Ex-head of Roscosmos sends shrapnel taken from him and threats to French ambassador

Dmitry Rogozin, the former Director General of Roscosmos [a state corporation of the Russian Federation responsible for space flights, cosmonautics programs and aerospace research – ed.], has sent a piece of shrapnel taken from him to the French ambassador for President Emmanuel Macron, saying that he had been hit by a French howitzer CAESAR in occupied Donetsk, and that France would pay the price for it.

Source: Rogozin’s letter on Telegram; Kremlin-aligned media outlet RIA Novosti

Quote: "Recently, I was seriously injured as a result of a vile terrorist attack in Donetsk. Only thanks to the great skill and patience of Russian military and civilian doctors, I am alive again and almost fine.

In this envelope, together with my letter, you see a fragment from a shell fired by a French 155-mm self-propelled howitzer CAESAR. It pierced my right shoulder and lodged in the fifth cervical vertebra, just a millimetre away from killing me or rendering me immobile.

This shell fired by a French howitzer killed two of my young friends, leaving their wives widows and their children orphans. These guys accompanied you and me on the trip to Baikonur, you shook their hands. Now they have been killed by weapons supplied to Ukraine by your country."

Details: Rogozin stated that "hundreds of people" had been killed in Donbas by "French weapons and French mercenaries"; however, he forgot to mention how many people were killed by the Russian military, who are occupying foreign territories.

The former head of Roscosmos wrote to the ambassador that "French authorities betrayed the cause of the great De Gaulle and became one of the most bloodthirsty states in Europe," that France "submitted to the dictates of Washington and became a puppet state like the Vichy government, which served the lowest instincts of the Hitlerites."

Quote: "Mr. Ambassador, what is France doing, what are you doing in the conflict that was ignited between the Slavic peoples by Western politicians? I hope you understand the extent of your personal responsibility for these murders! You are an extraordinary and authorised representative of the Fifth Republic, you are responsible.

And I ask that the fragment cut out by the surgeons from my spine be handed over to French President Emmanuel Macron. And also tell him that no one will escape responsibility for the war crimes committed by France, the US, Great Britain, Germany and other NATO countries in Donbas.

All our victims are on your conscience, just as the appearance of fascist Ukraine on the map of Europe is also on your conscience."

Background: 

• Dmytro Rogozin was wounded in Russian-occupied Donetsk on 21 December during shelling of the Shesh Besh hotel. He allegedly celebrated his birthday there.
• Rogozin was hospitalised with a penetrating wound: as media reported, a metal fragment measuring 8x6 millimetres entered above the right shoulder blade near the spine. Later, Rogozin was transferred to a Moscow hospital and underwent a surgery.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!