KIEV (Sputnik) — On Wednesday, Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said that it had eliminated a spy ring organized by the Ukrainian Defense Ministry in Crimea, detaining both Russian and Ukrainian nationals involved in preparing terrorist attacks on the peninsula. An FSB officer died as a result of a firefight during the arrest.
Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Kiev of resorting to terrorism.
"The Ukrainian Defense Ministry refutes information spread by Russian FSB on participation of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine in diversionary activities on the territory of temporary occupied Crimea," the statement reads.
The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces denied the accusations earlier on Wednesday and labeled them a provocation.
The Federal Security Service also said it had prevented two overnight attempts by Kiev-organized terrorist groups from entering Crimea overnight into August 8, in which one Russian soldier was killed.
Russia's historical southern region of Crimea rejoined Russia after a 2014 referendum, in which almost 97 percent of the region's population voted for reunification.