While the West and Russia exchange sanctions in a tit-for-tat 'do no real damage' process, the rhetoric between Ukraine and Russia is escalating from words to deeds in some cases. As The FT reports [5], Russia detained 25 Ukrainian citizens on suspicion of plotting terror attacks (on Russian soil) and claimed to have information that the Ukrainian Right Sector movement was to “carry out subversive and terrorist acts” in seven Russian regions. Ukraine retaliated with claims it had evidence that implicated dozens of Russian Federal Security Bureau agents in a crackdown on anti-government protesters in February that left more than 100 demonstrators dead, many from police sniper fire, which Russia's FSB denied. NATO proclaimed it all "just propaganda and disinformation."
As The FT reports [5], Russia fires first...
Russia detained 25 Ukrainian citizens on suspicion of plotting terror attacks on its soil, state media reported on Thursday night.
The official news agency Ria Novosti quoted the Federal Security Service as saying it had received information about plans by members of the Ukrainian Right Sector movement to “carry out subversive and terrorist acts” in seven Russian regions.
Which is denied...
A spokesperson for Right Sector denied the group had sent anyone to Russia to organise attacks, describing such claims as “Russian propaganda.” Ukraine’s SBU state security labelled the Russian claims as “wild fantasy.”
Then Ukraine fires back....
Earlier on Thursday Ukraine had claimed to have evidence implicating dozens of Russian Federal Security Bureau agents in a crackdown on anti-government protesters in February that left more than 100 demonstrators dead, many from police sniper fire.
Mr Nalyvaichenko also claimed more than 30 unnamed Russian FSB agents stationed in Kiev during the three-month long protests, and in regular contact with Ukrainian security officials, were involved in the “illegal” operation against protesters.
Mr Nalyvaichenko said investigators had established that the FSB agents were – at a minimum – active in planning the crackdown and also in flying shipments of large quantities of explosives into an airport near Kiev.
The government, however, stopped short of accusing any Russian agents of pulling the trigger in the shootings, in spite of widespread suspicions voiced by members of the opposition movement.
Which is denied...
Russia’s FSB on Thursday rejected the comments as “groundless accusations” but otherwise refused to comment.
Meanwhile, NATO is not impressed...
In a message posted on Twitter, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Nato’s secretary-general, dismissed Mr Lavrov’s claims as “just propaganda and disinformation”.