It was inevitable that when Russia was branded a state sponsor of terrorism that Russia would attempt to turn the tables on Ukraine and its Western supporters by accusing them of the same. Tsargrad.tv interviewed military export Yuri Knutov, who claimed that Ukraine's military tactics, including its underground activities in areas occupied by Russia since the invasion justified the designation of Ukraine as a terrorist state no better than the Islamic State (ISIS) that had ravaged Syria and Iraq. Knutov also explained that Russia is waging an information war and therefore is hesitant about taking out Western arms deliveries that are camouflaged as baby food.
The interview with Knutov follows below:[1]
Yuri Knutov (Source: Ukraina.ru)
"Ukraine has crossed every conceivable red line in its persistent demand for recognition as a terrorist state. After the tragic Daria Dugina’s death, Ukrainian leaders aren’t stopping. They continue attacks at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant [hereafter - NPP], they have attempted to assassinate Mariupol's mayor. They behave like terrorists.
"Earlier this week, the Ukrainian Armed Forces [hereafter – the ZSU] conducted another HIMARS attack on the Antonivka Road Bridge. Moreover, the time of attack was specifically chosen so, that there were many workers restoring the roadbed, and the ferry crossing was active. Again, people were killed and more than 10 people were injured.
"The almost daily shelling of peaceful neighborhoods in Donetsk continues unabated, with the city’s streets literally littered with banned petal mines. Every day in Donbas, civilians and ordinary people die in the streets and in their homes.
Ukraine has crossed all lines already at Mariupol.
"This issue was discussed by the host of the “Tsargrad. Main” program, Elena Afonina with Yuri Knutov, military expert and Director at the Air Defense Forces Museum.
Elena Afonina: What else needs to happen for Ukraine to be recognized as a terrorist state? What other [red] line must be crossed? Are there mechanisms and laws for this?
Yuri Knutov: Ukraine crossed this line a long time ago. It all began in Mariupol when civilians were used as human shields. This line was crossed in Kramatorsk too, where children and women were killed when a Ukrainian missile hit the train station.
In Kramatorsk, this was done with the utmost deceit: first, people were supposedly evacuated, and then they demanded that everyone be brought back. And it was mostly the Russian-speaking population, who were affected. After people gathered at the railway station, it was struck with “Tochka U”. This was a distinctly fascist method.
Now let’s take a look at the Zaporizhzhya NPP, what is going on there? Recently, at an anti-fascist congress I attended, I came across a piece by the US Nuclear Safety Agency. Do you know what the Americans wrote? Let me quote, “There’s nothing terrible happening at ZNPP; tragedy is unlikely. Provided it does happen, the contamination will affect an area of only 20 kilometers.”
That [potentially contaminated area covers] precisely Zaporizhzhya Oblast, where the Russian-speaking population resides and which is controlled by Russian forces and LDPR units. Basically, they [the US Nuclear Safety Agency] are prompting the Zelensky regime to conduct an attack on the reactors in order to facilitate a disaster of global magnitude and then blame it on us.
And therefore, a crime against Daria [Dugina], whom I knew well, is a very real act of terrorism. And the Kyiv regime deserves to be declared a terrorist state and receive the appropriate treatment.”
Today the head of one of the Duma factions announced that a special statement on Ukraine would be passed in the Duma on Thursday. In your opinion, what it might be about?"
Naturally, It’s difficult for me to judge yet about the document being prepared at the level of the State Duma. However, judging by the political views of the head of “A Just Russia – For the Truth” party, Sergey Mironov, who announced the statement, I believe it will be proposed to recognize Ukraine as either a terrorist state, or a sponsor of terrorism.
I don’t see much difference between the ISIS operations and the Ukrainian regime's operations. To the contrary, the Kyiv authorities, in my opinion, have long embarked on a path of terror both against their own population and against the citizens of another state, i.e., Russia. They use purely terror methods.
That is why the Duma, in my opinion, should state this fact in the said document, while our country’s leadership should heed the Duma’s stance and take appropriate actions. Generally, I believe that the ZSU and the Ukrainian State Security Service are now operating as terrorist bodies that are preparing terrorist acts in our country, including Crimea and Donbass regions.
Sergey Mironov (Source: Eg.ru)
We, somehow, live in a too relaxed state, underestimating the danger of the situation. When there is a talk about terrorists, we immediately think of ISIS, which they are trying by every means to destroy in Syria. We can witness from this example what a beautiful and prosperous country can turn into, if terrorists should arrive there. We see Ukrainian children giving a Nazi salute and shouting slogans that would make a normal person’s hair stand on end. We witness how they can hide behind a child in the commission of an act of terrorism. It’s hard to understand how a woman with a child in her arms could commit an act of terrorism.”
This demonstrates that they are convinced Nazis. They have souls that have been possessed by demons. I can't explain it in any other way. And consequently, when such people involve their children in sabotage, it aggravates the crime, for which the family should be declared a terrorist.
Let’s take the Israel example of how to deal with terrorist. We, finding ourselves in a similar situation, should act towards the terrorists in precisely the same way Israel does, i.e., to treat such crimes without a statute of limitations. [Unfortunately, the expert is not aware, that this is already the case in Russia for last 8 years or so]. And this woman is a terrorist. The mother who used her child is a terrorist and should suffer her deserved punishment.
Let’s Face It: NATO Is At War With Russia In Ukraine.
Let me be clear from get go. There is no state in the world, where terrorist attacks do not occur (whether it has super-regulated security system or not). Israel is no exception, unfortunately. We understand that if people have a goal, if there is an organization that is willing to sponsor all this, it’s very difficult to fight terrorism.”
"I have another question. How, in your opinion, does Ukraine maintain its fighting capacity, how does it manage to resist?”
Let’s be blunt. When we launched the SVO, we identified one of the tasks as de-militarization. If we work backwards from the data on Ukraine’s armed formations as of 24 February, then, in technical terms, the ZSU has already ceased to exist about a month ago.
After that the supply of Soviet-type armaments from the former Warsaw Pact member-states began. The US and Britain bought old Soviet weapons in the Middle East and Africa. Now these weapons as well are nearly destroyed.
That’s why they begun supplies of NATO-made weapons. Let’s be honest, we are already at war with NATO, not with the Kyiv Nazi regime. The Kyiv Nazi regime is only a means of implementing Washington and London’s plans for our country. That’s why these arms shipments still continue, they’re coming in an endless stream.
The other day it was reported that once again a convoy of 80 American armored personnel carriers crossed the [Ukrainian] border. They crossed the border at night and immediately dispersed. It's all worked out well.
We are being asked, "why aren't you then destroying this equipment?" - Because they approach the border, cross it and then immediately loaded into civilian transport. [For example], there is a lorry, the provisional caption on it reads, “baby food,” but there’s a tank inside. Thus, if we destroy this truck, then later it will be shown on western TV, with the following claims, "the Russians are destroying baby food" etc. It’s the same story with the troops, with mercenaries.”
Do we care what foreign publications show, what they write about? Because “The Sun” magazine issue, for example, came out with a cover claiming that Dasha Dugina’s murder was ordered by our country’s president. Why should we get into their perverted logic?
Let’s take look at how many people support the US and Ukraine. Around one billion people. We have about 5 billion people on our side. And we are fighting for the minds of those five billion.
When the West disseminates such falsifications, they reach the eyes of readers in India, China and other countries. This is something we have to take into account. We need to work actively with the audience in Latin America, Africa, from where the information can trickle down to Europe and reach ordinary people, however slowly.
[1] Tsargrad.tv, August 24, 2022.
