Russia Ukraine Monitoring Desk Islamabad
ISLAMABAD :17 March 2026 – Ambassador Albert P. Khorev has presented Russia’s position on the conflict, describing it as a broader confrontation with the collective West. He stated that the situation on the front line currently favors Russian forces while drawing attention to intensified Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory and civilian infrastructure.
He briefed Pakistani journalists about the situation in and around Ukraine in a press conference held at the Embassy on 17 March 2026. Here are the key points of his briefing ;
The number of Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory increased by 42,000 in 2025, exceeding 130,000 in total. As a result of these attacks in 2025, at least 1,065 people, including 293 children, were killed.
Russia opposes a ceasefire that does not address the root causes of the crisis, including NATO’s eastward expansion, Kiev’s discrimination against the Russian-speaking population, and the persecution of the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine.
Ensuring the safety of the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) is one of our top priorities. Despite the risk of a nuclear disaster, Kiev militants have regularly shelled the ZNPP’s spent nuclear fuel storage facilities and reactors for nearly four years.
A similar situation is unfolding regarding the Druzhba oil pipeline. On January 27 of this year, Kiev unilaterally halted the transit of oil and, at the same time, did not allow inspectors from Budapest and Bratislava to examine the damaged section. Instead, Zelensky—who lost all legitimacy long ago—began threatening Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his family members.
Ambassador said, Europeans have not given up on seizing the Bank of Russia’s frozen assets held in EU financial institutions, including the Euroclear depository. Any mechanisms involving the direct or indirect unauthorized use of the Bank of Russia’s assets are illegal and violate international law. In particular, they infringe upon the principles of sovereign immunity of assets.
Mr. Khorev said , In the context of the West’s efforts to demonize Russia, significant attention has been focused on the so-called “children’s issue.”
During the Russian-Ukrainian talks in Istanbul in June 2025 Ukrainian representatives provided the Russian delegation with a list of only 339 Ukrainian minors who had lost contact with their parents or legal guardians due to various circumstances. Russia has taken the necessary steps, and as of early March 2026, 13 minors from the “List of 339” had already been reunited with their relatives.
Regarding humanitarian issues, Ambassador Khorev provided detailed information on the situation of children affected by the conflict. He rejected Western claims that thousands of Ukrainian children had been forcibly transferred to Russia, stating that the widely cited figures from international organizations parrot Ukrainian propaganda and do not correspond to reality.
“Contrary to European efforts to blame Russia for all the world’s problems, on January 31, 2024, the International Court of Justice refused to recognize Russia as an “aggressor state” and rejected Ukraine’s claims that the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics are “terrorist organizations.” The court noted that Russia had faithfully fulfilled its obligations to combat terrorist financing and deemed Ukraine’s claims to be purely political, Ambassador shared.
He said, One of the most egregious recent acts of terrorism in neutral waters occurred on March 3 of this year when Ukrainian naval and aerial drones attacked the Russian LNG tanker “Arctic Metagaz” in the central Mediterranean.Attacking a civilian commercial vessel constitutes a gross violation of international law. It is both a terrorist act and a war crime;
He noted that diplomatic contacts continue and that several rounds of talks have been held in 2026, resulting in some humanitarian progress, including prisoner exchanges.
The Ambassador emphasized that Russia is open to a negotiated settlement, but insists that any agreement must address the root causes of the conflict, including NATO’s eastward expansion and Kiev’s discrimination against the Russian-speaking population.
Nevertheless, Russia remains open to finding a negotiated solution to the crisis. Three rounds of trilateral peace talks have already taken place in 2026, some progress has been made on the humanitarian front. To achieve the settlement Kiev must accept the will of the people of Donbass, who chose to join Russia on September 30, 2022, and withdraw its troops from the entire region;
Russia views the conflict in Ukraine not as a standoff between Russia and Ukraine, but rather as an indirect confrontation with the “collective West,” which refuses to accept the loss of a world order based on colonial principles and Western dominance. The outcome of the conflict will influence the global balance of power for years to come.
The situation along the front line is favorable for Russian forces. As Ukrainian militants lose ground on the battlefield, they are resorting more frequently to terrorist acts and attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure. One of the most notorious attacks was the Ukrainian army’s shelling of the Russian city of Bryansk on March 10 of this year with British “Storm Shadow” missiles.
In the context of peacefully resolving the Ukrainian crisis, Russia continues to be guided by the specific understanding reached during the meeting between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump in Anchorage, Alaska, in August of 2025;
Ambassador expressed regret that the United States’ lack of an official response to Russia’s initiative to voluntarily uphold the quantitative limits of the New START. The Russian Federation remains ready to take decisive military-technical measures to counter potential additional threats to the national security.
Pakistan
Despite enormous external pressure, our Pakistani colleagues have maintained a balanced and consistent stance on the Ukrainian conflict. We hope Pakistan will join us in drafting the Eurasian Charter on Diversity and Multipolarity in the 21st Century – a strategic document, which is intended to establish the political and legal foundation for an indivisible continental security architecture and a system of cooperation across Eurasia.
IRAN
In response to media inquiries regarding the situation in Iran, the Ambassador condemned the escalation in the Middle East following U.S. and Israeli aggression against Iran. He emphasized that the International Atomic Energy Agency found no evidence that Iran is building a nuclear bomb — a pretext the aggressors used to justify their invasion.
The Ambassador strongly condemned the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as well as attacks on civilian targets, including a strike on a school in Minab.
According to the Ambassador, such actions constitute serious violations of international law and risk further destabilizing the region.
In conclusion, the Russian Ambassador called for restraint and emphasized the need for political and diplomatic solutions to the crisis surrounding Iran. He stressed that long-term stability must be based on dialogue, respect for sovereignty, and consideration of the security interests of all Gulf states and neighboring countries.
