Russia Criticizes U.S. Over 1945 Atomic Bombing

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:55 JST, August 7, 2023

Russia has criticized the U.S. for dropping atomic bombs on Japan during World War II.

A Russian foreign ministry spokesperson released a statement on Sunday, the 78th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945, saying that it was the first time in human history that such a ruthless experiment had been conducted on civilians.

Russia has been criticized by the U.S. for threatening to use nuclear weapons during the invasion of Ukraine, so it is likely the statement was released as part of Moscow’s efforts to keep the U.S. in check.

Russia also pushed its own version of what happened in World War II, saying that the former Soviet Union played a decisive role in Japan’s surrender by joining the war against Japan.