urban Infrastructure Management and Territorial Development. As of today, this is the largest in-person educational programme for SMO veterans in terms of both the number of participants and the duration of training. 29 veterans from 16 regions of Russia received the knowledge and skills needed for effective urban area management. The participants included both career servicemen and civilians – economists, engineers, doctors, lawyers, teachers, journalists and other professionals. As part of the programme, they studied modern management technologies, crisis-response approaches, public engagement practices, as well as digital solutions in the field of engineering systems and communications. 🎙As Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's noted during the event: I am sincerely pleased to welcome our heroes. As President Putin has repeatedly stressed, the future of Russia is in your hands. On the battlefield, you demonstrated loyalty to the Fatherland, to duty and to your oath, as well as readiness to sacrifice yourselves for your fellow comrades and our country. My generation looked up to the battle-hardened veterans of the Great Patriotic War. They taught us in schools and universities and worked alongside us. Today, it is you who serve as such a vivid example – an example of genuine patriotism, honesty, responsibility and reliability. This is especially important for young people, to whose spiritual and moral upbringing you can make a significant personal contribution. I am confident that you will fulfil this mission. Russian Deputy Defence Minister and State Secretary Anna Tsivileva, MGIMO Rector Anatoly Torkunov, and Moscow Region Governor Andrey Vorobyov also took part in the ceremony.

⚡️Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova's statement on the attack on the Russian Centre for Science and Culture in Prague(March 27, 2026) 💬 On March 27, Ambassador of the Czech Republic to the Russian Federation Daniel Koštoval was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry. The diplomat was issued a strong protest over the attack carried out on the evening of March 26 against the Russian Centre for Science and Culture in Prague using bottles filled with an incendiary mixture. Deep concern over the incident was expressed. ❗️We demand that the Czech side conduct a prompt and competent investigation into this crime, identify and punish those responsible, and take the necessary measures to ensure the security of Russian missions in Prague.

🇷🇺🇦🇿Embassy of Russia in Azerbaijan: 🚛On March 27, seven trucks carrying humanitarian aid for Iran, dispatched from Russia (Republic of Dagestan), crossed the Azerbaijani-Iranian border at the Astara checkpoint. The cargo – 150 tonnes of various food supplies – will now be transferred to the Iranian Side for onward delivery to affected residents. 🤝We express our gratitude to the Azerbaijani Side for facilitating the transit of the humanitarian aid, including the swift clearance of border and customs procedures. #RussiaHelps

🇷🇺🇰🇬📞On March 27, President of Russia Vladimir Putin and President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov had a telephone conversation. They discussed a number of current bilateral agenda issues, including the implementation of joint trade and economic projects. The Leaders reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining close cooperation in connection with Kyrgyzstan’s current chairmanship of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. 🤝 The Presidents agreed to continue personal contacts. #RussiaKyrgyzstan

⚡️ Head of the Russian House in Prague Igor Girenko on the ATTACK against the Russian cultural center: 💬 “Yesterday, a terrorist attack was committed against the Russian House in Prague. Several bottles with incendiary mixture were thrown. Fortunately, three of them did not explode inside the building — they were on the windowsill. If a fire had broken out here, nothing would have remained of the building, as it houses a library. Obviously, there was nothing accidental about the timing of the crime: we had the closing event of the Days of Russian Culture scheduled for the evening Only the truly inhumane scum of the Earth can target culture! No surprise here, such habits and modus operandi of the perpetrators are well known to us. We would also like to separately thank the law enforcement officers and Czech firefighters who arrived at the scene within minutes. We believe this crime will not remain unsolved, and the perpetrators will face just punishment.” 📹© Russian House in Prague

🔴#LIVE: Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's remarks at the MGIMO diploma award ceremony for veterans of the special military operation 🔴Ruptly 🔴Russia’s MFA website