Russian Embassy Mourns Nigerian Student, Says No Evidence Yet Linking Death to Russian Strike

By Iyojo Ameh

The Russian Embassy in Nigeria has expressed sympathy to the family of Nigerian medical graduate, Marian Nnani, but maintained that there is no evidence at this stage to conclude that Russian forces were responsible for her death in Kharkiv, Ukraine.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the embassy said it had taken note of media reports published by several Nigerian newspapers alleging that the student died as a result of Russian military operations.

The embassy conveyed its “deepest and sincere condolences” to the family and friends of the deceased, describing her death as an irreparable loss.

However, it stressed that investigations into the incident are still ongoing and that there is no confirmed information identifying who was responsible for the student’s death.

According to the embassy, attributing blame to Russia before the conclusion of investigations is premature and unsupported by verified evidence.

The Russian mission reiterated its position that the Russian Armed Forces conduct precision strikes only against military targets and do not intentionally attack civilians or civilian infrastructure.

It further argued that many civilian casualties in the conflict have resulted from the operations of Ukraine’s air defence system.
The embassy also faulted what it described as one-sided reporting by sections of the Nigerian media, alleging that they had accused Russia without documentary proof while ignoring information provided by the embassy on attacks it attributed to Ukrainian forces.

As an example, the embassy cited the May 22, 2026 attack on the Lugansk State Pedagogical University College in Starobelsk, where it claimed 21 students were killed in what it described as a deliberate strike by Ukrainian authorities.

The statement follows an earlier announcement by Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirming Marian Nnani’s death and expressing condolences to her family while calling for an immediate end to hostilities in Ukraine.

The Russian Embassy insisted that the circumstances surrounding the Nigerian student’s death remain under investigation and urged that conclusions on responsibility should await the outcome of official findings.