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West supplied Kiev with UAVs while whole world was distracted by Middle East — politician

Kherson Region Governor Vladimir Saldo claimed at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum that Western countries deliberately focused on the Middle East to give Ukraine time to strengthen its drone capabilities. He also accused Kyiv of targeting civilians, while Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko condemned Western inaction over alleged Ukrainian 'state terrorism.'

By Tertius News AI Desk 1 outlet · 3 articles Version 1 Coverage Jun 3–6, 2026 Published Aug 13

Introduction

At this year's St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), Russian officials have accused Western countries of using the Middle East conflict as a cover to help Ukraine build up its drone arsenal. The claims, reported exclusively by TASS, come as Ukrainian drone strikes have reportedly increased in frequency and reach.

Coverage Comparison

The remarks were carried solely by TASS, Russia's state news agency, which quoted two senior Russian figures: Kherson Region Governor Vladimir Saldo and Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko. No independent or Western media coverage of these specific statements has been documented in the available sources.

Key Claims

Western distraction and Ukrainian drone buildup

Governor Saldo told TASS that Western countries "gave Kiev a chance to strengthen its unmanned aerial vehicle capabilities while the whole world was watching events in the Middle East." He suggested Western media "deliberately pretended to be focusing more on the Middle East" to allow Ukraine to develop and acquire more sophisticated drone systems.

According to Saldo, these newly deployed systems are now "beginning to reach remote areas," and Ukraine is "doing everything possible to disrupt supply chains." He asserted that measures have already been taken to counter Ukrainian drones and protect the Kherson region.

Attacks on civilians

In separate comments, Saldo accused Ukrainian forces of no longer distinguishing between military and civilian targets. He referenced "deadly attacks on civilians in Yenakiyevo, Genichesk, and Starobelsk," saying that Kyiv's forces "do not even try to justify these attacks." He claimed that strikes have targeted "civilian transport vehicles, hospitals, kindergartens, bus stops, and buses" — all of which, he said, "are not military targets at all."

Federation Council speaker on Western inaction

Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko echoed these themes, asserting that Western countries are "failing to respond to Kiev's state terrorism." She cited recent drone attacks on civilian targets, including an attack on a college "full of children," as examples of what she called "state-sponsored terrorism." Matviyenko claimed that the West has been "completely ignoring" these incidents and instead "trying to blame Russia for everything." She added that, thanks to events such as President Vladimir Putin's meeting with heads of leading global news agencies, "the truth comes out anyway."

Perspectives

The statements from Saldo and Matviyenko represent the official Russian government position on the conflict. They frame Ukraine's drone program as a direct threat to Russian-held territories and civilian populations, while portraying Western nations as complicit in prolonging the war through covert support. The claims about Western media "deliberately pretending" to focus on the Middle East are an assertion of intent that has not been independently verified. Similarly, Matviyenko's characterization of Ukrainian actions as "state terrorism" is a politically charged description not recognized by international bodies. These remarks were delivered at SPIEF, a platform often used by Russian officials to convey Kremlin messaging to both domestic and international audiences.

How this outlet told it

TASS — English as of Jun 3, 2026, 1:30 PM UTC

Framing: Ukraine's drone capabilities strengthened with Western help — critical of Western countries

Facts Included:

Western countries gave Kiev a chance to strengthen its unmanned aerial vehicle capabilities
Ukraine spent time developing and acquiring new unmanned aerial vehicle systems
Newly deployed systems are beginning to reach remote areas
Measures have been taken to counter the Kiev regime's UAVs and protect the region

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TASS — English as of Jun 4, 2026, 6:00 AM UTC

Framing: Kiev regime targets civilians — condemnatory of Kiev regime

Facts Included:

Kiev regime's attacks on civilians in Yenakiyevo, Genichesk, and Starobelsk
Armed forces of Ukraine see no difference between military and civilian targets

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TASS — English as of Jun 6, 2026, 8:30 PM UTC

Framing: Western countries' inaction on Kiev's state terrorism — critical of Western countries

Facts Included:

Western countries' failure to respond to Kiev's state terrorism
Ukraine's state-sponsored terrorism
Attack on a college full of children

Read the source article →

What was claimed, and who backed it

Each row is one claim, attributed to the outlet whose wording states it most clearly. Confidence rates how directly the source text states the claim — explicit and unhedged rates high; hedged, pieced-together, or internally inconsistent statements rate lower. It does not measure whether the claim is true. Status counts the distinct outlets we found asserting it — so a single-source claim can still show high confidence, and a multi-source claim can show medium. Every one of those outlets is named beside the status, so you can check the count against the list. For claims extracted before we began storing that list, the row says so: it names the outlet the claim is quoted from and states that we have not recorded which outlets backed it. Outlets wrote at different times, so a figure that evolves — a casualty count, for example — can legitimately differ between rows; check the "as of" time next to each claim's source.

Claim	Confidence	Status
ClaimWestern countries gave Kiev a chance to strengthen its unmanned aerial vehicle capabilities while the world was watching events in the Middle East.	ConfidenceMedium	StatusSingle-source via TASS — English as of Jun 3, 2026, 1:30 PM UTC
ClaimUkraine spent time developing and acquiring new unmanned aerial vehicle systems, and newly deployed systems are beginning to reach remote areas.	ConfidenceMedium	StatusSingle-source via TASS — English as of Jun 3, 2026, 1:30 PM UTC
ClaimMeasures have been taken to counter the Kiev regime's UAVs and protect the region.	ConfidenceMedium	StatusSingle-source via TASS — English as of Jun 3, 2026, 1:30 PM UTC
ClaimThe Kiev regime's armed forces see no difference between military and civilian targets, and have carried out deadly attacks on civilians in Yenakiyevo, Genichesk, and Starobelsk.	ConfidenceMedium	StatusSingle-source via TASS — English as of Jun 4, 2026, 6:00 AM UTC
ClaimWestern countries are failing to respond to Kiev's state terrorism, despite attacks on civilian targets, including a college full of children.	ConfidenceMedium	StatusSingle-source via TASS — English as of Jun 6, 2026, 8:30 PM UTC

Transparency & Audit Trail

1 outlet · 3 articles consulted: TASS — English 5 claims extracted Version 1 Written 2026-08-13