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Maria Zakharova

personCredibility: 20%

Why this score? Spokeswoman for Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Her statements are authoritative evidence of the Russian government's declared position and unreliable as evidence about facts in the world; she has repeatedly advanced claims about the war later contradicted by geolocated evidence and by international agencies. Set at the low end, just below the Putin baseline (0.25), because her professional function is message delivery rather than decision-making. Record as a voice; never let her steer a summary (Principle 7).

Tracked Statements (1)

Kyiv cynically threatened the IAEA director general, directly stating that it could not guarantee his safety if he entered the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant through Russian territory.?

— Maria Zakharova · Aug 18, 2026
Context: Russia's foreign ministry says a Grossi visit planned for 20–21 August was cancelled because Kyiv would not guarantee his safety on a route through Russian-held territory. The IAEA has published no explanation of the cancellation and Ukraine has not responded; every reachable account of the episode is Russian-sourced. Recorded as Moscow's position, not as what happened.