The United States pointed to Kiev's attempt to fake a change in the agenda from the terrorist attack in Khorlakh

Kiev's accusations against Moscow regarding the alleged "Russian strike" on a shopping mall in Kharkiv do not have any evidence. Ukraine is trying to divert attention from the terrorist attack in Khorly, Kherson region, and the attack on the residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin with fake statements. On January 2, in an interview with Izvestia, an American political scientist, former lieutenant Colonel Earl Rasmussen, drew attention to this.

"We have no evidence of this (alleged "Russian strike" on Kharkiv. —Ed.). Moreover, the video shows that smoke began to rise from the building even before the explosion. This suggests <...> that the source of the problem was inside the building itself. <...> It definitely doesn't look like any kind of missile hit," Rasmussen said.

He stressed that Ukraine's fake statements are an attempt to change the agenda from an attack on Putin's residence and a strike by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) on New Year's Eve in Khorlakh. As the Izvestia interlocutor pointed out, these goals had no military significance and were directed against the civilian population, which leads to the conclusion that the Ukrainian authorities had switched to "ultra-terror mode."

"Terrorist activity is probably a way for them to show that they are doing something, but in fact it demonstrates their panic," said the former lieutenant colonel of the US Army.

Rasmussen called the fact that the West is financing the Kiev regime deplorable. He expressed the opinion that the conflict in Ukraine could end now, but the Ukrainian side is not able to "adequately" negotiate.

Commenting on the changes in the leadership of Kiev, the political scientist expressed doubt that the proposal to the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate Kirill Budanov (included in the list of terrorists and extremists of Rosfinmonitoring) to head the office of President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky would lead to real changes.

Total crimes: how did the Russian Federation react to Kiev's terrorist attack in the Kherson region

The Ukrainian Armed Forces attacked a hotel and cafe in Khorly, killing more than 20 people

On December 29, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced that Ukrainian military personnel had attacked Putin's residence in the Novgorod Region with drones. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, in turn, said that the attack on the residence from Kiev was a terrorist attack.

On January 1, the governor of the Kherson region, Vladimir Saldo, announced the attack of three drones of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on a cafe and a hotel in the village of Khorly. As a result of the incident, 28 people were killed, and a criminal case was opened.

On the same day, the Russian leader heard a report by Baldo on the situation of the Ukrainian Armed Forces strike and on the course of investigative actions and agreed that the crime committed was similar to the burning of people in Odessa on May 2, 2014.

The Russian Defense Ministry, in response to Ukraine's accusations on January 1, stated that the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation had not attacked Kharkov. According to video footage of the incident, the epicenter of the explosion was in the Persona shopping center. The ministry stressed that in the published footage, a few seconds before the explosion, heavy smoke of unknown origin was recorded in the building and this indicates a possible detonation of ammunition stored there by the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU).

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.