Russia has called on New Zealand to punish any person responsible for civilian deaths at the Defence Force's firing ranges in Afghanistan.
At a press conference overnight Thursday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said New Zealand must investigate "crimes".
Zakhrova's comments appear to reference a Stuff Circuit investigation, which revealed seven children were among 17 killed and injured on former firing ranges by unexploded ordnance left behind on a New Zealand firing range in Afghanistan
The Defence Force and the Prime Minister have referenced the historic use of the ranges by Russia and the United States when distancing New Zealand from direct responsibility for the deaths.
While the Russian Foreign Ministry took issue with New Zealand's record at the ranges at the press conference, neither New Zealand's Foreign Minister, Defence Minister, or their respective departments have heard directly from the superpower on the matter.
In the press conference, Zakhrova spoke about Russia's involvement in conflict in Syria - where it has been alleged that Russian planes have bombed civilians - before discussing allegations of civilian deaths the British military has been facing.
She then described the "murder" of seven children "as a result of wrongdoings of New Zealand military who did not de-mine in the proper way the shooting ranges after using them".
The Stuff Circuit documentary did not suggest any deaths amounted to murder, but revealed the deaths had been linked to New Zealand operated ranges.
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Zakhrova said that it seemed "these crimes were done because of their attitudes towards locals, their disrespect towards them. These are outright attempts to hide this fact".
"The attempts to hide such facts generate the feeling of impunity," she said.
"We condemn such crimes against civilians in Afghanistan and we call for British and New Zealand authorities to finish the investigations and to punish those accountable for them."
Neither Foreign Minister Winston Peters or Defence Minister Ron Mark had been contacted directly by their Russian counterparts over the matter, their offices confirmed.
A spokesman for Mark said the matter had not been raised during a discussion between the minister and the Russian Deputy Defence Minister on the sides of a ASEAN meeting in Thailand last week.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said, "the Russians have not raised this with us".
The Defence Force declined to comment.
The Defence Force, under direction of the Prime Minister, has committed to properly clear the ranges of ordnance, possibly starting in April 2020.
The order came last month after Stuff Circuit's documentary, Life + Limb, exposed the deaths and injuries of 17 civilians in nine separate incidents connected to the New Zealand firing ranges in Bamyan.
A survey of the ranges last year found almost 40 square kilometres remains dangerous.
During the 1980's, Russian troops fought in Afghanistan in support of a communist government.
