Statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine on yet another Kremlin-manufactured provocation

Ukraine condemns in the strongest terms yet another Kremlin-manufactured provocation and rejects all accusations, which are completely groundless. Under a made up pretext, the Kremlin is undertaking another hybrid special operation with the aim to justify its future aggressive actions against Ukraine.

Concentration of Russian weaponry, armaments and military forces in the temporarily occupied territories in Crimea and Donbas as well as along the Ukrainian-Russian border is a cause of particular concern. This situation signals an imminent threat to the peace and stability not only in Ukraine but also in the entire region. The occupying power does not limit itself to daily shellings in Donbas but also uses staged sabotage acts in Crimea in an attempt to shift responsibility for its own destructive actions on Ukraine and on our partners.

Ukraine resolutely and consistently condemns terrorism in all its manifestations. Against this background, it should be recalled that since the beginning of the Russian aggression against Ukraine in February 2014 thousands lost their lives – both Ukrainians and foreign nationals - as a result of terrorist acts carried out with financial, material and technical support of the aggressor state. In particular, it is worth recalling the downing of the MH17 flight, rocket attacks against Volnovakha, Mariupol, Kramatorsk and other peaceful Ukrainian cities and towns.

Ukraine urges the international community to take all possible political and diplomatic steps to exert influence on the Kremlin in order to prevent a new round of aggression against Ukraine and the ultimate disruption of the Minsk peace process by the Kremlin.