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| Putin raises stakes over alleged Ukrainian terror plot in Crimea | Putin raises stakes over alleged Ukrainian terror plot in Crimea |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Vladimir Putin has said Russia will not ignore an alleged Ukrainian terror plot targeting the Crimean peninsula, raising the stakes over an incident that Kiev denies took place. | |
| Russia’s security service said on Wednesday it had foiled a plot by its Ukrainian counterpart to launch terrorist attacks in Crimea, which Moscow annexed from Ukraine two years ago. | |
| The FSB agency said one of its officers had been killed during a shootout with a “group of diversionaries” on Saturday night, when they were supposedly discovered just inside Crimea’s border with mainland Ukraine. The FSB said the group had in their possession 20 homemade devices with a total of 40kg of explosives. | |
| Ukraine dismissed the story as fake. According to the RIA Novosti news agency, Putin responded: “Instead of trying to find peaceful solutions, Ukraine has resorted to the practice of terror.” | Ukraine dismissed the story as fake. According to the RIA Novosti news agency, Putin responded: “Instead of trying to find peaceful solutions, Ukraine has resorted to the practice of terror.” |
| The Russian president also said it made no sense to have a “Normandy four” meeting in the current circumstances. The quartet of leaders from Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany have met periodically to discuss the conflict in eastern Ukraine. A meeting of the four was planned at the G20 summit in China next month. | The Russian president also said it made no sense to have a “Normandy four” meeting in the current circumstances. The quartet of leaders from Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany have met periodically to discuss the conflict in eastern Ukraine. A meeting of the four was planned at the G20 summit in China next month. |
| The FSB said that following the firefight on Saturday night there had been a further incident on Monday involving “massive firing” from the Ukrainian side of the border and attempts to enter the region by force, during which a Russian soldier died. | The FSB said that following the firefight on Saturday night there had been a further incident on Monday involving “massive firing” from the Ukrainian side of the border and attempts to enter the region by force, during which a Russian soldier died. |
| “On the night of 8 August 2016 special operations forces from the Ukrainian defence ministry carried out two more attempts to make a breakthrough by sabotage-terrorist groups,” it said. | “On the night of 8 August 2016 special operations forces from the Ukrainian defence ministry carried out two more attempts to make a breakthrough by sabotage-terrorist groups,” it said. |
| The FSB said it had arrested a man named Evgeny Panov, allegedly a Ukrainian military intelligence operative born in 1977, and said he had made a confession. | The FSB said it had arrested a man named Evgeny Panov, allegedly a Ukrainian military intelligence operative born in 1977, and said he had made a confession. |
| Kiev dismissed all of the claims as Russian provocation. | Kiev dismissed all of the claims as Russian provocation. |
| “This kind of FSB statement is nothing more than an attempt to justify the relocation and aggressive actions of Russian military units on the temporarily occupied peninsula,” Ukraine’s defence ministry said in a statement. | “This kind of FSB statement is nothing more than an attempt to justify the relocation and aggressive actions of Russian military units on the temporarily occupied peninsula,” Ukraine’s defence ministry said in a statement. |
| “Russian security services are trying to distract the population of Crimea and the international community from its criminal actions, turning the peninsula into an isolated military base.” | “Russian security services are trying to distract the population of Crimea and the international community from its criminal actions, turning the peninsula into an isolated military base.” |
| Locals in Crimea had noted a large amount of Russian military hardware on the move in recent days, and the de facto borders between Crimea and Ukraine were closed over the weekend and subjected to increased security checks when they reopened. | Locals in Crimea had noted a large amount of Russian military hardware on the move in recent days, and the de facto borders between Crimea and Ukraine were closed over the weekend and subjected to increased security checks when they reopened. |
| The FSB said Kiev’s aim was the “destabilisation of the socio-political situation in the region during preparation for elections”. Russia will hold nationwide parliamentary elections on 18 September, with Crimea taking part for the first time since it annexation two years ago. | The FSB said Kiev’s aim was the “destabilisation of the socio-political situation in the region during preparation for elections”. Russia will hold nationwide parliamentary elections on 18 September, with Crimea taking part for the first time since it annexation two years ago. |
| Putin’s warning that Russia would not ignore the incident will worry observers. The increased tension in Crimea comes at a time when the simmering conflict in eastern Ukraine appears to be heating up. There are almost daily casualties on the frontline between Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed rebel military formations, and little sign of a resolution to the conflict, in which more than 9,000 people have been killed over the past two years. | Putin’s warning that Russia would not ignore the incident will worry observers. The increased tension in Crimea comes at a time when the simmering conflict in eastern Ukraine appears to be heating up. There are almost daily casualties on the frontline between Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed rebel military formations, and little sign of a resolution to the conflict, in which more than 9,000 people have been killed over the past two years. |
| Igor Plotnitsky, the head of the self-declared Luhansk People’s Republic, was admitted to hospital after an assassination attempt earlier this month. He blamed Ukrainian authorities and the CIA, but other analysts suggest infighting or falling out with his Russian handlers is a more likely cause. | Igor Plotnitsky, the head of the self-declared Luhansk People’s Republic, was admitted to hospital after an assassination attempt earlier this month. He blamed Ukrainian authorities and the CIA, but other analysts suggest infighting or falling out with his Russian handlers is a more likely cause. |
| Crimea’s governor, Sergey Aksyonov, who was appointed by Moscow, said attempts to destabilise the peninsula during the summer tourist season would be prevented “in the harshest possible way”, promising that the region was safe for residents and tourists. | Crimea’s governor, Sergey Aksyonov, who was appointed by Moscow, said attempts to destabilise the peninsula during the summer tourist season would be prevented “in the harshest possible way”, promising that the region was safe for residents and tourists. |