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Russian Embassy Reacts to Reports of Nigerian Student’s Death in Ukraine, Denies Claims of Civilian Targeting
Russian Embassy Reacts to Reports of Nigerian Student’s Death in Ukraine, Denies Claims of Civilian Targeting
The Russian Embassy in Nigeria has responded to widespread reports alleging that 23-year-old Nigerian student, Miss Nnani Adaobi Marian, was killed as a result of a Russian airstrike in Kharkiv, Ukraine.
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The embassy issued its reaction in an official statement released on Tuesday through its verified social media handle, expressing sympathy to the deceased’s family while disputing reports linking her death directly to Russian military operations.
According to the statement, the embassy acknowledged media reports carried by several leading Nigerian newspapers, including The Guardian, The Punch, Leadership, and Vanguard, regarding the tragic incident.
It reads:
“The Russian Embassy has taken note of information published in the leading Nigerian newspapers (The Guardian, The Punch, Leadership, Vanguard and ect.) on the untimely death of Nigerian student as an alleged result of the Russian Armed Forces operation in Kharkov, Ukraine.
“In this regard the Embassy first of all, expresses its deepest and sincere condolences to the family and friends of Marian Nnani in connection with their irreparable loss.
“The Embassy emphasizes that at the moment there is no confirmed information on whose actions really caused the death of the student. It is widely known that the chaotic operation of the Ukrainian air defense is the primary cause of civil casualties.
“The Embassy reiterates that Russian Armed Forces execute strikes precisely at military purpose installations of the Ukrainian regime and never target civilians or social infrastructure.
“Unfortunately, the Nigerian media one-sidedly publish biased information accusing the Russian Federation without any documented proof, while at the same time deliberately ignoring or suppressing credible evidence of the terrorist actions of the Ukraine authorities claiming the lives of innocent people.
“In this connection, it is to be noted that the above-mentioned media have chosen to fully ignore the information send by the Russian Embassy to their attention on the deliberate terrorist attack of the Kiev junta on the Lugansk State Pedagogical University college in Starobelsk, where 21 young students were killed on 22 May 2026.”
The embassy maintained that there is currently no confirmed evidence establishing the exact circumstances that led to the Nigerian student’s death, insisting that Russian forces only target military installations and not civilian infrastructure.
The statement also accused sections of the Nigerian media of presenting a one-sided narrative by attributing responsibility to Russia without documented proof, while allegedly overlooking information previously circulated by the embassy regarding attacks it claimed were carried out by Ukrainian authorities.
The clarification comes shortly after the Federal Government of Nigeria announced that it is engaging the relevant authorities, as well as Nigeria’s Missions in Ukraine and Germany, to verify the circumstances surrounding the incident and ensure that the deceased student’s family receives the necessary consular assistance.
The incident has continued to attract widespread attention, with many Nigerians awaiting the outcome of ongoing diplomatic efforts to establish the facts surrounding the tragic death of Miss Nnani Adaobi Marian.
