Defense Ministry: FSB Statement Attempts to Justify Russian Aggression

The Defense Ministry of Ukraine rejects accusations of the Federal Security Service (FSB) of Russia that Ukrainian Defense Intelligence runs subversive activities in the occupied Crimea, the Ministry’s website underlined.

"Such statement by the FSB is nothing more than an attempt to justify reshuffling and aggressive Russian military actions on the peninsula. In this way, they want to divert the attention of Crimean residents and the international community from their attempts to turn Crimea into an isolated military base," the Defense Ministry claimed.

According to the Ministry, the accusations of shelling Crimea are also groundless. "Crimea is Ukrainian land, and its residents are Ukrainian citizens," the Ministry stressed.

On 10 August, the FSB blamed Ukraine for attacking Crimea which resulted in the death of two Russian servicemen. The FSB claimed that ‘its serviceman died’ during an exchange of fire with a subversive group on August 7 around the city of Armiansk. It also accused Ukraine of two more attempts of subversive attacks in Crimea on 8 August which had been ‘stopped by the special forces of Russia’.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine denied this allegation.

Source: Ukrayinska Pravda