Russia's foreign ministry has criticised the ABC and its Four Corners program over its most recent report, which took audiences inside a Ukrainian drone unit fighting Vladimir Putin's forces.
The story, from February 10, detailed how technology and combat tactics had changed over the course of the war, which began with Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Journalist Mark Willacy travelled to the front lines in Ukraine and spent time with the Achilles Battalion to witness how they were using drones to target Russian soldiers.
Russia's foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Friday used her weekly press briefing in Moscow to criticise the reporting, describing it as "an ugly creation" that "invited viewers to closely observe the process of remotely killing a Russian soldier with kamikaze drones".
She accused the ABC of "demonising Russia".
"Of course, the hostility of the Australian media mainstream is nothing new, but ABC has taken it to the level of genuine Russophobia," she said.
The criticism of the ABC was a small part of Ms Zakharova's briefing, which lasted almost four hours.
In a statement, an ABC spokesperson said: "The Four Corners program is an accurate and unflinching report of this aspect of the Russia-Ukraine war. It is confronting and distressing to watch, reflecting the horrors of the war itself."
"The ABC stands by the program and the dedicated team who reported it.
"Four Corners has reported from both sides of this conflict. Last year it broadcast a program from the Russian frontlines."
Willacy has won numerous awards during his glittering career — including Australia's highest honour in journalism, the Gold Walkley — and reported for the ABC from more than 30 countries.
Russia has previously criticised Western media outlets, including the ABC, for their coverage of the war in Ukraine.
It has also sanctioned multiple ABC journalists who have reported on its invasion, accusing them of "spreading lies".
