Kiev Distorts Own Conclusions on Russian Military Activity Absense - Moscow

Kiev is making a "very malign attempt" to distort the fact-based conclusions of its own inspectors on absense of Russian military activity on border with Ukraine, Russian Foreign Ministry's spokesman said.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Authorities in Kiev are trying to distort the official conclusions of an inspection by its own Armed Forces regarding the absence of proof of any military activity in Southern Russia, Russian Foreign Ministry's spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said on Thursday.

The West and Ukraine have repeatedly accused Russia of sending troops and weapons to eastern Ukraine's pro-independence forces. Russia has denied these claims as groundless.

"Ukraine is making a very malign attempt to distort the fact-based conclusions of its inspectors," Lukashevich said at a briefing.

A delegation of Ukrainian military officers visited Russia's Rostov Region on February 9-12 to carry out an inspection aimed at detecting the presence or absence of military activity. It found no proof or troops activity, as officially confirmed by the inspection group leader.

"Obviously, such a conclusion could not satisfy representatives of the 'war party' in Kiev," the Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces press service said that it reserved the right to assume that military activities could have been present in the areas not personally visited by the inspecting officers. The Ukrainian delegation examined 15,000 square kilometers (9,320 square miles) in three days.

Ukrainian military specialists conducted a similar inspection in March 2014 in Central Russia's Belgorod and Kursk regions. It also found no violations on the part of the Russian Army.