The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine appealed to the German TV channel ZDF to provide an explanation after their visit to the occupied city of Mariupol and a story about the state of affairs. According to the spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Oleg Nikolenko, the visit of the head of the Moscow Bureau ZDF to the occupied Mariupol without the consent of Ukraine is a violation of Ukrainian legislation, and the distortion of reality cannot be justified by journalism.
According to the information, ZDF journalist Armin Kiorper removed a report on life in the occupied Mariupol, noting that the city does not seem like a "city-ghost" and continues to function under the control of the occupiers. He also noted that the occupiers carry out work on the restoration of the city and the reconstruction of the devastating consequences of the war.
However, in response to criticism from the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, the TV channel noted that he always noted in his reports that Mariupol was an area illegally occupied by Russia and emphasized Russia as an aggressor in conflict.
Mariupol , who was captured by Russian troops in May 2022 after long fighting, suffered significant destruction. A large part of buildings and infrastructure were destroyed in the city, and thousands were killed. Ukraine and international human rights organizations accuse Russia of war crimes, in particular for the shelling of civilians and infrastructure. The Russian side rejects these accusations as "fakes".
The situation around the ZDF report emphasizes the complexity and sensitivity of the information space in conflict and occupation, as well as the need to comply with the principles of objectivity and compliance with international and national legal standards when reflecting events in conflict areas.
